road trip w/ a bulldog

allyxo

New member
Jun 26, 2012
45
3
29 Palms, CA
Bulldog(s) Names
Penny
We are moving from California to South Carolina and we are driving the whole way, so I need advice on a road trip with a bulldog!

I feel bad, because for the most part in the car Penny will be in her crate in the car. When she is in the car she tends to want to walk over to the driver side, then passenger side etc.. I will keep her out of the crate sometimes though. I am worried with so much time in the crate she will become restless and frustrated! Once we get to the hotel she will be out of her crate the whole time though.

Should I try to keep her out of the crate while driving? Maybe it is a good time for her to learn to sit still and not bug the driver? On the other hand I worry if we get into an accident and she is out of her crate...
 

Baconator

.........
Apr 12, 2012
2,969
127
Northern NJ
Bulldog(s) Names
Bacon
When we drive if there are two people in the car Bacon sits on the floor on the passenger side. If Penny is anything like Bacon she sleeps all day to begin with so she should be okay in the crate.
 

cali baker

Worlds Greatest Chef
Feb 25, 2011
8,925
851
The Crown City (Pasadena)
Country
United States
Bulldog(s) Names
Tate Rory & Finn Paddington
You should think of getting a seat belt harness for Penny if you want her out of the crate while driving. Will this be a relaxing kind of trip where you can make lots of stops along the way? that will definitely be helpful so she can get her potty breaks and a little walk for exercise. Also make sure to pack a first aid kit for her (and for you). And lots of toys and chew things. And give her plenty of water to drink to stay hydrated. Have a safe trip!
 

anatess

Well-known member
Jul 26, 2011
1,758
398
Country
US
Bulldog(s) Names
Bullie (RIP) & Angus (RIP)
Is the crate going to be in the cargo area? If so, then you might need to get some of those sunshades that would go on the windows of the cargo area to keep the area cool. The A/C usually don't circulate back there. Also, you might need to get some of those freezer packs to put in a cooler so you can put it under his mat to keep him cool. It's getting warm here in the south. Also another thing that I got for when we travel with our bulldogs is the water bowl for RVs. It's a spill-proof water bowl that tends to keep the water from slashing out when the car is in motion and you can just lift it up like a suitcase and the water stays in the storage container. Do a search on Lixit Travel Water Bowl. That's the kind I got. You'll need to rinse it out and dry it out after use so algae doesn't form inside. Otherwise, it's a pain to clean the algae out.

Hope this helps.
 

truffle shuffle

New member
Dec 23, 2012
284
15
DC area
Bulldog(s) Names
Chunk
We just did a road trip with Chunk! We have a secure strap that attaches to his harness, and we put his bed in the back seat to he was secure but comfy, with a few toys he was happy to chew on between naps :) We stopped every 3-4 hours to streatch, and we took turns running the pup while the other peed, so he got a good 15 to 20 mins of sprints!! after that while gassing up he'd get plenty of water, and maybe a couple treats for tricks. This way he was tired, and would stay sleepin or at least resting for the next few hours. Worked out great for us! Good luck with the move!
 

2BullyMama

I'm not OCD....now who moved my bulldog?
Staff member
Community Veteran
Jul 28, 2011
48,581
3,673
Gilbertsville, PA
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Chelios (Frenchie), Nitschke (2004-2011) Banks (2005-2014) and Lambeau (2014-2024)
We did a two week cross country with Nitschke... he was in a seat be.t harness in the back seat for the most part and sometimes on the floor in the passenger seat. Nitshcke LOVED being in the car and would sleep or sit and look out the window. we did pee stops every 4 to 5 hours.

Banks HATES the car so we tend to just let her find where is comfortable and leave her there... she never moves.
 

dalmatina38

The Stripe Wearing, Broom Wielding, Voodoo Prieste
Community Veteran
Jul 13, 2012
1,145
66
Sierra Vista Arizona
Bulldog(s) Names
Amber and Ruby
We use a harness with Amber and have a bed for her to lay on and she does great. One thing we did learn; she likes to look out the windows on road trips and she learned to use her paws to hit the buttons to roll down the window so if you have power windows make sure they are in the locked position while driving. We always test the windows to make sure she can not active them to open them. She still takes her paws and tries to hit the button but we Amber proof them. lol just like having a small child in the back seat. lol
 

Davidh

Head Pooper Scooper
Staff member
Mar 21, 2011
13,407
848
Katy, Texas
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
BeBe, Hazel, Lucy Lu, JLO, Hillary, Henri, & Katie
@allyxo I take trips from Texas to Florida and Texas to Georgia all the time with bullies. They do great, and the safest place for them to be is in a crate, the next safest is in a harness strapped in. I like the crate so they can move around a little without getting tangled up with the harness strap. Remember, if you ever have an accident without your bully in a crate or strapped in, they become a projectile and can go right through the windshield. We keep a "Waterboy" travel water bowl that does not spill in there with them so they can drink if they want too. I turn all the A/C vents pointing up toward the back, and they do fine. Just take plenty of bottled water, towels, paper towels, food, treats, toys, several plastic grocery bags for trash or poop, and poop pickup bags. We have found out if you stop at rest areas along the way to use the restroom and walk your bully this works pretty well as most are clean and they have plenty of room to walk your bully and they usually aren't that crowded, plus they have security at night. The bullies usually sleep most of the way so them getting restless has never been a problem. If you have any other questions just let me know.
 
OP
allyxo

allyxo

New member
Jun 26, 2012
45
3
29 Palms, CA
Bulldog(s) Names
Penny
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #9
Thanks for the help! Does anyone happen to know the name brand of the harness they used? One I could buy on Amazon or petco? Thanks!
 

ABEBD

New member
Feb 18, 2011
747
78
Phx, Az.
Country
U.S.A.
Bulldog(s) Names
By many names depending on the situation?
Hello,

The best place for a long trip is in a crate. Start now and take short drives to get you dog acclimated. I have gone on 6 hour trips and when properly crate trained, they just sit or sleep like a baby.

Good Day~
 

wheezer

New member
Dec 16, 2011
437
27
MS
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Zeus, Dexter
Mine always sleep in their crate without any issue. I stop at the roadside rest stops and walk them with the leash and they sleep between stops. I am more comfortable with them in the crates in case of an accident. We always try to stop every 3-4 hours to give them a break and have never had any problems. Hope you have an uneventful trip!!
 

Vicaroo1000

"Slug Assassin" and PBS Gardening Dweeb
Jun 23, 2011
5,775
389
Mukilteo, Washington State
Bulldog(s) Names
Beefeater's Buxom Beatrice and Lord Harrington's Bodacious Beauregaard
Dog friendly travel is my FAVORITE HOBBY!!! Bea and Bo love it because they get to go new places AND in dog friendly hotels, they get to sleep in the big bed with ME! So it really is a treat for everyone. And who doesn't love the rattle of a room service cart?! hee hee

I take my dogs in the car often - a couple times a week - so they associate the car with good times and an adventure. They are bulldogs though, so sleepin the back is fine with them. I used to have them both in a GIANT crate in the back of my explorer, but Bo got to 75 lbs. Now, they have blankets in the back of my SRX -- it's cozy and warm and when we get home, they don't even want to get out! I swear, they look at me like, "Crap. We're home already?!"

Two summers ago, my daughter was home from college with her boyfriend and me, them, two dogs AND grandma went on a road trip. Quite frankly, grandma was a bigger pain in the kiester then the dogs could ever be. (That deck overlooking the ocean? I wanted to toss her off it into the briny deep....) Anyway, we didn't kill grandma and frequent stops and water available at each stop (it was HOT), we had a blast. We did our sight seeing when it was cooler out and limited activity when it got to the heat of the day. We were at the beach so cooling off was easy enough. Bring lots of extra towels! Cool jugs of water in the cooler! And be prepared to take your time and enjoy the stops! "Hurry and pee" is no fun for anyone. Even a dog.
 

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