My wife and I always put our dogs in crates when we travel with them. Our dogs feel safer in their crates than they do being loose. We feel their being in the crates is safer for them and us. Consider getting into an accident and having your pet flying through the air, hitting passengers, the interior of the vehicle, or even getting ejected. A secured crate will keep them from flying about and will afford some protection from the crash.
I am sure than someone will point out some scenario that proves us wrong. Something like: What if there is a fire, Fido won't be able to get out. Well, I think you are most likely to get into a crash with no fire because most deaths in accidents are caused by blunt force trauma.
We show and raise Yorkies and have 9 (yes 9!) but they are all small dogs (largest is 6 lbs.). When we are traveling they each have a small plastic crate they ride in behind our seats in truck-we stack these crates. Once we get landed we set up an exercise pen (actually four-two sets on either side of the trailer door and we put them there to run and do business. When inside the trailer they have larger plastic crates that I stack on couch and under desk area while moving and arrange these around the rear living area once we are stopped-stacked so we have all the usual room and they are contained. The crates used in the truck are snugly wedged in behind our seats (rear seat lifts up out of the way) and there is no way these crates will move in a panic stop. Only in a roll over will they move and if that happens we are all screwed.
At night they all sleep with us (I know but remember they are small dogs!) and this is why we love the king bed in the fiver. We lay down wee-wee pads all over the bedroom carpet for them to use at night/early morning and they have a set of steps we built for them to get on and off the bed. We close the bedroom door to keep them in bedroom with us at night. I do not want them wandering around the trailer at night.
As soon as we awaken we take them all out to the ex pen area for food and water and play and business. It works very well, carpet is kept clean (these dogs do not shed) and everyone is happy. Our dogs all love to camp and go to shows and we have taken a litter 3 days old with us (plug in a heating pad for under the crate while mom is outside). This is the way most show people do it with their show dogs and makes for a clean trailer or motorhome and happy people and pets.
Ours 2 bison frise's ride in the back seat of our extended cab. They have dog safety belts to keep them from flying around inside. When camping they roam around our 5er just like at home but have to go outside on leash with us.
2006 F250 Extended Cab, Long Bed, 6.0 PSD, Tow Package
2006 Keystone Springdale 242
hsnrs wrote: Pets will be in quad cab during travel. I should have said when we are stopped and camped for the night. They would never ride in back while we are traveling; my mistake for suggesting such a thing!
Sorry for the misunderstanding! We let ours roam free around the camper. All three are very housebroken and used to traveling around with us to see family, etc. We have even left them in the fiver for 1-2 hours at a time with no problems. It just depends on your relationship with your pet. Do you trust them to run free at home? Is there something you are sure they will get into?
J
03 Ram 1500 Quad Cab with Hemi 5.7, HD tow package, K&N Cold Air, B&W Companion + Ball, Prodigy,
1987 Prowler 27.5',
Macbook Pro 17" (Fastest Vista Laptop, iPhone)
Me and the DW and our
2 Dogs: Jackson (golden), Pumba (min-pin)
Not sure how big of a crate you'll need but I plan to either put Molly's under the desk where the chair would go, or take away two chairs at the table and put her crate between the table leg and the wall (or couch depending on floorplan) You sure could take the table out if table trays work for you - I couldn't tell you the last time I sat at the table and ate, it's always a tray for me - I do want the table for company and for crafting though. Take some measurements inside and see where the crate will fit the best in your rig !
Good luck and happy travels
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Probably should be in the Pet forum.
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I use the fold-up med. size nylon "enclosures" at night
for out two Papillons. (from Target about 18" by 30")
The wire/metal ones would work OK too. (if you have "chewers", LOL!)
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We did away with the "factory" table - had nothing to
do with the dogs. (they fit just fine before that).
Use a drop-leaf (round table) and two chairs now, but we could
even skip that and use TV trays.
JC
2 chicken, 1 rabbit, 2 dogs, 1 cat, 2 birds (Quaker parrot and cockatiel). Thanks goodness the fish are all dead and the survivers were given to a good home!
Chickens ride in their own Pet Taxi, which doubles as their roost at night. Rabbit also has a pet taxi and stays in it all the time, unless on a leash. Oh, the chickens are on a leash too.
Dogs ride without a crate, and we have a soft bag cat carrier for the cat, and the cat is always on a leash. The 2 birds have a very small carrying cage, (each) about the size of a shoe box, and a larger cage (2 of them) in the TT. Birds are NEVER let free.
In the morning, we wake up. Both dogs in bed with us. Cat wrapped around our head. Birds start squaking (do you have any idea how loud a Quaker Parrot gets?), rabbit starts thumping her foot, 2 chickens start clucking and pecking at the side of their cages wanting special treats!
Do we get to sleep in? nope!
How did we get all these critters? My daughter wanted all these critters for 4-H. She kept accumulating more and more, and then when she turned 17 and graduated from High School, decided to join the Navy! I keep telling her every good sailor needs a parrot on their shoulder. She'd love to have the animals back, but it's kind of hard to keep them stowed away on an air craft carrier!
Are we insane? Absolutely Yes! But we do try to take good care of the critters!
They all ride on the back seat in the truck.
Camping: Everyone goes in a folding pen. The chickens also "free range" on extended, very long light weight rope (about 25 feet long each). The cat wears a harness all the time and is kept on a short leash. She tangles her self up too much. Mostly, she just stays in the TT in a corner.
Dogs, in the pen, or on a leash. Dogs sleep on the floor of the TT, Cat sleeps in her corner, and the chickens in the taxi.
DutchmenSport
2005 Chevy Silverado 3500 Dually Duramax 6.6L V8 Turbo
Century Truck Cap Commercial /Toolboxes
Northeast Outfitters Canoe
Offline
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