Pets and Traveling

[DanLee]

We are about to buy our first Class A and hopefully will have lots of time to travel and see the Country. A potential problem is our relatively healthy 13 y/o lab. The few times we have taken him in our truck while while towing the 5th wheel, he is very nervous and uncomfortable riding and must be lifted in and out of the truck. He should be more comfortable riding in the Coach, but I can't imagine how will work-out once we arrive at our destination and leave him in the Coach all day while we are out seeing sites. Would love to hear suggestions and experiences. Thanks

[toedtoes]

Some dogs do get car sick, but it can be minimized. Having him lay down will reduce the non-vehicle motion. Fresh air coming in can help (in some cases, it makes it worse). Not looking out windows can help or make it worse. Talk to your vet for possible medications and other recommendations on reducing his discomfort.

In your case, it sounds like the dog just really doesn't like the vehicle. To combat that, I offer these ideas:

1. Let him go into the RV and just spend time in there with your family in the driveway. Go so far as to spend a few nights "driveway camping". If you can't camp in your driveway, look for a local RV park - then one of you drive the RV there and the other drive your regular vehicle with the dog in it. When you leave, take the dog home in the regular vehicle. The idea is to let him get used to the RV with it stationary. When you're in the RV with him, just do your normal stuff - don't make a big deal about where you are, just be together there.

2. Have things your dog loves in the RV BEFORE you bring him inside. Toys, treats, favorite blanket, etc. This will help make the RV an extension of your home and give him something enjoyable about being in it.

3. Once he starts seeing the RV as a place to enjoy in its stationary state, ten take him for a ride. Take it to a local park, etc. where he can get out and play for a bit. Show him that riding in the RV means going out and having fun rather than going to the vet, etc. Don't do a long driving trip right out the gate, let him get used to short easy rides first.

And so you know there's hope: years ago I had a sweet foster dog. She was a shepherd/setter/spaniel mix. She got car sick within seconds of being in a car. I had adopted her to a nice older man (he named her after his mother) and as they drove out the driveway, she threw up... Two years later, he and his girlfriend sold their houses and bought a truck and 5th wheel and full-timed. She traveled all over the U.S. and Canada - on her special bed in the back seat of the truck (they bought that truck specifically so she would have a bed). I ran into them about 6 years later and she was still happily traveling.

[JimM68]

Our huskies love travelling in the motorhome. Holler let's go camping and they are running for the gate and the bus right outside.
Here's Nikko in his favorite spot

[Dadio24]

We travel with two 12 yr old dogs. They run to the MH before the trip and we help one get with a extended ramp for the 1st days. After a day or two, we don't use the ramp as the exercising stretches the "couch potato" out of them. They are excited to travel...just as we are!

[imgoin4it]

One other thing I forgot in my above posta. If we are going to be gone from the motor home for a long period of time / like all day we look for and usually find a "doggie day care center" for that day. Our dog likes that and if she has been in a particular place she seems to remember it the next time.

[Clay_L]

Our two Shelties got car sick and we didn't know what would happen when we started traveling full time in a motor home.
We started spending evenings and nights in it. We told the dogs that we were going to the little house. After a few days they would run to the door all excited to go when we told them "going to the little house". Then after we got everything out of the house and into storage we lived in the motor home for a month while we did repairs, painted and so forth.
When we started the engine and pulled away they were a little surprised but neither one got car sick and they adapted well to life on the road.

They really loved the attention they got when we walked them on their leashes in RV parks.

[sportech]

Our 35# mutt had a difficult time getting comfortable in our MH. We finally tried a Thunder Shirt. He was happy to have us put it on him for trips in the MH and it also helped with heavy rain storms. After about 6 months of using it he was reluctant to have it on and no longer uses it.
He goes to sleep immediately in the coach and doesn't mind the thunder storms!

Dave
07 Rev 40E

[the_vfox]

Our pets stay in the MH while we sight see. They all travel with us in the MH on all our trips.

[GTN_and_Catz]

Trust me ... this really isn't off topic.
Your Lab sounds a lot like our cats when it comes to traveling. "Most" cats are wildly adverse to getting in a vehicle of any type and then moving down the road. As has been explained to me numerous times over the years, cats just can't focus on fast moving scenery from a vehicle so they get confused/scared and start screaming. That was true with our three until we started traveling in the MH. When we're under way, each goes to the back (where the shades are down) or stays on the floor and they relax. The actual movement of the coach doesn't bother them and they don't even try to look out any of the windows. They're quiet and we're happy.
As soon as we stop, for whatever reason, they're up and wandering all over the coach - on the dash - looking out the window, etc. Break's over, put the MH in gear and PRESTO the cats disappear!
As everyone else has mentioned, when we leave for any period, the vent fans are left open with the thermostat set to turn on at a very low setting in case the A/C fails. We don't worry so much about them barking at neighbors so the curtains and drapes are left open enough for them to entertain themselves looking outside.

[Dog_Folks]

After you get the coach, take him on frequent short times around he neighborhood to get him used to traveling.

Once he becomes familiar he will relax some.

[Rwake901]

We have a small dog that rides on the dash of the motorhome, I guess she likes to see where we are going. When we leave to go sight seeing or whatever we bring along a kennel that we put her in. We also close the blinds leave the air on so the fan runs all the time to block out outside noise. Plus we turn the radio on low. At least when they are in the kennel you know they aren't looking out the window barking at the other campers or whatever.. 😉

[rvten]

Our 2 dogs enjoy riding in the MH and toad.
Staying alone in the MH is no problem either.

Maybe you Lab. Needs a young companion.

[imgoin4it]

We travel with a smaller dog, miniture schnauzer, who loves to travel in a car, Not so much in the motor home. She gets in her favorite spot and does not move until the coach stops. She does like to ride in or out on the living room slides. When we leave her, blinds closed, TV on, of course vents or acnd on. She does very well. One word of caution; Many people think there dog does not bark because they are not there to hear them. Reason we close all blinds is ours will bark at everyone she see's, even a block away. Can't see them does not bark.

[Dale_Traveling]

No real problems with our dog. He doesn't like the coach moving around when going down the road but he finds his confort spot and pretty much stays there until we get to where we're going. Leaving him alone while we site see hasn't been an issue either. He's not much of a barker and doesn't have much of a seperation issue but be close the blinds just to be sure. Only worry is if there's a power outage during a hot day but we normally open the ceiling vents and turn the fans on even with the AC(s) running just to be sure.

[rgatijnet1]

We travel with a 100+ pound Great Pyrenees. She travels fine but when we leave to go sightseeing for the day, we just close up the night shades, turn off all lights, leave the TV on, and make sure that she has plenty of water. We have had no problems for the 8+ years of travel with her.