Dog housebreaking in truck

The dog will give you signals when he needs to go. Whether it is getting restless, nudging you or a soft bark. Dogs are great companions out on the lonesome road. My 12 yo Kelpie has traveled through 45 states. Found him in a rescue at 1.5 years old and has never had an accident in the truck. wish I could say the same ! My boy Tazer needs to hit NV, VT, & ME to complete the lower 48. We should be able to hit those this year. With the ELD mandatory 8 hr. break and other stops we have to make at truck stops, chrome shops, rest areas and Dunkin Donuts their is ample time to get his business done. If a mature dog is left at home while its owner is off at work all day, say 8-10 hrs. they usually are ok with that. A new puppy will need to be locked in a kitchen, garage, cage or safe kennel area with newspapers or training pads till he gets pottie trained. I guess you could have the new puppie in a cage with training pads in the sleeper just as well. It might even be easier to get him/her pottie trained out on the big road while traveling in a big rig. The more time you spend with your puppy traveling, taking walks, meeting with other dogs out on the road and exploring new areas the faster he/she will learn the ropes/leashes. People often ask me why/how my cattle dog is so well behaved. When we go for a walk he is not on a leash. I tell them that I am his favorite cow ! He has heard a lot and seen a lot. We have spent a lot of time together on a day to day basis. Running across the country some legal some not ! He'll never tell on me ! Once when I first got him back 2010 we were parked at a Kroger Grocery store east of Dallas because the highway was shut down due to a bad accident. I had bought some stuff from the store and was parked way off to the side. I had a pre-cooked chicken and he had some of that plus his half can of alpo lamb& rice. We had a little picnic while the traffic was stopped. Well it was late 10-11 pm or so and I decided to call it quits for the day. After I fell asleep their was a knock on my drivers door and the 60 lb. Kelpie jumped from the floor of the sleeper to the driver side front seat with his face up to the glass window barking,& growling like a Junkyard dog. It scared me because I did not know that this friendly little rescue of mine could even bark never mind show his fangs while smugging up my glass. Hell I was even afraid to get out of the sleeper at that point. Once I did there was someone outside my drivers door, what I thought was a cop because he told me I could not park there. And when I asked who he was he flashed me a quick glimpse of a fake badge he had on his shirt. I could not see his car in my mirrors because he parked directly behind my trailer. When I finally got up and going I could see his little Ford Focus security car off to the side watching me leave. We did not get far cause the traffic was still stopped a mile down the road and we got off the next exit with all the other 50 trucks parked and trying to find a spot to park that night. Felt I should of let Fido out of the truck back at Krogers when the sneaky security guard woke us up to kick us out ! That would of been a hoot !
My dog is not a vicious dog at any means but a #### good watch dog. I would not want a mean dog, to much work handling them and to much risk, If someone is in close proximity to the truck at night he will give a growl or soft bark to let me know something is up. During the day he could have a job as a Walmart greeter. He has made many dog friends and people friends in our travels. Their are many dogs in kennels just waiting to be adopted that would make fine traveling companions. With a little coaching/training/loving they all would turn out to be a great friend & a investment of time well spent.
After dealing with traffic BS all day a walk with the dog on a trail in the woods will lower your blood pressure and give you a good reason to go out for a stroll and stretch your legs. Keep in mind you have to be very careful of other cars, trucks and trailers while having a pet living out on the roads. And always be mindful of the temps inside your trucks while your pet is inside. Hope this was helpful for you + puppy !!
Jim, Southwest Florida Transport

 

My dog was a beagle/border-collie mix. She was anxious and had severe separation anxiety. The only place in her life she never ever had an "accident" was the truck. As long as she could watch the world from the passenger seat or lay on the bunk and stare at me she was less trouble than a paperweight. She was great company and the best alarm system. Nobody, but one Indian in NM ever approached the truck without a loud barking alarm dog. She was also a pretty good bunk warmer and sleeping bag heater when my truck broke down in KY during a cold winter.

 

Beth gone to bed in the truck.

 

I trained a pup in the truck, and it wasn't bad. I have a habit of stopping every 2 hours or so from my hazmat days, and he come out with me. Started in a crate, mainly because that was his safe space, but he was fine within a month or so.

That said, I wouldn't do it again, only because all the exploring he and I did isn't as feasible in this day of ELD's.

But hey, I'm safer now that I run completely legal, right? /s

 

It is practically impossible. Larger dogs have larger bladders and are able to hold it longer. If you were to get a dog I would suggest a larger rescue that reaches that Maximum 60lb mark. Most companies say 60 lbs or under. In this case, push the limits a bit. Most companies also request that it is a non-aggressive breed. If you decide to get one there is a lot of reputable trainers that could board the dog and house train it for you. As well as teaching it basic obedience, so that it has some manners on the road. It's worth the money if you have to live with the animal in close quarters.

 

Mine is 100 pounds, and there is NOTHING funnier than a DOT officer nearly getting his nose taken off when he jumps up on that passenger side step because he sees your window open (but NOT the dog curled up on the passenger seat), and tumbles down into the ditch trying to quickly jump back when the dog snarls and snaps at his face...or when he decides he "needs to have a look in your truck" but that P'd off 100 pound beast is crouched down ready to pounce just inside the door bearing his teeth with EVERY hair on his body standing at attention. I had to "hold him back" (with 2 fingers) standing in the door while the officer (from across the road) looked over my shoulder...

...good times. Wouldn't have been nearly as funny with a little rat dog that could be swatted away like a gnat.

 

If it’s a pup you are best to crate train and eliminate any chance of dog crapping on your bed. Dog won’t crap in their own bed unless they are sick

 

My dog is not and has never been allowed on furniture. Even his seat in the truck was made out of plywood and covered with carpet remnants, then I removed the padded seat from the base and bolted on the home-made dog seat.

 

Why? We've always allowed our dogs on the furniture with permission. They make washable seat covers that are easy to use.