Anybody bring a dog in their truck?

I haul reefer and have no problems having my dog with me. He is very laid back, doesn't have an interest in other people or dogs.

I feed him before I start my pretrip and he gets walked after pretrip is finished. He then gets walked and played with when we stop for breaks & fuel. He then eats again when I eat dinner. Feed him the same food while on the truck. You don't want him getting sick. Otherwise you will be stopping more often for bathroom stops.

I have a small collapsible kennel for him. I put him in it if my truck has to go in the shop for a couple of hours or if I go to a Walmart DC. He doesn't bark, so I don't know if they even realize I have him.

Some repair shops allow the dog to be inside. Found out when I asked the manager if I could go in the truck to walk my dog. The technician didn't even realize there was a dog in there. Make sure the dog has plenty of water and it is cool enough with ventilation.

You need to clean your truck everyday. I mean really good. I dust and vacuum at the minimum 2x a day and keep a sweater or shirt on him to keep the dog hair down and I don't want my truck smelling or looking like I have a dog in it. I have turned in 2 trucks in to my company and never been charged a cleaning fee.

He does make it all worthwhile.

Oh, also carry a towel for him. Wipe off his feet and fur if it's in the rain, snow, or mud before you put him back in the truck.

 

I wouldn’t but if I were to it would be a very small non shedding critter that’s easy to exercise and a well exercised/tired dog is a good dog,,,she wont get bored and chew your truck apart while you’re sleeping.
Poodles are easily trained and smarter than most people...

 

After two attempts, I gave up. Both the dogs were awesome at home, but on the road they sucked. I gave it a year on both of them, but they never really quieted down or settled down. One lived to 18 the other to 15, but they were house dogs after the trucking "failure". I'd love to have a companion, but I'm not willing to try again. Your mileage may vary.

My bookkeepers husband drives for another company, they went through the same thing. They are even more dog people than I am. They picked up a pup for her husband, but even after a year the pup never really settled into truck life. He's about 12 now and lives a charmed life at the house.

My son has an Aussie that ride in my trucks with him. He's super well behaved and quiet. Never has touched or chewed on a thing in the truck. The only problem is that he's a big Aussie and he gets the truck dirty if let out in inclement weather, which we have a lot of. My wife sewed a big nylon cover for the sleeper mattress and the passenger seat, so we can mitigate the damage. My son has realized that cleaning the truck up after the dog can be a chore and he's reevaluating the whole thing.

 

Like @AKDoug said. It takes a special kind of dog with a mindset to ride. No particular breed or size.

Being that we have had rescue and foster dogs of many breeds over the past 30 years I’ve never found one that rode in a big truck very well. Cars and pick up’s just fine tho. Even had one that that would sit on the fender of an old Ford 1700 tractor while cutting hay but would be too nervous to chill in the old truck.

In 2014 I had our 16 year old black lab jump out from the open driver door before I could stop and help her get down. She tore her ACL and had to get surgery. She lived to 19 years with a limp and I’ve never put another dog up in tall truck since.

 

Small dogs are great, big dogs are a lot of work in a truck. I have 2 yellow labs that I'd love to take on the road, but lifting them in and out of the cab, and the hair keeps me from trying it. I'm crazy about them, but spitting out hair constantly would get old fast. Lots of non-shedding breeds.

 

I’ve taken Great Danes on the road in the truck for years. The dog goes for a walk whenever the brakes get pulled.

it takes the right dog tho, the dog has to have the right mindset to make it work

 

If you don't have a dog yet I would say get a smaller one. I have a Pomeranian and he is very easy to deal with. Just remember you are going to have to take him on pee and poop breaks. You will be out walking the truck stops and rest areas etc. Over time you will find that when you look for a place to park the first thing you will be looking for is a lot of good grass. I always try and park closest to a grassy area. Remember if you are running the northern lanes your going to be getting out in the freezing cold to walk the dog.
On the plus side you will get some extra exercise. My dog has been to almost every state and he loves the adventure...he has a more exciting life than most dogs.

 

I did for a fewbyears. Dogs are great company, better than 90% of people for companionship. The 2vdrawbacks I found. But totally worth it, were pets make layovers/repairs a hassle. Not every hotel or shop wants your dog in their business. If you are forced to layover andvthe dog cannot stay in hotel, pray you cannidle the truck for the dog's comfort. The shedding hair becomes a part-time job to deal with. I layed a sheet over the bunk before I drove so Muttley could lounge and not deposit hair on my bedding.

If you take a dog to California prepare to be accosted regularly if the dog is left in the truck. The outside temp, the temp inside of the truck & pet are not as important to the busy-bodies than that they demonstrate to you and thecworld they care more about animals than you care about your animal. The busy-bodies don't mind half as much if strangers defecate on their children as much as they MUST prevent you from leaving your dog in your truck with climate control &bsatellite TV without a lecture for you.

Weigh stations are usually very friendly toward pets. I don't know if that applies to the untrained thug dogs some people bring on the road. Many customers do not allow pets on the property or sometimes they just prohibit pets outside of the truck while on their property.

Get a dog that is already house broken. While you juggle all of your clocks you must also keep track of dog's potty needs. Big cities & big customers are not dog friendly.

 

It's best if you don't bring a pet while you are a rookie. You need to know & be proficient at your job before adding a pet to your truck.