Dog housebreaking in truck

And yet, not every driver with a dog is as you describe. Nor is every dog well suited for a life on the road. Each individual and each circumstance requires careful consideration and thought beforehand and during.

Not unlike the choice to have a pet at home. Or a child.

 

Easiest way is to not get a puppy. Adopt a dog that is a couple years old and isn’t super high energy. Then learn their routine as well as the dog learning yours. My dog poops and pees on our morning walk, 90% of the time she only pees during our walk when I take my 30, then she poops and pees on our walk before bed. Paying attention will also help you notice if anything is going on with your pet.

As far as a distraction, a well trained dog isn’t a distraction. You can’t have something bouncing all over the cab. If mine isn’t in the passenger seat she’s laying on the bed. She knows she’s not allowed to climb on me when the truck is moving.

 

My dog was actually an asset behind the wheel. He paid better attention than most drivers...kind of funny when he'd see a railroad crossing or dip in the road coming and he'd hunker down in preparation for the rough ride. He was also the road ragingest critter I've ever seen...if someone pulled out in front of us, cut us off, or was going too slow, he'd have his head out the window reading them the riot act, and no matter how tempting it'd be to get mad at whoever it was that did something stupid in front of me, all I could do was laugh at his silly antics, which made my time behind the wheel more relaxed and enjoyable. There was one time, I was sitting in the left turn lane at a red light and all of a sudden he's got his head out the window carrying on like there was no tomorrow. I'm looking around not seeing anything out of the ordinary...until I stood up in the seat, and sure enough, a little compact pickup truck had nosed his was into the blind spot on the far side of my hood. If it hadn't been for the dog, when the light turned green I would've let off the clutch and plowed into the #######.

There was also this one time in Arkansas, got pulled over and it turns out that he REALLY doesn't like cops. That stop was rather amusing...

 

Key thing to take away from @Swiss Mountain Dog post(forgive me Swiss) is the words training, an routine. Most people don't take the time to train nor teach their dogs properly. To busy wanting it to do tricks before it learns to pee outside or behave in a civil manner(haha, I tell mine to do that at times). Rather dress it up then teach it manners. Yes...manners. Not everyone wants a dog jumping on them. My sister in law is like that. Loves my dogs but doesn't like them jumping on her. I think they do it to annoy her though at times..lol.

My dogs can sit at a table at a patio restaurant that allows dogs to do so(If their...civilized..heh), an you wouldn't know they were there for the most part(2 of the 3). They sit back an hope for something to fall. Not all dogs can do this though. One of mine is like this, but she is still a puppy. She lacks the patience of the older dogs, but she is learning! I do try not to take them though to such places, not because of them, but other dogs. Like I said...not everyone takes the time to train an teach their dog.

An no not every dog makes a good riding partner. My experience..older dogs are best. Not as much energy to worry about burning off. Less likely to develop bad habits, if they didn't already have them etc. You get a dog high in energy an your going to wish you had a cab the size of a track field. Mine also don't need to go every 2 or 3 hours. They can hold it for 8, an a tad longer if need be. If it's urgent they will let me know. Even the puppy. I don't make them wait that long though. Breaks come regularly, along with a walk or two, or three..don't judge.

Point of this novel : Don't expect your dog to come trained for a life on the road. You need to do that, an do it right. Jumping around, acting like a idiot..not acceptable. If you won't let a human act that way, don't let your dog. Exceptions do exist..nose prints on the window, an a snout stuck to any open window.

Just like people, not every dog is the same despite what a lot of people think. They all have their own personalities in my experience.

Sirscrapntruckalot - Who lets the dogs out...woof...woof..

PS - People who abandon pets or worse suck. Let me tie you in a bag an throw you off a bridge an see how you like it. - Me.

 

This big lab/Dane will go into anxiety and depression if he does not get to roll with me.

 

We have a Blue Heeler who is a fantastic dog in many respects - works of 22 verbal commands, a few whistles, some hand signals, incredibly obedient and polite with strangers and kids. I can take Maybilene anywhere and she behaves like the best example of Dogdom you ever saw.

Except in a moving vehicle. Loses her freaking mind. Hyper, territorial and aggressive toward anyone that gets within 10 feet of us. I have to crate her to go anywhere. Once we get out she's her normal awesome self. This dog could never be a truck dog. Every dog is it's own individual universe.

 

First no open bowl food policy, control when and how much the dog consumes . I had a dog trainer that worked for me part time . We went a day of no food to start than started fresh the next day in the morning. With a average dog we did 3/4 cup of dry food in the morning with water and than did a walk 1 hr later. Dog did its business and that was that . One walk midday and one dog treat . At dinner we did same as morning routine with walk . We repeated this process daily and increased food as dog was older . That dog maybe had one accident the whole time as a puppy, that dog today is 12 and fit as a older dog in the 60 lbs range can be . After your confident dog knows the drill you can occasionally spoil them with table scraps or leftovers. Now chewing your stuff to shreds is a whole different ballgame lol Good Luck !

There are many methods but this worked for us and is just my experience with raising my puppy to full grown fur babies.

 

I use peanut butter... Wait what was the question?

 

Exactly. House-train at home, then bring with you. The driver needs to be familiar with the dog's potty signals, but most of the issue is stopping often enough so the dog learns the next potty break is a reasonable time away. The younger and more anxious the dog, the more frequent the stops.

 

Really?