Need Some Advice On Bringing My Dog Out With Me

Keep a small wire cage to hide dog in if ness. will need water just like you do at stops?

 

Until you know how well the dog will handle the road I gave minimal food to her before a long ride. End of day was feeding and water time. I gave her a little water in a.m. but not much. This also teaches them that after a good day in the truck they get rewarded with food and a walk (i always feed after exercise)

My dog was very scared the first week or 2. The noises bumps and shakes etc etc. I was very careful during that time to ignore that scared behavior. I was careful not to pet and try and comfort her. Dogs think differently than humans and for a human being coddled and told it's OK is a good thinkg. For a dog it teaches then that they will get love and attention when they are in a scared state of mind. exercise is very important to help this. my dog is very well trained and is great off leash but I don't like to allow her off leash in a truck stop or rest area near a busy road so I used a 30 ft training lead and would play catch and other games with her. This will help her sleep and relax while the truck is in motion.

My dog is always on the pass seat when the truck is moving. The second I push in the brakes she comes up and hops into that seat and will not move out of it until the truck is stopped and she hears the brakes pulled. I do not use a restraint for her but have been considering it.

some places I have delivered to that don't allow dogs can have allowed me to walk her on there property always ask never assume. When you ask show them you have poop bags and assure them that you will clean up any mess. Storing the mess afterward can be difficult (wwho wants to bring a poop bag into there truck?) Luckily my pete has storage under the pass side steps so I can put it in there until I find a proper place to dispose.

Not sure what type of driving you do but I am on a somewhat regular schedule (dedicated act) my dog gets a decent walk (usually about a mile) at the beginning of my day a quick 3 or 4 minute walk atruck a rest area or truck stop halfway thru the day and a longer (anywhere from 2-5 miles) at the end of the day. A lot of people will say keeping a dog in a truck is no place for a dog. My dog actually lost weight due to increased exercise losing she has been on the truck with me. When at home she just lays around the backyard (wife is gone for 12 or more hrs)

I never liked people who dressed there dogs but a raincoat is actually a very good idea who wants a smelly wet dog in there truck? LOL.

The best decision I ever made was to bring mine on the road with me. She is good company, forces me to get exercise and is a good alarm/deterant. I have trained her to alert me if anyone gets to close to the truck. She is super friendly but you get within 10 ft of my truck she will start with a low quiet growl. You get right up to the side or on the step she will start barking and growling (little does anyone know she is completely harmless). Like I said she is well trained so with a simple command from me she will stop immediately. There is a big difference from a dog that is going crazy and is uncontrollable than a dog that will go crazy and immediately go back to normal when told to. If you don't have that ability to shut it off it can be a real headache anyone parks next to you at the TS or when in the shop you don't want to be that guy who has that annoying dog that won't shut up. She also scares away mosthe of the lot lizards before they bang on my door LOL.

 

I will reply with more info tomorrow I am sure I will think of a few more things.

 

Once the dog is used to the road I leave a small amount of water in the dish throughout the day I use a metal dog bowl that is kind of tall. With about 1/2 to 3/4 inch of water I have never had any spill out. When it is feeding time I add more but throughout the day I keep it low to prevent splashing.

 

I have brought dogs with me for 7 years. Both were rescues.

I recommend:
1. Water Boy dog bowl. It is a special travel bowl that gives my furry buddy a drink when he needs to. I bought mine years ago. Costs about twenty bucks.
2. Metal dog food bowl. Super easy to keep clean. Not easy to break.
3. Dog coat. We run ND and MN in the winter. My dog is not a Barbie doll. He wears a safety reflective tape coat to keep him visible and warm.
4. Dog poo bags. Yep. Nasty but necessary.
5. Toys/treats. Something for him to do when he can't get out.
6. Shot records. Proof of rabies and distemper. Need that to get him a bath at the PetSmart while we're on the road.
7. Spare leash. Just in case.

Pet owner manners OTR
1. If you're on private property, ask before you walk your dog. Pick up after him when he's done.
2. At rest areas and truck stops give other mutts a wide berth. Some dogs aren't well socialized with others.

Safety for Fido
1. Watch where you walk him. There are stickers in the grass down south, trash, glass, dead animals, rotten food... yeah. Keep an eye on him so he doesn't step on or eat anything he shouldn't.
2. Supervise your dog with strangers. Some people are stupid. Some people are mean. The few people that are both could hurt your dog or entice him to bite them.
3. Get that winter salt off his feet. It will crack the pads clear down to the meat. Use baby wipes after he gets back in the truck. You gotta wipe his feet anyway after he's been out in the snow.
4. Watch the temp in the cab. You can't let it get too hot or too cold. Give more water in summer. In winter give him an old blanket to curl up with.

My dog saved my neck when I was sleeping in my truck. Guy jimmied the door only to meet my pit mix Bloo. Guy got a good scare. Bloo got a steak. I thought it was a great trade.

Good luck. Enjoy the road together.

 

Leave it at home or get a dog sitter......dogs/pets have no place in a commercial vehicle , it's not good for them to start with , and it can be really un-safe. Many will not agree with this , but you asked.

 

First thing to do if your really set on taking him is MAKE SURE your allowed to have a dog in the truck if your a company driver , I do not allow animals in our trucks and our drivers sign a statement to that fact when hired.

 

Bring dogs with you is not unsafe, but you will need to get your friend some play time every day for health reason, dogs need exercise every day, and a good diet, dry food is the best, check with company on policy on having pets in the truck, best of luck

 

while driving i put my dog's crate on the lower bunk with door fixed open, i use bungy cords to secure it to the bunk walls so if i have a hard braking event she stays in one place, dogs feel "safe" in their crates, also if i am pulled over by DOT or detained at a weigh scale it is great to be able to secure her in that crate while i tend to business, always lots of blankets, the lower bunk becomes her area when rolling, i make sure she has a nice sanctuary on the bunk, she also enjoys sitting in the dummy seat if her pillow setup is there and i tuck in a bowl with small amount of dry food, i keep the bunk windows open so she gets some road smell action

when we hit the rack her crate goes up into the top bunk and she sleeps in the lower bunk with me, she is a little heater and i use my bunk heater less when she is with me

she has two bowls attached to the inside of her crate, i keep her water bowl filled with fresh water at all times under the dummy seat and i nest two bowls which prevents the water from spilling into the truck floor, a small bowl of food there so she can graze, if i need to leave the truck for a while without her i hide a few treats throughout the truck cab so she has something to occupy herself while i am gone

a wad of plastic bags are always in my pocket so we are always prepared, we take at least two walks per day, as previously pointed out there can be a lot of rough debris strewn about the ground at truck parking locations so be careful on walks and continuously look out for dangerous items, the walks are critical for more than one reason--they also become her "job" so she does not get bored watching me drive all day, wiping her paws with baby wipes when we return from walks is critical every time

she gets a minimal amount of daily treats but she has to earn them by obeying my command to "sit" and remain calm and not snatching the treat from my fingers, definitely toys to keep her occupied

i have never had a problem with shippers or receivers, if necessary she can be secured in the crate but never had to do this yet, just keep her on lead and well behaved, don't be too conspicuous and no one has ever bothered me, there are a lot of animal lovers everywhere

i have noticed a lot of dogs in trucks will sit and bark at pedestrians milling around the truck because they are guarding the truck as they would their house, this is natural but it may add to their stress so i try to train her to signal only when someone is very close to the truck, if she gets daily exercise she sleeps and does not care what is going on outside the truck

we all know there are always peculiar folks lurking around truck stops bothering drivers and boldly approaching parked trucks, i am very cynical about this behavior and always felt these people were just trying to scope out the truck to see what they could steal, i know two drivers who have had their dogs stolen right out of their trucks at truck stops when they stepped away for a few minutes, one was locked but that won't make any difference sometimes, this is one of the many reasons i avoid truck stops when possible