# Travel Tips for out of state move



## NutterButter (Mar 5, 2016)

We are moving soon from California to Texas and looking for advice on traveling with our Sadie. Some of you know her history from previous posts, but life is very good with her these days and so not looking forward to disrupting her comfortable surroundings.


-She used to not like riding in a car, but now when I grab the car keys she bounces around wanting to go with me.
-If I drive an unfamiliar route she starts shaking and crawls into my lap. So I intentionally mix it up a little which has helped as she learns new routes. 
-One time I started over a mountain pass to meet my wife and this also headed in the direction of Sadie's previous home. Sadie became frantic and inconsolable to the point that I had to pull over to calm her down and then turn around.
-She has never been crate trained and while she will burrow into the corner of a closet when feeling stressed, she hates crates and has literally destroyed one that we tried training her with when something scared her while she was in it. So I think the same would apply if we tried an SUV with a barrier.


So the idea of driving from California to Texas is going to be a challenge. We have tried some calming drugs for thunder that seem to do nothing and our vet is convinced that stronger drugs only immobilize without calming which is not a good thing of course. Not a fan of drugs anyway.


I don't expect miracle answers but maybe suggestions from those who travel long distances with their Vizslas. Thanks !


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## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

I've had three long distance moves and several more long road trips with Scout in the last 5 years, so I may be slightly qualified to answer this one.  

She is awesome in the car, whether free or crated--she basically just curls up and sleeps--so I can't shed too much light on anxiety issues, but I'd suggest just taking a lot of short trips around town with her and making them really positive experiences. Even just sitting in the car in your driveway every day for short intervals and practicing having her stay in the back calmly can help. Maybe a seat belt harness would work better for her than a barrier. 

My parents have tried light sedatives for their cats before and came to the conclusion that it's better not to. Two vocal cats in a mini cooper, does not a good experience make. I think the drugs made it worse for them because they felt so off. The one thing that does work really well for them are those pheromone sprays. I think the dog one is called DAP for dog appeasing pheromone. I understand it is sort of hit or miss thing though.

On our last move, Scout was crated, but I set up a nice cushy spot in the back seat for our chow. I have one of those backseat hammock covers, but blocking off the footwells with suitcases so they can't fall forward works just as well. I also got a no-spill water bowl and filled up some jugs with water, so she'd have access to water throughout the trip. Then it's just a matter of stopping occasionally for bathroom breaks and maybe giving them a bully stick or a stuffed kong--something special to chew on for a while. 

I'd start considering now how you're going handle hotels on the trip. That can be an interesting experience with all the noises in the hall or from adjacent rooms, elevators, people, etc. Probably the more exercise you can get her in the evenings after you stop, the better. 

Good luck with your move!


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

So what's wrong with knocking her out if things get bad? Your vet is splitting hairs here in (falsely) differentiating immobilization with emotional mastery in this situation. The goal is to get her thru the experience as painlessly as possible, a bit of Trazodone will do the trick. Since you have no choice but to get from Cali to Texas, if Sadie has a panic attack on the road in the middle of nowhere and cannot be settled, you should have medical back up. 

I'd start now by taking her out in the car regularly and condition her to the expected experience, drive in familiar places and slowly add new ones while offering support and encouragement. What you want is to (try) to help her acclimate to as many new experiences as possible now with the hopes that it helps extinguish what seem to be pretty fixed responses to anxiety.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

It depends on what the vet was thinking of giving her.
Ace stops the ability of the dog doing anything about the fear, but does not stop them from being scared.


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## NutterButter (Mar 5, 2016)

texasred said:


> It depends on what the vet was thinking of giving her.
> Ace stops the ability of the dog doing anything about the fear, but does not stop them from being scared.


I believe that is what our vet was saying too. We tried Alprazolam (Xanax) up to maximum dosage for thunder and we could see no noticeable effect on Sadie but also no ill effects.


Regarding hotels she seems OK sleeping at the foot of our bed even in strange surroundings, including a travel trailer. That is actually one of our plans, since she likes our 22' travel trailer put her in that, and maybe monitor with a video camera.


We will certainly survive the journey either way, just gathering as many ideas as we can. Lots of good dog parks where we are headed near Austin, so looking forward to that.


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## Gabica (Jan 20, 2018)

Tiring her out before the first part of the trip may help. Even is possible try and find some parks along the way where you can get some exercise for her - have you ever used like a 20 feet leash for that purpose?
Since you mentioned Sadie sleeps well at your feet in hotels, it sounds like you guys are the calming pheromenon for her - is there a way someone can sit with her in the backseat to keep her safe in case she gets anxiety / bad weather? or give her a clothe piece you were wearing before? Is she ok at least to wear a travel harness to keep her safe?
Good luck with your move and also welcome to Texas, we live in Houston.


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## Betty (Apr 14, 2016)

I thought....make sure you take some water from your old place. My pups and farm animals have refused to drink water from "other" sources for awhile. Traveling and moves have been affected.


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