Newf owner to be

L

Linzi00

New member
Hi All,

Ive been a lurker here for a few months and now that we have a date for puppy pickup, I thought I would jump in and introduce myself. My name is Lindsay and I live in Las Vegas. I will be a proud first time newf owner. The litter is now almost 3 weeks old and we will be picking up the puppy at 10 weeks in Vermont. I have never been so excited for such a long road trip! We don't know if our puppy will be a boy or girl yet, as the breeder will do evaluations at 7 weeks. Meanwhile trying to prepare as best as I can - looking through old posts has been incredibly helpful! I am really nervous about the car trip home with the puppy (at least 3 days driving.) I am concerned about whether it will be traumatic or if there is undue risk being not fully vaccinated at that age. Any insight would be warmly welcomed.

Thanks!

Lindsay
 
YorkvilleNewfie

YorkvilleNewfie

New member
Wow, that's quite the roadtrip you'll be taking! I like that your breeder waits til 10 weeks to send them home AND does an evaluation of the pups to select what pup goes to which puppy buyer. Nice!

As for the roadtrip, that is quite a haul. I'd be a bit hesitant based purely upon the fact that I'd have to take so many stops with a not-totally vaccinated pup and the fact that it's just a lot of driving for everyone involved. If I were you, I would be very careful as to where I stop with that pup on the way home. Make sure to avoid places where other dogs may have been recently, like truck stops, gas stations, parks, fast-food restaurants, etc, to avoid possible exposure to scary stuff like Parvo and Distemper and other nasty contagious doggy diseases.

That being said, I had my pup flown to me and while our experience is the exception, not the rule with flying pups...it was a horrible experience for her and I would never fly another pup again (She was so terrified that I ended up taking her to the emergency vet 5.5 hours after picking her up from the airport. She was hyperventilating for hours, was almost catatonic, gave herself a panic-induced temporary heart murmur and needed to be given sedatives to calm down enough so that she didn't give herself a heart attack. She wasn't right for days :() But like I said, most pups do very well with flying. Our experience was the exception.

I'm sure others will weigh in. In the interim, congratualtions and welcome from the 'burbs of Chicago, IL!
 
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W

wrknnwf

Active member
Just plan on taking lots of breaks. At least every two hours. Not only for potty, but for having a little fun. If someone can go with you, they can help entertain the pup and cuddle if needed on the ride. Keep everything upbeat no matter what happens (bathroom accidents, vomit, etc.)

Have some tiny, non greasy treats/chewies (ask the breeder for suggestions)and toys handy . Don't fill puppy's tummy full of junk. Just a tiny treat (pea size) if you need to interest him in something. Puppy may not want treats, but better to have some appropriate ones available than trying to find the right ones on route. And plenty of water. Fill several jugs at the breeder's place, so there won't be any tummy upsets from strange water. A car sick dog is no fun, but don't let it spoil the trip.

Don't forget that it's miserably hot east of you, so plenty of water, towels (paper and cotton), good reliable car a/c. A big cooler with some ice cubes might be wise. The pup could lick a cube, but supervise anything the pup might eat or chew. Don't plan on camping or snoozing in the rest stops. It's way, way too hot, even at night. Our "wee hours of the morning" temps in Kansas City are hovering just below 80 degrees.

Be sure to have plenty of the same food the breeder is using and rub an old t-shirt or soft stuffie toy on the mama dog, so puppy has her smell for comfort.

As mentioned, just be careful of where you stop for breaks or overnights. Motels that allow dogs are also suspect. I would not let the pup meet any strange dogs at any of your stops. You can explain nicely to any one you encounter that you're just being cautious because the puppy is not fully vaccinated yet. But also be aware that diseases like parvo can be carried on shoes or hands. You don't need to be paranoid, just careful.

It's important to have a crate for the pup to ride in and for overnights. Even wee pups can be destructive which can be a real problem in a motel room at night. Not to mention costly. A small bucket that can be clipped to the inside of the crate, while in the car, will keep water available and won't be as sloppy as a bowl. A spray bottle of urine cleaner might be useful in a motel room.

Watch for signs that puppy is stressed...diarrhea, excessive panting, tense body language, tremors and be prepared to stop for a break or go to a vet on the way if need be. You might want to make a list of motels and the closest vets on your planned route in advance. You can search the internet for addresses and hours.

Take your time. If three days is the norm, it might take you longer. And you won't be as tired and stressed either.

Having said all this, puppies are resilient, adaptable and mostly happy, especially if YOU don't get stressed. Happy, happy, joy, joy. Plan on making this car ride the best, funnest experience you can.
 
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takemebacktotulsa

takemebacktotulsa

New member
Welcome!

We had a two-day drive to pick up our puppy. He was an incredibly good traveler, relaxed and so easy going. No car sickness, slept most of the way, no whining at all except for the first night we spent in the hotel room.

I would bring a medium sized crate and lots of bottled water and ice to keep it cool. Freeze some of the bottles ahead of time and they will act as big ice blocks in your cooler. Plan on feeding him the same food as his breeder is feeding to minimize tummy upset. Try to stop every two hours for potty and cuddle breaks and stop at less traveled places as much as possible.

I felt more comfortable making a long drive than I would have felt flying my puppy to me. But my husband channels his inner truck driver on road trips and makes it really easy for us to travel :)

Whatever you do, enjoy every single moment with your puppy, and please post lots of photos when you get home!
 
donna mote

donna mote

New member
Welcome,

We had one of the better experiences with flying our girl, my Bryannas breeder let us choose the carrier, her brother flew on the same plane with her to Atlanta, so this probably helped, he continued on to IAH, he arrived at his forever home in IAH was in excellent condition. My little girl nor her brother showed any signs of anxiety, but again these are the exceptions and had so much to do with the way they were handled at both airports and how long they were at the airports , due to the distance this was definitely the better choice in our situation, and although my nerves were shattered, Bryanna was fine with it.

enjoy your precious new puppy
 
Cat

Cat

New member
Welcome and Congratulations !

Las Vegas to Vermont ?
Wow, you are almost going to Newfoundland itself...
Not to jinx you, but I am praying that your new furbaby sleeps contentedly most of the way. The "be wary of where you take your potty breaks" advice cannot be emphasized enough with your pre-vaccinated pupper. It's a big world and separation anxiety from the breeder is a real thing. You get to start out your nurturing life together with a major rode trip plus the enormous doses of input your little Newfie will be getting will require you rising to the occasion with unconditional love extraordinaire. Try to pick up a couple of the breeders mannerisms to take with you, i.e., how they whistled to call them when playing or exactly how they vocalized a greeting during whelping, for instance, our breeders would say "Poppy, poppy, poppies", vice puppies. They pick up on that and I think it is a happy \comforting feeling to hear it from you. A squeaky toy and a teddy bear may not hurt either. No problem right ? Don't forget to breathe, have a safe trip both directions, and have fun ! This is really great !!!
 
CMDRTED

CMDRTED

New member
wrknnwf said:
Just plan on taking lots of breaks. At least every two hours. Not only for potty, but for having a little fun. If someone can go with you, they can help entertain the pup and cuddle if needed on the ride. Keep everything upbeat no matter what happens (bathroom accidents, vomit, etc.)

Have some tiny, non greasy treats/chewies (ask the breeder for suggestions)and toys handy . Don't fill puppy's tummy full of junk. Just a tiny treat (pea size) if you need to interest him in something. Puppy may not want treats, but better to have some appropriate ones available than trying to find the right ones on route. And plenty of water. Fill several jugs at the breeder's place, so there won't be any tummy upsets from strange water. A car sick dog is no fun, but don't let it spoil the trip.

Don't forget that it's miserably hot east of you, so plenty of water, towels (paper and cotton), good reliable car a/c. A big cooler with some ice cubes might be wise. The pup could lick a cube, but supervise anything the pup might eat or chew. Don't plan on camping or snoozing in the rest stops. It's way, way too hot, even at night. Our "wee hours of the morning" temps in Kansas City are hovering just below 80 degrees.

Be sure to have plenty of the same food the breeder is using and rub an old t-shirt or soft stuffie toy on the mama dog, so puppy has her smell for comfort.

As mentioned, just be careful of where you stop for breaks or overnights. Motels that allow dogs are also suspect. I would not let the pup meet any strange dogs at any of your stops. You can explain nicely to any one you encounter that you're just being cautious because the puppy is not fully vaccinated yet. But also be aware that diseases like parvo can be carried on shoes or hands. You don't need to be paranoid, just careful.

It's important to have a crate for the pup to ride in and for overnights. Even wee pups can be destructive which can be a real problem in a motel room at night. Not to mention costly. A small bucket that can be clipped to the inside of the crate, while in the car, will keep water available and won't be as sloppy as a bowl. A spray bottle of urine cleaner might be useful in a motel room.

Watch for signs that puppy is stressed...diarrhea, excessive panting, tense body language, tremors and be prepared to stop for a break or go to a vet on the way if need be. You might want to make a list of motels and the closest vets on your planned route in advance. You can search the internet for addresses and hours.

Take your time. If three days is the norm, it might take you longer. And you won't be as tired and stressed either.

Having said all this, puppies are resilient, adaptable and mostly happy, especially if YOU don't get stressed. Happy, happy, joy, joy. Plan on making this car ride the best, funnest experience you can.
Click to expand...
Yup, what Jane said!:kgo_027:
 
robertjt

robertjt

New member
Wow, what a road trip!! Congratulations and welcome from New Jersey. Can't wait to see pictures. :) Have a safe trip.
 
blaue_augen

blaue_augen

New member
Welcome and congratulations!!! I think your road trip is going to be a fun adventure! And with the crazy hot temps, I think it's great your pup isn't flying. We're all looking forward to seeing pictures!!
 
L

Linzi00

New member
I couldn't be more excited about this new adventure. Thank you for the very warm welcomes. I feel lucky to have found such a lovely community of Newf owners.
I have spoken with our vet and the breeder about my concerns regarding the road trip. Personally I could never fly a dog / puppy as checked bag. That is just my preference, but isn't even possible with the heat in vegas. However I started getting really worrie that the road trip would be exceedingly dangerous. After talking to the vet and breede and the precautions I am planning on taking...I feel much more confident about this decision. There were breeders that were closer, but I didn't mesh well with them and wanted to get a newf from a breeder that I felt great about. Unfortunatelt that's 3000 miles away :)
The most exciting thing is that I will be visiting the breeder next sat! I will get to meet him and see the puppies! Even though pick up is still a month away. I can't wait....hopefully pics will follow
 
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