Welcome to the Travel section of our store!
Whether you are looking specifically for what to have on hand to make the trek home for the first time with your puppy, making your first trip to the vet, or you are looking for travel product ideas as you take your dog with you on a daily basis—-we hope you find this page helpful and full of ideas to ease your mind for whatever journey you take with your new buddy!
car travel safety
Doggie “Seat Belt”
Yes, yes, I know, a lot of people may look at this and think it’s a bit overboard——but if your dog is going to travel with you, and you don’t want to always give up the space necessary to bring a crate, this is a very nice option. I like this for two reasons:
1. Obviously—-the safety of the dog. Even without a wreck, but just a sudden stop, it prevents puppy from becoming a projectile object!
2. It also is great for minimizing distraction to the driver as the dog is not able to roam freely about the vehicle and root through the groceries while your attention is elsewhere :)
A few things to keep in mind as you peruse styles, sizes, and options:
1. I recommend a clip to harness instead of collar. This puts any pressure spread as widely as possible across the body instead of the neck, which is much more fragile and prone to injury.
2. There are options that plug directly in like a human seat belt, so make sure you think about seat belt placement and style in your vehicle.
3. There are also options that tether to the latch system in your vehicle for children’s car-seats. Think about whether or not your vehicle has this and placement before you buy.
Dog Booster Seat
Anther option to keep puppy safe and comfortable in the vehicle, while keeping them from being a distraction to the driver! This wouldn’t be necessary or feasible for very long in the Great Pyrenees, but many people really like this option for their Cockapoo as it has the added benefit of them being able to look out the window. The booster tethers to the seat of the car, and has a clip to attach to your dog as well. Again, MANY options, but here is a basic one to start you thinking!
Crate
An alternative to the booster or seat belt is a traditional crate. First of all, please note that the wire crates we suggest in the “Preparing Your Home” section for crate training DO work for this application as well. Also, they do have the added benefit of folding up when not in use. However, many people seem to prefer a solid sided, plastic carrier for this purpose, and it does have a few safety benefits in this scenario. Again, many price-points, options, colors, etc, so use this as a starting point for browsing!
Also, keep in mind that if you are going to have to make a quick run inside of a location where you cannot bring your dog, having a crate to put them in keeps them safe while you can’t watch them.
A couple of numbers for gauging size:
For go home with 1 Great Pyrenees puppy, we use and recommend a crate that is 28” x 20” x 21”. This leaves them space to move around without taking up every spare inch of your vehicle! Here is an example of one we like, and often use for shipping or Pyrenees puppies: https://amzn.to/38qlbm8
For go home with 1 Cockapoo puppy, this is a great place to start: https://amzn.to/2TvJcnn
long trips with your puppy
Shredded Paper
A travel tip primarily for your first ride home with your puppy, is to provide shredded newsprint for bedding. This is very absorbent, makes a comfortable “nest”, and we much prefer it to puppy pads that they tend to shred and make a disaster of :) We recommend filling the crate about 1/2 way to the top, and knowing that puppy will quickly squish it down. Depending on the length of your trip, we also recommend bringing two or more medium to large trashbags. One should be empty and ready to receive old bedding in case it needs to be changed, and the other should be filled with fresh shredded paper to refill. This method does keep puppy surprisingly clean even if he or she does get sick or have an accident.
Of course you may be able to find a resource in your area that has already shredded newspaper, or will provide you with lots of newspaper to shred yourself—but here are some other options:
Newsprint sheets that are easy to feed into the shredder yourself: https://amzn.to/2TLIgdx
Strip shredder (you DO NOT want cross cut shredding for this use!): https://amzn.to/3cF0q9x
Bowls
We supply you with a sample of food for your puppy on the trip home, and food is something most people remember to bring on a trip in general…..but often overlooked is a way to offer the dog food and water! These are an easy way to have this on hand. Inexpensive and collapsible, they can easily be left in the vehicle so you always have them on hand!
We do not recommend full meals for a puppy on the road….but if you are driving very long, you definitely need to make a snack available along with their water!
Potty Bags & Dispenser
This is another often overlooked take along for new puppy owners! Don’t forget a way to pick up after your pup!
Do be careful, especially with a very young puppy, that you choose an out of the way location to potty where other dogs are not using. Parasites and illness can be passed from dog to dog through contact with feces! If there is space in your vehicle, many of our Cockapoo families choose to bring along the litter box set-up detailed in the “Preparing Your Home” section of the store!
Day to day travel
Stroller
Another suggestion depending on your lifestyle and situation. This isn’t something I personally use outside of vet visits and meeting puppy families at the airport——but I sure do love it when I use it! This is a pretty basic model, but I have no complaints. If this is something you use regularly, you may decide to pay for more bells and whistles……and there are LOTS of options! If you think you don’t need one, let me run over my thoughts and suggestions for them real quickly:
1. This is an EXCELLENT option for vet visits. It does have a weight restriction of 33 pounds, so it would be limited use for the Great Pyrenees….but should last your Cockapoo for life! SO many yucky things can be picked up at the vet’s office, so I don’t ever allow puppies to walk around, and I always keep them off of the ground—I suggest the same for our families!
2. A puppy over-exerting themselves is a real thing—-and is very dangerous for growing bones and joints! Although free play in a yard is the best excercise for puppies, so they can stop as soon as they are tired, short walks are fine. However, if your family takes long walks and wants to enjoy it too, this is a great option for breaking up the walk for pup and protecting him or her along the way.
3. This also opens up the possibility of taking your puppy places where they may not otherwise be welcome, or where you are concerned about the behavior, health, or socialization of other dogs present. Your puppy can still come with you, but can have a safe space while there!
4. And in these situations, it also has a basket for storage, and ALWAYS handy cup holders :) Our family has even had the idea to take it to the library to haul books, haha! It also folds flat for storage, so it’s easy to keep in a vehicle for when you need it!