Traveling alone w/ dog

Jenna, I know you don't want to leave her in the car, but I'm not aware of any rest stops or truck stops that allow them in. I've travelled quite a bit with Sheila (no sneaking with a 50lb dog). I stop every 2-3 hours for potty/exercise breaks. The dogs (I've added Charlie) have seat belts, so are fine locked in the car with the windows cracked about 1/2 in. for very short periods of time. I do my best to park with the windshield away from the sun, and in such a way to allow a cross breeze through the window. I've even been known to park next to the big trucks to find extra shade when a tree isn't available. I always pack food so I don't have to leave them except for my potty breaks. Maybe, somebody else will have alternative answers.

Just curious: are you worried she'll use the restroom if you leave her in the car, tear stuff up, get too hot, get stolen? I often take my dogs for road trips, and when I'm alone and have to do my business (after they've done theirs, of course), I just make sure to get back to them as soon as possible so they don't overheat, etc. If she's destructive, leaving her in a carrier/crate in the car would be fine — it's a safer way for her to travel, anyway (loose dogs are easily hurt in cars!)

Another thought, since we're taking ours on a really long trip this fall, I'm also making signs to post on the inside of the windows telling people to call my cell phone if they're worried about the dogs. That way, they know someone is close by, and have a means of contacting me.

I am just worried about her overheating or possibly being stolen (she is so cute...). She is not destructive in the car at all. She will be in a doggy car seat and safety harness.

That is a possibility... I don't plan on being away from the car for more than just a few minutes, but it will be in July and we are traveling south so I am really worried about the heat. We will be driving during the day.

I've traveled with my girls on a 11 hour trip alone. I locked them in the car with the windows cracked. If its really hot, make sure to park in the shade and even leave the AC on for her if doable. Most rest stops have designated dog areas so I always park near the dog run. I don't think you can avoid leaving her alone - just keep your potty breaks to the minumum amount of time. Bring food for you and her ( as long as she doesn't get sick in the car???). Good luck and I'm sure you'll be fine.

I did it three 10+ hour trips this past summer. You're luck she's small enough to carry. I was alone, Carolina is about 50 pounds, I can't really put her in a crate and sneak her into a truck stop, ya know? I had no choice but to leave her in the car, I would do my business as fast as I could and then come back and let her out for a walk and water. I really worried that the interior would heat up super fast so I would crank the AC before a reststop. The carryover cold kept Carolina comfortable for the 5 minutes it took for me to literally run to the bathroom. We developed a pretty efficient routine and Carolina was super good and lots of people smiled and waved at us. I really worried about leaving her in the car in the summer at a rest stop, but I finally stopped feeling guilty because I had to be rational...this was the best I could do under the circumstances. I'm sure you'll find the best for your baby, too.

Oh yeah, the other suggestions about packing food and water for yourself is very good. I was in the middle of moving so I didn't have a kitchen. I only packed Carolina's food and water. I had to do drive-thru fast food eaten in the car in the parking lot for sustenance.

I do plan on packing snacks, drinks, etc so there will be minimum stops besides potty breaks for both of us and stretching our legs...

We have crate fans for our dogs. The fans are designed to hang on the outside of the crate. You can also buy cooling pads that the dog can lay on. I have driven along with various animals several times and made restroom stops even in hot weather and never had a problem. I have also taken my spare set of keys, locked the car, but left it running with the AC on. (and I have taken my dog in a few restrooms with me, but not at a rest stop that had an attendant.)

I don't think you need to worry so much. If you park in the shade, crack your windows and lock your doors, I doubt anything bad would happen.

Ok, I advise you to dismiss my last comment. I just read an article that says doggnapping is on the rise and that you should not even leave your dog in a locked car.

Here is the full article:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23817557/

I am just not sure what to do. I guess Zoe would be alright for just a few minutes in the car while I ran in, but I do worry about what Sarah said. My friend posted this question for me on a board she is involved in and someone mentioned looking for PetSmarts or PetCos along the highway and use their facilities if available. I thought that was a pretty good idea although I don't know if they have restrooms for customer use. I had no idea this would be so difficult!!! This is the only aspect of this trip I am worried about.

Marci, I would be leary of posting my cell # for the public to read. If you were to do this get a disposable cell and post that on your window. You don't want some crazy person to have your personal cell# and harrass you or get your personal info. with technology they could trace you down to were you live etc...

Most Petsmarts and Petcos have public restrooms. If, you can find one close to the highway. Also, most reststop areas (smaller ones) do not have attendents and if you put Zoe in a carrier you should be able to get away with taking her to the restroom with you.