He is of decent size. He's around 100 pounds. He's Rott/German Shepherd/Lab; basically a Heinz 57. Look at my photo album as I have pictures of him. He loves to ride!

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I love it when a plan comes together!!!

You might be able to use a camping shower. Hang it from one of the mirror mounts perhaps and attach a hose to it.

I've heard the Iowa 80 truckstop has a dog wash at the truck wash. I've also bathed my Earl in a fuel lane that was cordoned off. Also,some rest areas have a place for rvs to dump and also fresh water to fill there tanks. I've used the fresh water to bathe the monster there. Of course,this is all in warm weather!

Thank you and everyone else for your thoughts and ideas! I know going OTR again would be an adventure....I loved it in the past. It all is hanging on my wife's hip....literally.

She blew her knee out at work, got complete knee reconstruction, and her doc (the comp doc no less!) saw something wrong with her hip. I will have to get the specifics from her, but the jist of it is either she gets surgery or cortisone shots. She's already had the shots and they don't help.....Man, life can really throw you some curveballs.....Just when you think you have a plan, here comes the curveball.........

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I love it when a plan comes together!!!

Oh my,so sorry to hear about your wife. Hope it works out for you and you get to go on the road together,but most important thing is getting your wife healthy. Did you know there are handicapped parking spaces in truckstops?

Thank you Danelady.....When she blew her knee out, the doctor (comp doc no less!) found an issue with her hip. Well, after her knee started healing, she got an MRI on her hip. It said she had a laroral tear and another tear (I don't know the name).

She will be rehabbing it for a while as it requires surgery and I will have to stick around to drive her to and from places (PA doesn't require transportation on comp cases).

So we are hoping her employer won't fight it, even though the comp doc is the one who noticed it....Way back when her knee went out...so I don't see how they can fight it......Stranger things have happened!

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I love it when a plan comes together!!!

Good luck with the health issues, those can derail almost any plan. Now back to the original thread

I don't know about waterless shampoo use on pets, but in the winter, that possibly might be a way to deal with a smelly dog when yyou can't get home.

Keep the dog groomed and keep the hair cleaned up, or the HVAC unit(s) may not work well.

You may not think you need to go home often, because you are together, but I know I reach the getting completely burnt out point at about a month on the road, and I HAVE to get out of the truck. Preferably home, a hotel may do, but I really want to go home.

My dog will get a bath at home, or in a hotel. The Iowa 80 has a dog wash. Rufus is cool for 2 to 3 weeks between baths.

Feed your dog high quality food. Good food has an impact on the odor of your pup, how much he sheds, poops and his overall health. Old Roy does not cut it. My Golden does not have a strong dog odor for weeks after taking a bath, even if he plays outside in the heat, but he gets fed very well.

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For Anthony 12-21-1973 to 9-29-2006
Baby, I was always amazed by you. Till we meet again. I love you always and forever.

Thank you! My wife says the same thing! She has to get out of the truck once in a while. She definitely would rather soak in the tub at home. That was her biggest complaint; no baths on the road! She got sick of showers.

We do feed out dog good stuff. He was on Science Diet, but got bloated and gassy, so we switched him to Purina One. Seems to be doing ok. I prefer Science Diet, though....He seemed more shiny!

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I love it when a plan comes together!!!

I used to feed Earl science diet and it did the same thing to him...and gassing and bloating will KILL a great dane..its a structural thing with deep chested dogs. I now feed him natural balance. Dick Van Patten puts it out! Its a grain free limited ingredient diet. Petco carries it so its easy to pick up on the road. Danes have a short enough lifespan,and so many dogs come down with the same diseases as humans do,I figure the cost of the food balances out what a vet will cost should Earl come down with something bad. What the heck,my kid's grown and on his own,so Earl is my baby now!
We stop at a lot of dog parks and some have lakes that Earl will swim in,so I give him a bath after running around like that if its convenient.
I completely understand where your wife is coming from! Using public toilets and public showers is the hardest thing for me to deal with out here on the road. Harder than the comments about my dog,or just being a woman! LOL