Need Advice: First Road Trip with the Furbabies

[pitrpatr8paws]

Thank you do much for the information! Especially about the water; I hadn't thought of that!


Sorry I haven't used this message board in years and didn't reply the way I intended.

[pitrpatr8paws]

Sure I'm going to repeat some info. Vac records, your vet info, chip numbers, license records all in a plastic bag in the glove compartment. Along with that, add in a recent picture of both just in case. Doggy first air kit. Roll of paper towels and plastic bags for poop pickup. Since the trip sounds like it's will be long, carry gallon jugs of water from home. Sudden changes in water can cause tummy upset. If you are going somewhere where you will stay a while, slowly change over the water by refilling the jugs will the water where you are going. (Hope that makes sense.) I've found it convenient to put kibble in serving portions in baggies. Also, if you have, collars with their name and your phone number stitched on it. Also, you can use tags with the info engraved on them. Extra collars and leashes and if the situation where you are going will allow, 20-30 foot long leads for exercise.

Think you'll find it will be easier than you expect.

Thank you so much for the information ! Especially about the water, I hadn't thought of that!

[pitrpatr8paws]

Lot's of good info!!! I'm assuming they are microchipped????

Oh yes! And I took them to the vet yesterday to have them scanned and verify the number (haven't done that since they were babies - they came with microchips from the breeder) and make sure all contact information was up to date on the microchip website.

[Tanya]

If you are doing this all in one day have you mapped out the rest areas for you and the dogs. Do you know your dogs tells in the car. I could not really travel for more than 3 hours before needing to stop nad play and get some stress and energy out of Molly. She tended not to sleep in the car.

Good luck

this really depends on the dog. I routine drive 8.5-9 hours with the dogs (and have brought fosters) and honestly they always want to keep the stops short. They will drink just a little, potty, i will eat then we head back out. I can't imagine having to stop every 3 hours unless i was travelling wtih a veryyyy young pupppy Even when I have energetic younger dogs we try to get a good exercise before we leave but even that doesn't always happen I see it as a work day for the dogs to be honest haha.

Funny i don't do half of the things recommended! I could probably be more organized.

If your dogs are good in the car I wouldn't worry too much

[pitrpatr8paws]

I have the click it sport, for my two dogs, and it works well for us. Before that, I had the Utility (got it before the click it sport came out) and just had problems. Sleepypod allowed us to exchange the Click It Utility for the Click It Sport, and that solved our problems. We have made trips up to 12 hours in the car (with breaks every few hours) with no problems with the harnesses. Try it out on short trips first to make sure the size is adjusted correctly, and that they have room to stretch, lay down, sit up. We found that our lab, who is tall and lanky, prefers to be strapped in to the passenger side because he likes to lay on his left side, and didn't fit into his preferred position when strapped into the driver's side.

I'm glad to hear Sleepypod allowed you to exchange. While reading reviews about the harnesses, I noticed their Customer Service didn't seem that great so hopefully it's improved. I should have the harnesses in plenty of time to do a few test drives with them, so thanks for that idea!

[pitrpatr8paws]

If you are doing this all in one day have you mapped out the rest areas for you and the dogs. Do you know your dogs tells in the car. I could not really travel for more than 3 hours before needing to stop nad play and get some stress and energy out of Molly. She tended not to sleep in the car.

Good luck

Since this is our first long trip with them, we are going to plan our stops based on how they are doing. If they aren't sleeping or resting a whole lot, we will definitely stop more often. We make this drive a couple of times a year, just never before with the dogs, so we will stop as much as they need to.

[K10]

I'm glad to hear Sleepypod allowed you to exchange. While reading reviews about the harnesses, I noticed their Customer Service didn't seem that great so hopefully it's improved. I should have the harnesses in plenty of time to do a few test drives with them, so thanks for that idea!

Oh, customer service was not great at all! I tried several times to get someone to help me when I wasn't able to use the Click It Utility comfortably. When I got the Click It Utility, the Sport wasn't out yet, so I really wanted someone to get on the phone and trouble shoot with me to see if I could make the product work. Because I had so much trouble getting help, I did not want to go spend the money on the Sport harness when it came out. It was a lot of money to spend on the Utility just to have something that I couldn't use, and that made it even more frustrating that nobody from Sleepypod was willing to get in touch to help. Before I was able to exchange the harnesses I dealt with a lot of unanswered phone calls, emails that didn't address my questions, and incorrect info. Eventually though, I was able to exchange the product. I still sort of hope that by the time I am ready to purchase a product like this again, that there will be another company with a product that passes the same safety tests. In the end, yes, they were able to help me to get what I needed... but I did not appreciate the hassle I had to deal with.

[pitrpatr8paws]

Oh, customer service was not great at all! I tried several times to get someone to help me when I wasn't able to use the Click It Utility comfortably. When I got the Click It Utility, the Sport wasn't out yet, so I really wanted someone to get on the phone and trouble shoot with me to see if I could make the product work. Because I had so much trouble getting help, I did not want to go spend the money on the Sport harness when it came out. It was a lot of money to spend on the Utility just to have something that I couldn't use, and that made it even more frustrating that nobody from Sleepypod was willing to get in touch to help. Before I was able to exchange the harnesses I dealt with a lot of unanswered phone calls, emails that didn't address my questions, and incorrect info. Eventually though, I was able to exchange the product. I still sort of hope that by the time I am ready to purchase a product like this again, that there will be another company with a product that passes the same safety tests. In the end, yes, they were able to help me to get what I needed... but I did not appreciate the hassle I had to deal with.

Good to know! Thanks for the information!

[pitrpatr8paws]

We received out Sleepypod Clickit Sport harnesses yesterday and I am very frustrated.

I feel like I have the harnesses fitting correctly but when I put Sophie and Summer in the backseat today to tryout the harnesses, the seat belts lockup and prevent them from moving AT. ALL. Sophie was sitting like a statue, I felt so bad for her. She can't ride like that for 9 hours! The reviews I read about the harnesses said the dogs were able to lay down but neither one of them could lay down because the seat belts locked up and prevented them from moving just a couple of inches. I have a Toyota Highlander and I'm sure it's something to do with the way the car is made but I am just so frustrated! Any ideas?

[K10]

When we thread the seat belts through the harnesses we pull the seat belt as far out as we can get it before it locks so that there is a lot of slack to the seat belt when we buckle it. When we let go, then of course the extra slack goes back in, but our dogs don't move fast enough to make the seat belt lock. If that's the way that you are doing it already, I don't think I have anything to suggest :/