older pugs..have questions

[livesimply5]

i have two older pugs and i dont want to delay hitting the road..but what do u do about temps in ur vans w pets and keeping them comfortable? any other tips foe travel w senior dogs..

 

[cyndi]

If I have to leave my dogs in the van, unattended, I do so in the early morning hours or after the sun has set. Park in the shade during the day.

High temperatures will be tough on any of the brachycephalic breeds, more so if they've been (over)bred to have almost nonexistent muzzle and nares.

 

[Belinda2]

I have a 14 year old rescue dog that I trained to be a working dog and served our country over in the Middle East. I will be totally honest with you, my life is extremely difficult with a very dependent dog. I am a 100% parent, however, it takes volumes of time. Currently my dog is almost totally blind and almost totally deaf. The blindness has her sleep-wake cycle off. She will have me up 3-4 times/night. In the winter, this really allows the cold to come into the vehicle. Here are my tips to you that work for me:
1. I find pet carriers take up too much space with the "lip" they have around them and the door that must open. I use a stacking storage tote as a dog bed. I do have an extra large, airline approved, storage crate that I keep and travel with at my job site. When I am at work and not directly playing with her, she is in this. I do extra things for my boss in exchange for them tolerating my dog at work.
2. I tried many layouts in my vehicle, but my dog needs touch since she wakes up and cannot hear and see me. So, her bed must be near me.
3. She brings in lots of dirt on her paws especially in the rain. The tote is necessary to catch that dirt so it is not everywhere. I believe her sleeping in the bed would just make me volumes of laundry. However, I do keep an un-inflated air mattress on the bed. This plastic/vinyl layer is good to catch the dirt and for easy clean up when she is out of the bed.
4. She doesn't need big walks since she is old and tires easily. I tie her out to my vehicle when I am not directly playing with her and taking care of my daily chores. I go to places like Walmart that tolerate this until she dies.
5. I keep a consistent routine of the storage tote, tie out, and free play time off a leash in a safe, no traffic area, so she gets used to the routine.
6. I have a small bell that I put on her collar so I can hear her if she gets separated from me in the dark while on a walk. No use calling her, she can't hear me.
7. She gets thirsty more frequently. I keep a Tupperware container of water in her storage tote for those midnight sips of water.
I hope this helps.

 

[Belinda2]

Oh, and when you just can't stand or tolerate one more minute of your dog driving you crazy for the fourth time of the night:
8. Make sure she ate, got water, and is in her bed secure. Keep ear plugs by your bed and use them for the next few hours. Come what may: Mom is off duty.

 

[Canine]

They are old and are Pugs- that's a double-whammy. Perhaps a shallow, mini pool would help as dogs depend a lot on cooling off through their feet.

Can you put a crate or shelf that can be set next to a window with a strong fan exhausting hot air through an apposing window? The cooler air coming in would feel good while keeping their little doggie tails away from the fan; you probably don't want their tails any curlier than they already are!

Make extra sure they have fresh water available. Switching to canned food will also help with hydration which will help their ability to keep cooler.

You will probably find yourself being outside your van much more than you do now. Having a cot or some such thing will let the dogs lie in the shade while keeping above the fire ants and such.

 

[akrvbob]

If your circumstances allow, the obvious answer is to be a snowbird and not be where it's hot. That's very cheap easy to do out west but more difficult back east.

Elevation is the key, not moving north because that's expensive. In the state of Arizona, you can camp in the desert in winter and be warm; then camp at 9000 feet in the summer and be cool and only drive 350 miles in between
Bob

 

[livesimply5]

bob..which area do u recommend?

 

[akrvbob]

I recommend Arizona because your dogs will be the happiest and traveling to stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter is cheaper here than anywhere else.

California is just as good for temperature because you can be at the Slabs or near Yuma in the winter and then go up to the Sierras and be very cool in the summer. And the southern CA coast is nice year around. But the cost of living is much higher in California than AZ. Gas alone is 50 cents a gallon more at least.

Many states are pleasant in the summer out west, but then you have to drive down to AZ or CA to be warm in the winter.

The Pacific coast is nice and cool in the summer but miserable in the winter so you have to travel a long ways to get warm.

If gas money isn't an issue, there are hundreds of cool spots in the summer out west above 7000 feet, you could spend the rest of your life exploring them all. That's exactly what I am doing!!!
Bob

 

[Canine]

Bob, what about New Mexico? Does NM have the same climate control features AZ has?

 

[akrvbob]

Canine, not really. NM is all pretty high so it's fine in the summer but even the southern parts of the state are high desert so they are surprisingly cold in the winter.

People generally underestimate who cold the desert can be. The only parts that are warm enough are fairly close to the Colorado River because they are so low. Both Yuma and the Slabs are below sea level and Quartzsite is at about 400 feet, Phoenix is at 900 feet.
Bob