Driving Mr. Maxwell Smart

I grew up in a town on the Ohio River. Just across the river was Louisville, Kentucky. Kentucky of was off limits to us teenagers. We were to remain on “this side of the river” at all times. I, however, had a secret weapon. Maxwell Smart.

Max was my Norwegin Elkhound dog. I learned very quickly after I obtained my drivers license that if Max was in the car with me, I could go almost anywhere. Max became my ticket to freedom. Apparently my father’s logic was that if his youngest child, who looked like she was only nine years old, had a rather large fluffy dog with her, her safety was in good hands.

So for years and years, my trusty bodyguard and I would pack up and go to fairs, outdoor concerts, art exhibits and pretty much anywhere I could think of. We listened to Rod Stewart belt out songs on the radio, I sang and Max did not laugh. He was happy to have some French fries and a cup of water from the drive thru, and he appreciated when I didn’t slam of the brakes quickly or accelerate quickly so that he could retain his dignity and balance. I was always cautious about darting around in the car as well, I didn’t want to risk getting into an accident and hurting my best friend Max.

Max is gone now. He will be forever in my heart. He taught me how to drive carefully. I learned that I needed to do some good planning for our trips.  I needed to make sure that he was happy so that the two of us could explore the world together, well at least explore “the other side of the river”.

Today I have several doodles that often find their way into the car. I still ease into braking and acceleration so my doodles can retain their dignity and balance, I am super careful about driving while the doodles are in the car, I have been known to belt out a song or two, and there is usually a drive thru that can offer up a cup of water and some French fries… Max taught me well.

If you are considering taking your Mr. Maxwell Smart with you on vacation, then this information is just for you! With the thanks of several fellow traveling doodle owners and the help of my best pal Max, here are some things we learned along the way.

Getting Started…

Travel Confident Doodle Preparation

Car Travel: Desensitize your doodle by taking him for short car trips and provide positive rewards. Make the experiences fun. If the doodle has motion sickness, desensitizing will often help that problem. If it doesn’t improve, then you know that you need to prepare for motion sickness issues when traveling.

Train and reinforce “shhh” or “quiet”:  If you have a dog that barks or has separation problems you need to work on that prior to the trip. If the problem doesn’t improve, then you know that you must work out your vacation to accommodate that problem. You will wear out your welcome very quickly if you leave a barking dog in a hotel room. In addition, the experience will be very upsetting to your dog and may imprint negative reactions to being left alone in the future.

Potty Flexibility:  Make sure that your doodle is comfortable walking on a leash and that he can go potty in places other than their own yard. An added benefit is if your dog can potty in various types of terrain – sand, rocks, sidewalks, etc. This can become a very serious problem if you have a doodle not comfortable going potty – they will hold it for a long time and can be traumatic, physically debilitating and dangerous. Not all places you visit will have a patch of grass that they are willing to allow a dog to go to the bathroom on.

Travel Materials & Supply Preparation

Vet Records: Make copies of your current immunizations. And make a copy of your Rabies Certification. The metal tag on your dog is not the actual proof and will often be disregarded; the rabies certificate is what proves your dog is properly immunized. Double check all records to make sure that your dog is fully protected, including Bordetella. You will also need proof of all immunizations if you will be putting your dog in a daycare at the vacation area.

Research the area you are staying and learn if there are any region specific medical issues. Don’t forget to also administer flea and tick preventative.

Current Photo: Always take several good photos of your dog. Keep them with the vet records.

Food: Do not assume that you will be able to locate your brand of food in the area where you are taking your vacation. Not all products are sold in all places. In addition, foods are often made at several different plants based upon locations. Even the same brand of food may be just enough different that it could be a problem. Don’t use your vacation as period to change dog foods. Keeping things as normal as possible is important. (Bring your own bowl.)

Water:  If you have well water or other types of special water, consider bringing that water. Abrupt changes of water can be increasing the potential for potty problems. Sometimes bringing water and then doing a “change over “ would work. You add a bit of the vacation location water bit by bit, increasing the percentage of that water to your water. (Bring our own bowl – even a small water bucket will often come in handy.)

Treats & Chews: Of course, bring them! A great bone to chew on is a wonderful activity for a dog pent up in a car.

Extra Leashes and Collars: Having several leashes will be to your advantage. Include a duplicate of the leash your normally use, in case it breaks or get lost. Also having a long line (15 – 25 feel) or a Flexi-leash is wonderful to allow our doodle to run around a bit and get some exercise. Always take a second collar as a back up.

Vacation Location Identification: Bring extra tags so that you can add to the dogs collar when you arrive at your vacation. You should write all the contact information of your vacation location onto that tag. A tag with your home address will do no good if you lose your dog on vacation! Bring several tags you can fill out if you are going to have multiple locations. It could be as simple as a duct tape flap with a sharpie marker. If you are using your cell phone as your contact, be sure to verify that your service provider reception works at your vacation location.

First Aid Kit and Medical Supplies: You should travel with a first aid kit, be sure to have tweezers, pepto bismal, aspirin, and gauze wraps in the kit. Having a Canine First Aid reference book is also very smart. Include all medications that your dog will need.

Poo Bags: Always, always, always be prepared to pick up poo. Even if you are out in the woods somewhere! You never know what requirements an area may have, so don’t even guess. Pick up the poo.

Sheets: Great to use to cover bed and chairs to protect it from dirty paws. Having a sheet to throw over a crate to block sun, wind and flies, etc. Sheets are thin and don’t take up much room and they dry quickly too.

Doodle in Room!: Create a door hanger that indicates that there is a dog in the room. This will avoid surprising a maid or the maid opening the door as the dog runs out.

Wipes: One of the best inventions of this century. The Clorox or Lysol wipes. They are great for trips. You can clean your hands, wipe off dog feet if they are in a high dog traveled area, and can use to do a quick sanitary wipe of water and food bowls… these wipes are a life saver on a trip.

Cleaner: Be sure to pack some Natures Miracle or Simple Solution for cleaning up accidents. Often when a doodle arrives in a new place, they may have a bit of confusion about potty spots. So, be prepared and don’t be shocked if even the most reliable dog has an accident.

Grooming Tools: Bring a good brush and comb. If your doodle gets wet or finds all types of “nature” you will need to have a method of caring for his coat.      

Accommodations

Locate a Pet Friendly Hotel/Campground/Cabin, etc.

These are the things you need to know about your accommodations:

• Most hotels will charge an additional fee or require a damage deposit. What are the added expenses?
• Not all pet friendly hotels accept larger dogs; many have a size/weight restriction. This is very unfortunate, because it is rarely the large dog that can disrupt other guests with barking and they are also rarely the dogs that have potty issues.
• Not all pet friendly hotels have places for your dog to go potty close by. Find out exactly what type of potty spot, grass area?
• There may be specific restrictions as to where your dog can be at the hotel, get that information before you commit to staying there.
• Find out if there are any mandatory crate requirements.
• Determine if the city/area has any specific dog related ordinances that may affect your stay.
• Ask if the hotel provides pet sitting services or if they could recommend any sitting services or kennels in the area.

And for the Trip…

Expect to an approximate additional 25% more time to the travel. This will allow for potty stops, a bit of quick exercising and the time it takes to care for the folks (people and dogs included) in the car. Plan on stopping for breaks every 3 hours or so. If the dog is younger your stop times will need to be not as long. Most dogs can tolerate around 6 hours of travel before breaks need to get longer and you need start providing additional exercise.

Rest areas are where most people take their dogs to potty. With that in mind, the sanitary conditions are often poor and health risks can be increased greatly. Think of other alternatives along the way. And never let your dog drink from stagnate water or allow them to sniff the ground.

Provide plenty of water for the trip. A good hard chew bone can ease the tension and boredom of the trip inside the car.

Do not leave your dog alone in the car at any time. A car can build up heat in just minutes. With a combination of the outdoor heat, the sun and the fact that a dog’s breath can heat the air as well, you are talking a disaster in just a quick span of time. Cracking the window does help reduce some of those risks but then you are also risking theft of “that beautiful dog that is being abused in that car” or risking someone sticking their hands in the car only to greeted by a nip or a lick, thus you have a whole new set of problems that the police will want to talk to you about.

Keep in mind that a car is an extension of the home. The pack smells are in there, so if you have a doodle that is in the least bit territorial you are asking for your dog to also protect the car turf! Protective behaviors and barking are likely to occur.

If you plan to do anything that you cannot take your dog, do not leave the dog unattended in your room. The dog could become fearful or get startled and bark at every noise they hear. This will certainly be a fast ticket to the hotel door with you and your doodle! Utilize a local pet service or kennel.

If possible select a wire crate for travel. Strap down the crate inside the vehicle. If you are in an accident your dog has the best chance of survival if he is contained. The wire might possibly take some of the impact of the force. A canvas crate primary function is containment. Also explore the use of dog safety harnesses, for the long trip being able to provide optional seating may be welcomed by your doodle.

Taking your doodle with you should be a positive experience. With proper preparations and a bit of training, you can create some wonderful memories as you drive your Mr. Maxwell Smart.

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Doodle Owner Recommended:

Great Summer Vacation Location:
Sandbridge Beach, Virginia
http://www.siebertrealty.com
Residential, low-key and dog friendly.

If you have found a great Doodle-friendly location - let us know! We will include it in this article. DoodleNation@aol.com