The BEST breed for trucking companion, is whatever breed YOU want But remember to always allow the DOG to "pick" you.

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I team drive with my husband and 2 dogs, both Basenjis (barkless African sight hounds). One is 20 lbs, the other is 15 lbs. They are very clean, will even clean themselves like a cat, low-shedding, virtually no odor and as a breed, very easy to house-train. My male came from the breeder housebroken at 9 weeks (he knew to go to the door- but he couldn't hold it long), my female is a rescue from a puppymill who lived in a cage for the first year and a half of her life, and even without housetraining she adapted to life as a pet and was housebroken within a month with few accidents.

They have fresh water in a bowl in the sleeper at all times. I keep a big bowl inside a deep rectangular plastic storage container, so it's sturdier and contains any "splash". Rather than leave food out, I stop and they eat breakfast every morning around 9-10 AM, and have a couple of treats at night.

Most adult dogs can "hold it" reliably for 6-8 hours. Frankly, I need to stop and use the bathroom a little more often than that, about every 4-5 hours, so usually when I stop to pee, I take the dogs out real quick too. I find it prolongs my stamina on the road since I get up and stretch my legs a little more than I would if I didn't have the dogs. Plus they get a "long walk" about twice a day, usually at the start & end of my driving shift, or if I am laid over somewhere.

I have found some companies have a weight limit, and/or a limit on the number of pets. But, my dogs aren't negotiable, and my attitude is that if I can't find a trucking job that allows me to bring them, I'll find something else to do. So far, I haven't had a problem. I have a good MVR and positive references from previous employers that verify I kept a very clean truck, and in the last instance where I had to change jobs (company went out of business) having those references helped.

I love my pups and enjoy the fact that I have a job that lets me spend 24/7 with my dogs. Dogs were my first passion, trucking second- it was a choice between going to trucking school or dog training school. I figured trucking would be more of a guaranteed income, as dog training can be hit-or-miss when it comes to making a decent living. I have always said I'd be in heaven if I woke up every morning and spent the whole day working with dogs. This isn't QUITE that, but it's as close as I can get, right now. Maybe one day down the road I'll make a transition to working with dogs as a career, the older I get, the more tempting it sounds

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Us & The Dogs

-I travel a lot; I hate having my life disrupted by routine. ~Caskie Stinnett

Depends on what you consider "medium sized" and just how protective you want the dog to be. Most of your medium sized breeds will give an alarm bark, but may not be an effective "guard".

Some people consider Boxers to be a medium sized dog. Many are on the smaller side- I have seen Boxers as small as 40-50 lbs, and as large as 80-90 lbs, ideally they are supposed to be in the middle. But if you looked in Rescue or a shelter I bet you could find an adult dog on the smaller side, that way you'd know exactly how big the dog was going to get- no suprises with a puppy! Plus, young Boxers have TONS of energy, adults are more mellow and can do just fine with 1-2 good walks every day. Boxers are known for being protective and wonderful with kids. I had one for 14 years and she was impeccably housetrained and very smart.

Generally for most folks it's easier to adopt an older dog rather than try and house-train a puppy in a truck. Young pups can't control their bladder and you're bound to have accidents. Some folks use wee-wee pads and such, but I just can't see having a dog using the bathroom in such a small space. Plus, most dogs go through a chewing phase in their adolescence so you run the risk of having your truck eaten while you shower or eat. Adopting an adult you know the full size it'll be, and usually have some background on the dog's behavior and any problems, etc.

If I were you, I'd go through the animal shelter and find the dog who "speaks" to you. Sounds crazy, but generally the right dog will stand out to you, and it'll just feel right .

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Us & The Dogs

-I travel a lot; I hate having my life disrupted by routine. ~Caskie Stinnett