Don't Sugarcoat It
Thursday, June 7, 2012 at 8:07PM Mrs. G. UPDATE: Thank you for all the thoughtful comments, particularly about the heat. Plus, Chewie has never been in the car for more than an hour or two. It was a happy, comforting thought, but Chewie won't be making the trip - he'll be staying behind with the menfolk. Mrs. G. will just have to hug and snorfle your animals to help ease the pain of his absence. Maybe Mrs. G. will bring a Teddy bear to ride along...yeah, right.
Mrs. G. has been thinking of taking Chewie on the road with her for companionship. He loves to go in the car and Mrs. G. loves his furry mug serving as her co-pilot. He could also keep the priceless, folkart Siamese cat painting company.
She realizes this adds an extra layer of difficulty to her trip but she's still thinking about it. She wouldn't have to bring him into anyone's house as he has a lovely crate and doesn't mind sleeping in it under the stars.
So here's where you (especially dog owners and lovers) come in:
Explain to Mrs. G. why this is a bad idea. It won't hurt Mrs. G's feelings. In fact, she's actively seeking honest, objective opinions as Chewie sometimes looks at her just the right way and she loses all common sense. Mr. G. has a similar effect as well. Mrs. G. really wishes she could throw him in the car!
So, what do you think? Lay it on her.
P.S. The booklog and face project have finally been updated.
I Am A Derfwad/Summer 2012
Reader Comments (44)
Well, I think he looks adorable and I would love to meet him in person, so I'm not the right person to ask. I would say bring him. BUT, there are others who may be allergic with whom you're staying, so they may have a more realistic viewpoint. But I look at those adorable eyes and I just want to go buy tons of doggie treats and give him some love.
Have you traveled with him in the car before? For how long? I know some dogs who have tremendous anxiety when in the car, and others who get carsick(!!) so if either of those is true, you'd probably want to leave him at home. Also, it may be hot some of the places you're going and you'll have to be sure you *never* have to leave him in a hot car. If you're confident on those two issues, I think it would be fine. Just don't be like my mom - when someone doesn't want her dog in the house, she sleeps in the car. It's kind of awkward. :)
Shouldn't it be whatever will make you happiest on the road? So long as you aren't expecting people to let him into their houses (due to allergies or whatever), I don't see a problem. It could be a new Travels With Charley!
The jury is still out, Stephanie, but rest assured, I will not be sleeping in my car. It really does add a layer of complexity but I sure like the idea of having a friend in the car with me.
If it were me taking Mookie, it would be another thing to stress about. Of course, I would have stressed about leaving him behind too, so I guess that's not helpful. Again--I can only say what *I* would do, and I don't think I'd take the dog. It adds another dimension of things to think about and be constrained by. You would have to find dog-friendly motels for any time you're not staying with someone. And you can't ever leave him in the car. But like a previous poster said, it really has to be about what will make you happy and help you enjoy the trip more!
J
Mrs. G,
It's a LONG time on the road for a 'people' and even longer trek for a 'critter.' You'll be alone during much of your driving time, sure. I've travelled with pupsters and honestly, he'll be much more comfortable at home holding down the fort with the other 'G' fellas.
Having said all that, your Chewie is more than welcome here. He can have the love seat. My Chewie will stand guard until we all fall asleep and then show him where to go to pee on the good stuff. I understand it's great fun.
CeeLee
I'm more concerned for Chewie's happiness than my own--he can't really tell me how he feels so these are helpful comments.
I have always enjoyed traveling with my pets. As long as Chewie seems comfortable with being in the car, I say go for it. The best part is you will need to make regular stops for walks and watering etc. which will be very good for you (keep that circulation going!) and will provide great, unplanned opportunities to see the trip from a different perspective.
GO FOR IT!!!! YOu know your dog... if you think he'd love it, take him! (I was going to something amusing about him being perhaps a better travelling companion than the Mr., but then I don't know you folks well enough yet! Although, for me it may be a toss up who I would take.) hahah! Have a great trip! (are you coming through Vancouver BC???)
I'd be glad to host Chewie as well as you. My cat will probably be at my house-sitting place, so that is not a problem. Anxious to meet you and who/what-ever you bring with you.
xoxog
PS: And why can't you toss Mr. G in the car as well? he'd be welcome. too.
If youhave car trouble it would be traumatic for him I think.
...Kate. in mi
You will be traveling by car in the summertime. Which means you can't leave Chewie in the car for any length of time, which means even stopping at a fast food joint for lunch would need to be speedy. You would always be concerned about his well-being. Also, travel has a tendency to mess with pets' digestive systems. I think it would be less stressful for both of you if Chewie stays home.
Don't forget, Heaz, what the cross-country trip did to that dog we brought from Carolina. He ended up going nuts. Leave Chewie at home. I promise not to take him to the "farm."
If it were me, and it were Jack, I'd do it. A well-behaved dog will be fine on a road trip, with planning.
But - you might need to adjust your schedule to allow for walkies each day. And of course you should research dog-friendly accommodations - if not overnight, then certainly rest stops. And where-ever you meet fellow Derfs, it should be dog-friendly.
Violet's point about leaving animals in the car is well-taken. Even short-term stops need to be dog-friendly. There are lots of lists out there, so you could research. But you do have to plan.
I actually think it would be quite cool if you could do it. Remember the book "Travels with Charley"? You could do "Travels with Chewie."
BTW I should say - in 1987 when The Man I Love and I were first married, we drove cross country with my dog Trouper as we travelled from Seattle to Ithaca, NY (shout-out to Gary!) for The Man I Love's fellowship. We were too dumb to even contemplate it, we just did it. But it worked out fine. At some motels we had to be very persuasive, but it still worked out.
The thing I worry about is the heat. What if you needed to leave him in the car for a long period of time, and it was very hot? We forget about that up here in the PNW, but a lot of the country just absolutely bakes in the summer and he could really suffer. If you leave him home, you wouldn't have to worry about the temperature and could just enjoy what the road has to offer.
Oh, um, ah, one more comment. If you don't take Chewie cross-country, please consider taking him on the California Leg of the Derf Tour. You and Chewie are welcome here. Jack, actually, extends a personal invitation to Chewie.
I don't have a problem with Chewie being here at my house - Augie (Great Dane puppy) and Stewart (Chihuahua) are super friendly. The only issue in Texas in the summer is the heat. No leaving Chewie in the car while you pop into a gas station for an Icee! Certainly manageable with some extra planning though!
I know I would feel less isolated on the road if my canine buddies were with me. I say go for it!
The Man I Love just saw your photos and said that it was a bad idea, looking at the photos, saying Chewie was guilt-tripping you into it. As if he thought the photos were a record of Chewie's reaction to your giving him the news that you were going.
I dunno. The Man I Love spent four days in 1988 driving back to Seattle from Ithaca (shout out to Gary!) in a Ford Aerostar minivan with all our wordly possessions and our dog Trouper. He even spent the night in a Montana motel's honeymoon suite (because it was the only room available) with the dog.
I think it's doable but with serious dog-connected planning. Which is totally achievable via the Internet. But I'm not sure you want that extra task.
IMO this is the wrong time of year to take a dog on this long a trip into the areas of the country you are going. They are way too hot for Chewie's safety. He is a small, hairy dog who is too cute for his own good. If you were taking another person so one of you could have the dog out of the car and in the shade while the other hit the restroom or ordered fast food, I'd be okay with the idea from a safety POV.
Chewie is small enough to fit easily through the car windows so you will have to have them fairly high up when you stop. Even if you don't think he will jump out, he might see something irresistible. Or someone might find *him* adorable enough to reach through the window, unlock the door, and liberate Chewie. If you decide to take Chewie, get something like these for the car windows: http://muttmanagers.com/ taking into account that you do need to be able to reach through the front windows so won't have them there.
Chewie's health. Is he on heartworm preventative? (my own dog who lives near Portland, OR is not, but she certainly would be if we were headed to Texas or any other heartworm area). Flea and tick preventative is a good idea, too. Will he wear booties if he has to walk on extremely hot pavement? He has a good shot at burning his pawpads, even on short walks, if they're not toughened up. He may suffer at some point some GI distress. How are you going to handle that? How are you going to keep derfs at meet-ups from feeding him little nibbles that may almost guarantee tossed cookied or diarrhea or both. Do you know the symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke and what to do if they happen?
Logistics: have you ever done an overnight with Chewie away from home? If not, what are you going to do if he doesn't do well away from his routine? Again, your route takes you into areas where shipping animals by airline becomes difficult due to temperatures. Are you prepared to abort the trip if Chewie can't handle the road trip?
Car: can you even take a dog in your rental car? Many rental car companies don't allow pets in the cars. If you try to slide under the radar on that, have you budgeted for detailing the car before returning it (see GI distress, above). Are you excited about buying window screens for a car you don't own that probably won't fit the car you do own?
If you were going in the spring or fall or down the I-5 corridor or Pacific coast where temperatures weren't so much of a deal or a much shorter trip, I'd say go for it. But not in the summer. I understand why you want to do it. If I were to make such a road trip, I would want my dog with me, too. Partially for safety, as she can stop people from approaching us with just a look if she thinks that's appropriate, but I think Chewie's best looks run in a different direction.
Please leave Chewie at home. Bring him on the fall west coast tour.
Heather, when you come to visit N.Ca, you and Chewie are definitely welcome to stay at my place with me and my puppy for as long as you like:
http://cuteoverload.com/2012/05/25/why-so-sad/
I agree with Derfs saying that taking Chewie on the entire trip will be logistically complicated... If he's pretty mellow, though, it could be a lot of fun...
I've done several roadtrips with Dog as my co-pilot and I'm planning another. But I'd have to say no for Chewie. Most dogs are not good travelers over long distances (and more than 1-1/2 hours counts as a long stretch for a dog). I have two terriers and only one of them is comfortable with longer distances. She is a sedate old lady. I could never take the young boy, Oscar. Be aware that traveling with a dog, you will not be able to keep to a schedule. You'll have to make frequent doggie rest stops and, if Chewie is having a bad travel period (and all dogs do once in awhile) you'll have to find a place to walk around for an half hour or more or whatever it takes to get him calm again. Your eating options will also be confined to drive-throughs and outdoor places that allow dogs -- not necessarily always easy to find.
YOu also live in the very temperate Northwest. Do you know how blazing hot it gets in many places in the West? You won't be able to leave Chewie in the car even for five minutes to run into a 7-11. And even the gas station convenience stores won't let you bring him in long enough to grab a Slurpee and a Slim Jim.
If you haven't taken Chewie on frequent road trips of over 3 hours each, a cross-country road trip is not the time to try that out. To travel a long distance with a dog requires planning of military complexity with every meal, pitstop and day planned out to the nth degree.
You've got a pretty ambitious travel schedule and Chewie is not going to fit into that timetable. Remember John Steinbeck did his trip over the better part of a year. Most of the time he was just meandering. And he had a fully equipped camper to house Charlie.
I agree, leave Chewie home. You even have a willing caretaker for him! The stress of leaving him is nothing compared to the stress of taking him with you. He'll get over it. You are focused on meeting people on this tour and I think you would be shortchanging him (lack of walks, lack of familiar environment) and yourself.
I think I have to agree with the Nos. Mostly due to the heat and even brief pit stops you may need to make that wouldn't make life easy for either one of you. Our dog is not a happy traveller after the first half hour so I can only speak from that experience. I think most dogs don't like drastic change, they are creatures of habit for the most part. Atleast ours, she seems to take comfort in her spots, her routine walks, etc and seems stressed when that changes drastically. And I was just at the bank last week and a teenage girl was in tears because her dog bolted from the car and she couldn't find him in the surrounding wooded area. All she kept saying was " He never did THIS before..." Just something to think about.
Even though I couldn't be without my dog for 3 weeks, I know I couldn't bring her on that long a trip. I would worry about the heat, and like another commenter mentioned - for my pup, traveling screws with her digestion and she gets all fouled up. Which could make things very foul in the car, and if it's a rental - more stress for you. Whatever works for you and your dog - you know him best. For me, I'd be too nervous...
Like it says up there, it will be hot for him. Every time you go in to pee or have lunch he will roast. And we would not be able to host you here. Our sweet and adorable beagle Penny hates other dogs and would tear him apart, or at least act like she wants to tear him apart. Also, it is harder to find hotels with a dog.
Leave him at home. It will be a thousand degrees in Texas, and death to any animal left in a car for mere minutes.
I love dogs and understand your reluctance to leave him behind. However, I don't think you would enjoy yourself as much as you would always be worrying about whether he was having a good time, especially at the get-togethers where he would not be allowed. My dogs always prefer the comfort of their own home other the than the comforts of other's. They never seem to be able to relax like they do at home and it is a long trip. Sorry Chewie.
So many great comments and concerns already addressed but I have to side with the NO contingent. It will be so bloody hot where you are going. Heck, it's already been in the 90s here in Denver. We take our dogs on lots of road trips to the mountains--where it is much cooler than the city--and even then, in summer we have to be so very careful to make sure they are not in the car too long. Chewie will miss you but he will be so much more secure and comfortable at home.
As much as I would love to meet Chewie, I have to side with the nos. The safety/heat issues are just too much. kabbage explained it all very well.
I know a lot of sales people who travel with their dogs everyday, on the road, nights together in dog-friendly hotel rooms. As long as the dog is safe from car sickness, go for it! I guess the only thing to consider is the summer heat, where you will be and how long he would be left in the car if you were out and about. I would do it, but you might want to consider doggie day care for any extended periods when you are away from him. And it depends on him too.
I would say leave him at home. It's a long trip, and the heat and humidity will be extreme. Also, if he got sick along the way, you'd have the extra stress of finding a vet.
I have a Labrador, Captain, who enjoys car rides since most of the time it means a trip to the Dog Park!!!! Yeah!!! Dog Park!!! But I would hesitate before trying a loooooooong trip with him - can you pull over fast anytime he whines his need to find a tree or bush to pee on? What if he wants to get out and RUN every hour or two - will that make your trip a lot longer? Where will he be when you go into a restaurant or ??? yourself - in the hot car???
I'd leave him home but buy a special little dog treat for him at each of your stops along the way to bring back to him. :-)
BTW - I will :-( miss you on this trip - the only time convenient for my aging folks in CA to have me visit (have not seen my folks in THREE years) is the same time you will be passing the Midwest. :-(
hiya. you know chewie's personality best and whether he would enjoy a long car ride; you should do what you think would be most enjoyable for you and chewie. i had my very large dog with me on a couple moves across country - just her and i in the front seat of a u-haul truck and the first truck did not have airconditiong - and i stopped and slept in that thing a couple times. challenging. cantley (the dog) did not mind at all although i got the distinct impression she was always holdign her breath and thinking "are we there yet?"...but perhaps i was projecting my own feeling on to her. all this to say that bringing a dog is "do-able" and it really boils down to you and him and, hell, how often do you drive around the country?
Boy, when I started out reading the comments, I was all, "bring him along!" After reading and realizing about the heat factor, I guess I tend to side with the majority of the commentors...it might be best for him if you leave him home in the loving care of Mr. G. Still, whatever you decide, he's welcome here. As long as he doesn't mind all the golden retriever hair that is the bane of my existence!
I haven't had time to read the other comments, but I'm not sure if it's legal to leave your dog in a car overnight everywhere. I'm concerned with how much this might limit you in the heat of summer too. I support whatever you do!
I don't have an opinion, he sure is a stinking cute dog though!
Just read your update. I agree with all the no's. Chewie will thank you.
Darla
Ok I say no too.
Once my 150 pound Bull Mastiff jumped out the car window for no reason.
I had to stop my car and run after him OMFG.
Do. NOT. Take. The. Dog.
From someone who loves and has lived with dogs most of her life. He will not have fun -- and he will be your first concern, always. And he won't be having fun.
These are the hard parenting decisions. Just because he wants to come along doesn't make it the best choice. I say leave him at home so you can laugh and dance and be spontaneous with the beautiful derfs. Make this trip about you. Also, I am going a little off topic here and recommending "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" on tape. If you haven't read it, it's 19 hours long and mesmerizing. As much as I love to read, it's hard for me to listen to books on tape because I am a skimmer. Maybe other Derfs have suggestions for creative things to do in the car to fill the Chewie void.
For me, it's not all about the dog. You can always find shaded spaces to park while you take 3 minutes to pee, and there are sites dedicated to traveling with dogs, highlighting dog-friendly places to eat, etc. I've traveled with dogs in the summertime, in the South, and there are ways to manage without baking the dog. What I thought is, this trip is for YOU. Why add one more thing to be responsible for, to have to consider, to plan for? Not that Chewie is just "one more thing" - but bringing him adds a layer of planning and complexity that doesn't have to be there.
Just the different level of thought that would have to go into bathroom stops means added STUFF for you to deal with. If he came, would he be worth that? Absolutely. But the freedom afforded by leaving him home - where it sounds like he would be cared for, have his routine, etc. - for me, would be worth not bringing him along.
At first I thought "Oh yeah - take Chewie!" But after reading the comments, I am now in the Don't Take Chewie camp. And I realized that, when traveling with a good friend and her dog up to their place in Michigan (near Traverse City), the 9 hour trip is more like 10 because we stop at least 4 or 5 times to let Sophie out to have a short walk, drink some water, etc. It works fine but it's just for that one day, and the dog is used to it. I agree with Aunt Snow and others that the time to take Chewie would be on the shorter trip to California in the Fall. Then you can find out whether you've got a good traveling companion without being locked into a long, long trip.
And yeah - this one's about YOU. Even the company (which was what inclined me to say take him) would carry a load of responsibility that you might not want on the Derfwad Trip.