Hey guys and gals, I need a little advice.

Earlier this month I lost my job. It was a dedicated run that had me home every night. While I was gone, I'd leave Rosco, my 15 month old rat terrier, out in the yard in nice weather or in the kitchen in cold weather.

The last time I was OTR was one of the few times in my life I didn't own a dog, so I've never had this problem before. I'm divorced and I'm apparently insufferable to live with...LOL. Long story short, I don't really want to take my dog on the road with me, but I don't see that I have a choice.

I hate the thought of caging him up in the confines of a truck for most of the day. He's very active and has never been caged for more than a few hours at a time. At the same time, he's my family. He's my only family, so as you can imagine, he's not going anywhere.

I get a long-winded sometimes, sorry, I'll get to my point. Those of you who have dogs with you in the truck, how did you prepare them for the life we live? Are your dogs not miserable spending most of the day in the cab? This is really eating at me, help is much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

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If I'd have known I was going to live this long, I'd have taken better care of myself.

Pff my 90 lb GSD is pissed we didn't take him with us this time lol. If my huge dog whom barely fit on the floor wants to go everytime, your pup will probably love it. He gets new smells daily! Imagine him sitting on the passenger seat looking out the window stumpy tail a waggin.

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I am a Camaro Girl because IROC!

You have unlimited chances to go too slow, but only one to go too fast.

We took our dogs with us and we stayed out for around three months, They adapted really quickly, we would try stop at rest area's and let them play for 1/2 hr on there retractable leashes, they loved meeting all new people and as Iroc says they love all the new smells.

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Bugs the Navigator
Is it left then right? or Right and two lefts? IM CONFUSED!

I have an Austrailian Sheppard, he weighs about 50 pounds and nearly 14 years old but in good health and still fairly active. I really want to take him with me but I also want to do what is best for him. We are very close and I am having a hard time with the thought of leaving him at home. Please help me with the following questions:

1. Will it be difficult on my dog to adapt given his age? I know I need to discuss this with my vet but value any thoughts you might have.

2. How hard is it to accomodate your dog's needs with the irregular schedule drivers keep? It seems to me that it might be hard on the dog eating at different hours.

3. How dog freindly are truckstops?

4. Have you had trouble finding rest areas? I heard on the news that some states might be closing some of their rest areas. And sometimes they are so crowded that you can't get into one.

I would imagine that having your dog with you makes being on the road that much better. Besides the fact that stopping with your dog gives you time to enjoy the scenery, the companionship they offer is the best reason of all.

I had to take my dog to the vet this morning and it was pouring rain. We were both soaked by the time we left the house. That caused me to think about how do you guys deal with things when the weather is bad and you have to let your dog out? My truck was a mess by the time I got him home!

We keep a couple of old Towels handy and wipe there feet off and give them a quick dry off.........But I do have to say our dogs are pretty spoilt and all have Alabama Crimson Tide rain jackets so its only really there feet.

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Bugs the Navigator
Is it left then right? or Right and two lefts? IM CONFUSED!

Pretty cool idea. I just checked the Pet Smart website and what they had didn't look like it would cover much. The towel idea is probably the best idea.

Are there any others suggestions for trucking with your pet? I'm just trying to get an idea of how to manage things.

To FreeSafety:
I brought a dog about the size/energy level of a Rat Terrier OTR with me beginning when he was 2 yrs old. He adjusted to it within a week or 2 (in terms of seeming more at-ease & getting used to routine).

Keep in mind that many times, *mental* stimulation and companionship for a dog are just as important- if not MORE so than physical stimulation. Dogs are pack animals by nature and are generally happy when they're with their people. By being with you 24/7 you are providing companionship and more mental stimulation for him. Obviously his physical stimulation is important but you'd be suprised how easy it is to give him an "outlet" several times a day. Retractable leash, big grassy area, some toys- playtime! My pup helped me discover some pretty cool spots to go hiking when I had extra time on a load- the rest area on top of Donner has hiking trails behind it; rest areas in Utah on 70 have a lot of area to explore, same with AZ on 40 around Meteor Crater. Gives you a good excuse for a break & some exercise.

To Southpaw:
A 14 year old dog might have a harder time; especially if he has arthritis or failing vision/hearing or other health issues. You are the best judge as to how active & capable he is of handling a change in routine. Getting him in/out of the truck might be a challenge- letting him jump from that height is a no-no. Can you comfortably lift a 50 lb dog from about neck-height down to the ground & back up? Or, they do make ramps designed for smaller or older dogs to walk up & down.

Keep in mind also at his age he's going to be more likely to develop health issues. Finding a vet OTR might pose a challenge especially in an emergency. Especially if you work for a company that won't allow you to drop a trailer & bobtail somewhere.

About feeding schedule, dogs are pretty adaptable when it comes to that. Main thing is to keep his meals spaced at *about* the same duration. In other words if you feed 2 meals a day, keep them about 12 hours apart. Your sleep/wake cycle will change often and a meal might be fed a few hours earlier or later once in a while....but the dog doesn't care whether it's day or night as long as he gets his grub.

Pet friendly truckstops in my experience are more common than ones that are not. "Pet friendly" being a very loose definition- I'm basically defining it as a place with enough available grass (that's not covered in too much garbage) to allow a dog to potty. Some are EXCELLENT in this regard; Johnsons Corner in CO even has a fenced dog area. Iowa 80 has a "pet wash" and plenty of room to walk a dog. Others, not so much. There are a few truckstops that have NO grassy areas; Sapp Bros. in Denver and some places near other big cities, come to mind. And out west you'll find plenty of available "open space" but NO grass....some dogs have a hard time getting used to pottying on sand or gravel.

I've never really had trouble finding a rest area for planned restroom breaks for dog & human. Maps let you know where the rest areas are & truckstop directories help you find truckstops....so you can plan your stops in advance. "Emergencies" can be a challenge- whether its YOU or the DOG needing to "go"....but, that'd be the case even without the pet. I've had to hit an off-ramp at least once when my dog suddenly let me know he had to GO- NOW! Parking is much easier in both rest areas & truckstops in the daytime. Planning your day & finding parking when you stop is ALWAYS a challenge for any driver....but you get the hang of it. I've never been in a situation where I simply "couldn't" find a makeshift place for my dog to relieve himself- and I used to deliver in NYC on a regular basis. It can be done (just remember to pick up after him especially if he goes in a public area where people walk- some places will ticket you).

Hope this helps. Good luck.

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Us & The Dogs

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

His health is still good but I am concerned about the change in routine. I discussed his age and health with my vet today and told him that I am planning to take him on the road with me and he didn't see a problem with it.

Lifting him out of the truck to the ground would not be as big a problem but I think that as long as I can lift him to the top step, he can get himself in. If necessary, I'll get him a ramp. There is no way I would let him jump down.

Finding a vet could be a real problem, especially in a big city. But the vet I go to now isn't even in a city or town. He's in the country right on Hwy 77. So, I would look for vets in rural areas. Maybe then I could find a place to park truck and trailer.

As for picking up after him, I would do that whether it is required or not, its just the polite thing to do.

Thanks for all the good information!

My seven week old puppy is four plus weeks into riding with me in the truck. It has been both a challenge and a delight.

Some background:

I am dog crazy. My wife is close to dog crazy. We each work more than 80 hours a week. She works in a factory. I work on the highway. I could not have a dog that was left at home as that would be completely unfair to the dog. My previous dog died last fall at 11 years.

I have woven rugs all over the semi floor and I use a pee pad in one corner of the sleeper. It took about two weeks but puppy finally started using the pee pad. It might be more dificult for a dog already house trained in that they will not want to pee in the truck. I stop as often as safe parking will allow around three to four hours and it has been easier than I thought it might. I feed Ceasars dog food because it is wet so I don't have to provide water all the time in the truck which the puppy would just spill. NOTE: Just don't ever pull onto the side of a ramp when it is wet and you could sink in cause it will be a really expensive potty break. You're better off cleaning wet rugs!

I have been peed on when sleeping since the puppy cosleeps with me and I had to put a plastic cover on my mattress. It is getting better. I wake up and set the puppy on the pee pad at least twice during the night to see if she will pee. Peeing on demand is not always in her cards though so sometimes she still pees on me. I have extra covers and sheets and the soiled ones go in the side boxes. It has taken all my patience some days.

There have been mornings when she did not pee all night long but I took too long getting dressed in the morning and she squats right next to me in the bunk and pees. That is not something I deal with well so I have reengineered my schedule so I go right out the door with shorts and a t-shirt as fast as possible in the AM. It is amazing how a grassy spot will compell a quick pee that a pee pad won't.

I use a retractable leash and it works great. It is made by PetMate and is 16 feet long. The leash goes on before the door is ever opened for safety. One thing I like about the puppy is she opens doors to conversations that I would never have otherwise. Not just females stop to talk and pet the puppy. Guys stop all the time and tell me about their favorite dog. It makes my days more interesting.

I made the mistake of giving the puppy too much freedom too soon and one day she ate my scale ticket while I was out of the truck loading for only 5 minutes. Small problem as the guys loading me loved her and thought it was absolutely hilarious. Next she chewed through my air supply lines that go to my seats when I went into a Subway for ten minutes to get a sandwich. That was not a good result to come back to. Luckily I could jury rig the lines by clamping them with a vise grip to keep my air tanks from emptying. Now puppy has lost all priveleges and ALWAYS gets kenneled when I am out of the truck no matter how much vocalizing there will be.

I drive regionally and I have almost a year on this job so I know almost every road in my 8 state region so knowing where there is a good place to get her off the leash for a while is easier for me.

One problem I have recently experienced is what to do when the truck breaks down. The shop that worked on my truck had it in the shop for 5 days and I had to be in a hotel. I was lucky that the closest one would allow the puppy but since she barks and cries whenever I am out of the room I could not go anywhere for eating or shopping for 5 days for fear of getting kicked out of the hotel if others complained.

Overall I am not sorry I got the puppy but remember I am dog crazy. I have never had children except my deceased dog and my new dog. If you understand that you will do well enough over time with a dog in the truck.

BRI