Poodle puppies by florida's best

You and your new poodle baby are settled and know each other well enough by now. You’ve become familiar with all their at-home mannerisms, their preferred potty-times and their newfound personalities. Now’s the time to make a move and venture out into the wide world. Yet you begin to question: Are they ready? Am I ready??

Look no further, Cooki is here to set you at ease with some valuable tips for bringing your pup out-and-about! Our 4 month old miniature Poodle, Vincenzo, just took his very first road trip from Florida to South Carolina and did SO great!

As it was his very first adventure, we didn’t know what to expect, so we dove right in and are amazed with just how wonderful he is/was.

Granted, Poodles are notoriously smart and quick learners, Vincenzo was at first both shy and skeptical of making his way out from his home with my son, Michael, and Michael’s fiancé, Victoria. Nevertheless, we decided to take the plunge with confidence, and that Vinny would be sure to follow!

Below you’ll find the major steps we took in making Vincenzo’s first big break a good one that set him up for many adventures and routine trips to come.

Car Rides

The ride from Florida to South Carolina is not so arduous. There hardly any twists, turns, or changes in elevation (at least not until the tail end of the trip) that could cause general discomfort or uneasiness, motion sickness, or any other sort of distress for our Vincenzo.

Tip numero uno: Plan a straightforward car ride. Limit the ups and downs, winding roads, and sharp turns at least until you’re sure your pup’s used to the general forces at play during any such car ride.

It’s a great idea to take your Poodle pup for shorter car rides and allow them to become acquainted to being in the car in general.

Being on the road can cause your dog to become dizzy, disoriented, and may upset their little tummy which could result in them throwing up.

I often recommend not feeding your puppy directly before going on any car ride to prevent such things. When you make your first rest stop, assess how your pup is handling the ride so far. Look for excessive panting, sleepiness, or any such behavior you’d consider out of the ordinary for them — You’ll know it when you see it!

At a designated rest area, bring your pup out of the car and place them on a grassy area. This will help them regain their bearings and become reoriented with the Earth. Walk your puppy around a bit (they will mostly follow you around) and instruct them to go potty.
Once they take care of business and have had some time out of the car, be sure to offer them a bit of food (not an entire meal’s worth), just enough to satiate them, and some water too.
After your puppy feeds and drinks, place them back into the car with your, either on your lap or in their designated car area.

Speaking of which, I recommend offering your dog options as to where they’d prefer to be in the car. Since the car setting is out of the ordinary for them, allowing them options as to where they’ll be for the ride may help them in feeling safer. Often, your puppy will chose to be as close to you as possible. In my opinion, that is fine, but I DO NOT recommend you allow your puppy to be directly in your lap while driving. This can definitely be unsafe.

Place your puppy’s bed in the seat beside or behind you. Take it a step more and place their bed inside of their crate inside the car (at least for long distances — and at your own discretion) and secure their crate with a seatbelt. I recommend rest stops every two or so hours. Rinse and repeat. Chances are, by the second stop, your dog will be comfortable and confident that they’re mostly safe in the car. They may begin watching out the windows or catching a few extra Z’s for the rest of the drive. Include their favorite toy and they’ll be content knowing all is right with the world.

One final word on car rides there are puppy-dog car seats that are a great option for traveling with your pup. Do your own research and find one that works best for you!

New Places

Going in and around new places can cause your Poodle pup to be weary, which makes plenty of sense. In Vincenzo’s case, he had only ever really knew his home and the general tone of where he lives: his backyard, his couch, his room. And when he first touched down at where we were staying he was a bit apprehensive. If you notice your pup isn’t as sure as usual, instead of walking them through the door, pick them up and hold them in your arms then carry them through the threshold.

By doing so, you take the guesswork out of it for your puppy and show them it’s ok for them to enter. Once inside, carry them directly to where you’ll be staying and set up their bed/crate near the bed you’ll be sleeping in. Before exploring the rest of the environment, sit with your pup and soothe them further with your voice and plenty of cuddles.

Observe your dog’s body language and you’ll see them become more and more relaxed. After some time, let them briefly explore the direct vicinities. Once the become acquainted with your room, pick them up again and begin telling them “outside”.

From here, take your pup to where they will be free to potty. For Vincenzo, this was right out back of the house he was staying in. This meant going through the majority of the house to get there. Do not let your puppy down until you’re at the threshold of the designated potty area. Once at the door, encourage your pup with a call for “outside” and allow them to walk out the door to do their business.

Once outside, continue to reassure your pup by saying “outside” until they actually go. Do not let them come in until they’ve handled their business. Encourage them with “good boy” or “good girl” once they urinate (which generally happens first). By doing so, your Poodle pup will know for sure that potty’s are ok out here and should proceed to go ‘poopy-potties’ soon thereafter.
It’s ok if they do not go right away, but unless they go both ways, be sure to keep an eye on them while moving back into the place you’re staying.

Allow your pup to walk back through the threshold and back into the house. Encourage them to follow you and then proceed to show them the rest of the place you’re staying. For Vincenzo, he followed my son through each room and gained a map of his environment.
For the remainder of your stay, it is very likely your pup will stick with you and stay in whatever room their human(s) are in.

If your pup ventures away, be sure to call their name and offer them a treat or toy for staying with you. This will keep them close and prevent yourself from worry or constant watching of your pup.

Social Interactions

There is a 100% chance your Poodle pup will attract attention. If your puppy is not used to other people coming up to them the responsibility falls on you to set proper guidelines and etiquette in place for those who do approach your dog.

There are many forms of ‘proper’ dog-etiquitte that I will not venture into now, but the most important thing for you to realize is that you must put yourself in your dog’s shoes.
Understand that much of what your dog experiences will be entirely new to them. Do not allow others to enter your dog’s space at the cost of your dog’s confidence or general well-being. By allowing others to assert their will upon you and your dog, you forfeit your own will and authority.
Most people who approach you and your dog will have great intentions, but the moment they do they invite themselves into your dog’s already stressed situation.

By now, you know your dog well enough. You can look at your little pooch and see the look in their eyes. When they look to you, they’re doing so in confidence. You must ensure that confidence, it is your duty as your pup’s parent to keep them safe and encourage them that everything is ok.

For instance, my son took Vincenzo into the mall. Vincenzo did well at first, but eventually preferred to be picked up on account of all the people and other stimuli that surrounded him. Vincenzo gave my son plenty of cue’s through his body language that he began feeling unsure and over stimulated.

Upon picking Vincenzo up, he immediately became more serene and comfortable in knowing his father had him. Vincenzo was safe and even though he was far from his natural element, he could feel a bit more at ease in the arms of his parents.

From there they entered various stores with many new people. In every store someone would catch glimpse of Vincenzo and immediately be drawn to him (a natural response to a cutie such as he). At first, Vincenzo didn’t mind the attention. But, after the first five or so new people, it appeared to become a bit overwhelming for Vincenzo, even while being held in Michael’s arms.
At a point such as this, take your pup to a less populated area of a store or even outside. Place them on the ground and soothe them with pets. This will help them come around, regain their bearings, and be ready for the next move — this is exactly what Michael did, and, once outside, Vincenzo began trotting around outside and even went potty.

After such an escapade, expect your pup to be pretty much exhausted. Allow them to sleep and rest. Offer them food and water, and plenty of stimulus free down-time before making the next leg of your adventure together!

There you have it — Cooki’s 3 tips for traveling with your new Poodle puppy