Ocean Inquiry - Our first big trip with the shibas!
At the end of the month we are headed 9 1/2 hours north to the beautiful coast of MAINE!
Ah, I am so excited.
We are staying with a dear friend and a doggy that is even more dear to me, so I think it will be a wonderful week.
We've never had our shibas in the car for that long, and we plan to make little stops in 3 hour intervals just to let them relieve themselves and stretch out. An hour before we even head out, we're planning a 4am trip to the dog park to let them get good and worked up, hoping for a sleepy shiba ride afterward.
Is there anything else I can do to ensure a nice, calmish drive with them? Normally our trips in the car with them are destinations they get excited about early on, like state parks and what not, so the car is more a place of anticipation than napping
But when we drove to the forum meetup, they *mostly* sat and behaved, mostly.
Also, does anyone have suggestions for dog friendly pit stops along the way?
THANKS!
Ah, I am so excited.
We are staying with a dear friend and a doggy that is even more dear to me, so I think it will be a wonderful week.
We've never had our shibas in the car for that long, and we plan to make little stops in 3 hour intervals just to let them relieve themselves and stretch out. An hour before we even head out, we're planning a 4am trip to the dog park to let them get good and worked up, hoping for a sleepy shiba ride afterward.
Is there anything else I can do to ensure a nice, calmish drive with them? Normally our trips in the car with them are destinations they get excited about early on, like state parks and what not, so the car is more a place of anticipation than napping
But when we drove to the forum meetup, they *mostly* sat and behaved, mostly.
Also, does anyone have suggestions for dog friendly pit stops along the way?
THANKS!
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
Sounds like an awesome trip ahead of you.
Lots of the rest stops along the way up there have "dog areas" that are actually really nice.
My two did surprisingly well when we drove to and from the forum meetup last month. On the way there (about 6.5 hours), we stopped about every hour and a half to two hours to get out and stretch and potty. On the way back (about 7.5 hours), we only stopped twice because they were drop dead tired. For the most part, they slept or just watched.
They will surprise you with how well they do.
And we expect LOADS of Maine spam!!!
Jesse
Thanks all!!!
www.interstaterestareas.com
Anyway, have a nice trip and make sure you don't leave your pups unattended for any length of time. A few dogs have been stolen from vehicles at rest stops this spring when owners went in to make pit stops.
Snf
Yes, do not leave your dogs unattended in your car. My dog (not Mochi) was kidnapped like that once...
I was just reading a post via dogster about a dog stolen at a rest stop... they left the doors unlocked though - eeks. I could never leave my dogs unattended anywhere but their own home, I'm utterly paranoid!
Luckily, since you & John are going together, it gives someone to watch the pups if you have to make a rest break yourself.
The wrack line can be trouble as its full of old bits of broken sea life, and all of it great for a roll. My sis took her dogs to the Cape for a month house sitting this beautiful home of a couple of retired doctors. The first day her lab drank too much water and swallowed too much sand off her tennis ball playing fetch on the beach and threw up all over the rug. In Maine, though, the beaches tend to be rocky, so sand may be less of an issue. Her beagle mix is an eater though, and she didn't realize why he was struggling to poop- until a crab claw came out- so know your dogs and keep an eye out for smelly munchables!
You will have fun on the rocks and get great photos. There's lots of outdoor eating so your pups can join you on the deck lots of places. Water is cold in Maine...
But I think they'll be fine
Have fun!
I guess I'll see how they react to the whole rocky beach/ocean water thing and go from there. I plan on bringing fresh water with me either way, and I hope they find some good stuff to roll in
Kristin how can you hate the ocean?
Jen, I hope you have a great trip with the pups. Just a thought - I know that finding a nice public beach in CT is near to impossible - they're all private and it's very strictly enforced. I don't know how most of Maine is. I have a few relatives from Old Orchard Beach and those beaches are public but that's a sort of regional vacation spot sort of like the Jersey Shore. Also, you might want to check and make sure that the beach your planning on visiting allows dogs. You probably already have, but I thought I'd mention it anyway.
Of course, pictures are obligatory.
That was my minor. :-)
But you've willingly GONE to Rhode Island...
Also I think Kristin meant she was afraid of the ocean in a minor state, meaning since NY is in the major leagues as far as states go MA is mexican winter league at best.