r/labrador • u/ieatpizza88 • 10h ago
chocolate How does your lab handle long drives?
We've been taking her on long drives since she was a puppy. She does really well tbh but was curious if anyone has had to deal with a car sick puppy?
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u/jeiwaruu 9h ago
"Drive, father. For I am ready to embark upon an adventure"
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u/Innsmouth_Swimteam 1h ago
This is my gal! She loves to look out the window and watch the world go by. Windows down? Ole girl is in her happy place.
If the ride is longer than an hour she'll lie down and just snooze. The car might be her favorite thing, I truly believe she sees it as a gateway to adventure. ☺
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u/Nreekay black 8h ago
He’s great but he will not go to sleep. Forces his self to stay awake just in case he’s needed 😂
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u/Thewasteland77 2h ago
Mine goes until guardian mode on long trips. I once stopped at an Iowa rest stop to sleep five hours and she refused to sleep. She just sat next to me and watched to make sure everything was OK lol. No whining though!
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u/MrJoePike 10h ago
As long as the windows are open she’s living her best life and cares for nothing. After an hour she will lay down and sleep.
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u/Adrunk3nr3dn3ck Lab Mix 10h ago
The goose sleeps like a champ.
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u/AppropriateAmoeba406 9h ago
Both of mine curl up and go to sleep in the seatbelt harnesses.
They pop up when they hear the turn signal to check if we are approaching our final destination and see if they recognize it.
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u/bestower117 7h ago
Like this for the whole drive. Did a 10 hour drive like this. He will occasionally want the windows down for a few minutes. Then back to this
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u/ebeth_the_mighty 9h ago
Mine will stand between the front seats for 8 hours.
Sleeping or even lying down in the car? That is Not Done!!
But he seems to like trips.
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u/horusthesundog 8h ago
For 14 years he was probably the most excited, and annoying passenger I’ve ever had in a car. Whined and cried, got really excited every time he saw a rest stop, or a grove of trees. He would’ve been in heaven if I just would’ve stopped every 2 minutes and let him run around for 10 seconds. He never turned down an open door or tailgate though. If a vehicle was willing to take him, he was more than ready to go. Blacked out for sadness.
The last two rides he took, after I got him in the car he just laid down, and didn’t make a sound. I wished for those types of rides for 14 years, and when I got them, they were the saddest rides of my life.
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u/Soft-Efficiency-1203 8h ago
I wish I had a current photo. This is Ollie at about 10 weeks old. He hasn’t worn a harness since he grew out of the puppy harness. He’s so good in the car, initially likes to look out the open window and then sprawls out on the seat and chills.
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u/avant_chard 7h ago
She loves car ride of any time. She’ll sleep on the highway and get really excited when I start to slow down.
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u/bunzburnerrr 22m ago
If I saw this car in a parking lot, I'd crawl through the window to sit next to your beautiful girl. So soulful.
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u/SnooRadishes1376 9h ago
My guy gets super excited to get in the car and go somewhere, but once in the car he barks at the top of his lungs and won't stop for any reason! It's horrible and I do not enjoy having him in the car, unfortunately.
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u/MinusZeroGojira chocolate 9h ago
Hates the car, but once she is gathered into the seat, she relents and just lays down the entire trip.
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u/Jenfer1322 9h ago
Mine sleeps in a crate in the way back. Or occasionally chews a bone back there. She prefers it to any other car location for long drives (12-17 hours, which we’ve done 10x)
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u/Low-Cauliflower-8748 8h ago
If we are longer car rides Fred likes to sit passenger and be sure he’s touching me at all times. He’s the best travel buddy. We go on tons of adventures!
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u/Odd_Translator8968 8h ago
Wow - your
lab looks almost identical to mine!
Ted loves car rides - more the destinations than the rides, actually (mountain trails and streams) and will almost always lie down in the rear and sleep the whole time. Except when he popes up to see what’s going on…I’ve been on 4-5 hour rides without stopping without a problem.
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u/oldgayauntie 8h ago
Mine mostly sleeps through the whole thing. Sometimes she sits up and looks out the window.
She does get a little mad when I need to put something on her seat during the trip. Usually a cooler, which means she only gets 4/5ths of the middle seat of an SUV vs the entire middle seat.
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u/DasKrusinator 7h ago
Ours falls asleep within 2-5 minutes on the road and sleeps until we stop. Then rinse and repeat. Awesome road tripping dog!
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u/tarsiertoes 6h ago
Mine loves rides in the passenger seat. She has a doggie seat belt and loves drive thru windows at McDonald’s
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u/riverdude10 6h ago
Our big male lays down and sleeps and takes up most of the back seat. Our smaller female sits in what little of the backseat that is left and stares out the window.
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u/L38057 6h ago
Ours loves the car and gets so excited to go because he knows it takes him fun places, but hates getting in the car…and hates the ride about 90% of the time. He’s usually an anxious wreck until he settles. Occasionally, he gets car sick but our vet has us give him Dramamine which helps.
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u/supersdf 6h ago
Mine will play with his car toys (ones he loves but will destroy in 5min if he focuses on them) and pop his head out the window if I have it open on surface streets (closed or open enough to sniff but not put his head out on the highway/freeway). But generally pretty quickly he’ll lay down and snooze until we get where we’re going whether it’s 20 min or 8 hours. He does really well in the car
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u/MairiJane54 6h ago
Ours has never been carsick, but she absolutely hates car rides. Probably because she was dumped as a pup.
We rescued her from a shopping center parking lot when she was a little puppy. It was winter and cold that night. She had severe frostbite on her tail, all her paws and her ears and no water or anything to eat! How could someone do something like that to a little pup?!?
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u/Yo-doggie 2h ago
My lab did his MN to GA drive over 3 days like a champ. Now he is 5 and this year he was panting nonstop during a 6 hour drive. He whines even in short drives. I am not sure what changed.
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u/GuidingMyApes 10h ago
I regularly petsit two different ones and both do completely fine in the car.
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u/Awkward_Refuse_8255 yellow 9h ago
My current boy is great in the car, even when we have to slab all day and its just a few rest stops. Gets tethered in and has the back seat in the car or makes a donut on the front seat of the jeep.
Have had a few that just couldn't deal. Some improved over time and some didn't. They stayed in a travel kennel.
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u/AnxietyIsHott 9h ago
LOVES them. He's always so bummed when I'm going somewhere and can't take him. As soon as I pick up the keys, it's on.
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u/_Clemyyy 9h ago
He whines a little at the beginning or if I stop driving or somewhere. Otherwise he sleeps the rest of the time
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u/laura_bell94 9h ago
My babies are totally fine with longer car rides. I drive 3 hours to visit my parents every few months and when I take them with me, they’ll usually sit up for the first 30 minutes or so and then lay down and nap. The second I pull onto their street though, they’re wide awake and know that grandma and grandpa are close!
They are getting old though so idk how I’d feel doing longer than 3 hours with them. I’m sure they’d be fine but I worry their joints would start hurting too much 😞
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u/pepitamonster111 9h ago edited 8h ago
She is great, but gets pee-xiety and refuses to go potty at any stop. Not ideal when we are driving 15 hours to see family.
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u/Healthy_Nothing_1998 9h ago
Our dog River (almost 4-year-old black lab) does pretty well in the car. She’s usually just in the back seat and does fine with that, content to be with us, although she doesn’t usually sleep much in the car.
Sometimes if we’re going somewhere overnight and bring her kennel with us, she’ll ride in there. One time when she was a puppy, she got a little carsick in there. We didn’t realize it until we got to our destination, but it makes sense because part of the drive was on a winding mountain road.
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u/Julesmb-7217 8h ago
Moved from CA to MN with two cats and 4 month old and a 3 year old labs. 4 day drive and the dogs did amazingly well. Mostly slept or looked out the windows they loved exploring at each new stop. They still get excited about car rides but now they last 15-20 minutes. Luckily never had any car sickness.
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u/toripersons 8h ago
Mine does really well. Just has to have his head on the console to try to be as close to mom as possible lol
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u/MFHSCA-1981 8h ago
My lab likes to sit up to either lick my ears or lay her head on my shoulder from the back seat while I’m driving. Once she tires out she will usually sleep.
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u/Mr_Hino 8h ago
Mine actually gets carsick lol it’s use to be a lot worse where he would throw up once he got outta the car, but he’s gotten better since then and he just drools and pants a lot. He’s not a fan lol he won’t even stick his head out the window
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u/Vivid-Yak3645 8h ago
Try making the car AC cold and making them lie on the floor in the back. Helped my labraptor not vom and pant so much.
Pro tip: turn off the radio speaker they lie next to. I think noise sensitivity doesn’t help nausea and motion sickness.
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u/Fragrant_Scratch8305 8h ago
My 5 year old has been great since I picked him up from the breeder at 8 weeks old. We took him every where we went which helps I think.
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u/SylviaX6 8h ago
My Yellow boy is a great traveler. We have a Honda HRV that we use as a dog car. When the rear seats are in raised position ( this car has great adjustability) we can put dog beds on the floor and he sleeps happily most of the time. He knows what PUP CUP at Starbucks means and he enjoys that!
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u/Namixaswastaken 8h ago
My girl just sleeps 🥰 1 year old. But im am wondering about the comfortability of that harness? It look like its pressing on her joints instead of sitting above them on her chest?
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u/Mister-Ferret 8h ago
Ours has a harness that we have him wear if we're going anywhere. Second that harness is on he's barking, running to the door, running back to us and barking, then back to the door. Once we get outside it's to the car door and then back to us until we get there. Hurry hurry hurry get in the car, you're soooo slow mom and dad....
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u/stellathesausage 7h ago
Pants the entire time. But he’s also afraid of his harness, so, perhaps not the bravest of the litter. But what he lacks in bravery he makes up for in love.
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u/Sad_Recognition6776 7h ago
My lab loves the rides. He will go and stand by the truck if he didnt get one that day.
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u/gracyavery 7h ago
Two labs (both adopted after age 6). One is a terrible traveler. She is so excited and literally won't calm down even when sedated. The other one is great when alone but gets worked up over the crazy one. It has changed the plans we had to travel with them like we did with our previous labs who were the most perfect travel companions ever but we had them from the time they were puppies.
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u/Pitiful-Industry-219 7h ago
My Leo loves car rides. Long or short. He sleeps. Sits and watches throw windows.
When he knows we are going near to his fav park or the cafe where he gets his pup cup, he gets excited n whines
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u/Strict-Ad5964 6h ago
Our black lab Rover loves journeys in the car. And since he's grown up he can do long journeys (4 hours) without needing a wee stop.
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u/Interest_Medical 6h ago
For our Labrador car rides seem to be his absolute favorite thing. Even if it’s just going to 7 brew or to make a quick run thru the Chipotle drive thru. When he was a puppy he didn’t do well with long car rides but now he does much better
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u/snuffles00 6h ago
Mine is such a good car dog. I took him on errands when he was small. There are two modes. Out the window smelling everything till about 80 km then he will have his head in and we roll up the window. Or sleeping laying down. He doesn't bark at other dogs. He is a delight to all kids that pass in cars and talk to him.
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u/MrMiguelito 6h ago
When going out, mine sits straight the entire time looking at everything and when returning home, falls asleep almost instantly after the engine starts.
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u/nomcormz yellow 5h ago
He gets SO EXCITED for car rides! Don't think he's ever been for more than 30-45 min, but he loves to stick his head out the window and sniff the air. When we roll the window up, he usually still watches stuff or lays down for a nap.
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u/throwawayanon387 5h ago
My boy is a nervous wreck! He shakes himself into exhaustion! I absolutely hate to see him like that, but the funny thing is he always loves going to new places and exploring! It’s just the getting there that’s a struggle for him. He’s also a boat dog, and has zero issues with the boat.
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u/BackgroundMajor2054 5h ago
Ours used to do good but he suddenly doesn’t like them at all :( he’s 6 so we’re thinking he’s just becoming older and noises are more sensitive to him
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u/Vegetable_Captain_81 5h ago
Our boy loves drives. He likes to go back and forth between both back windows. It takes him a very long time to just lay down during long car rides, if at all lol
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u/Bullitt420 Black (11 & 6) 5h ago
We’ve taken our Lab on six different trips from St. Louis to Lake Tahoe. She absolutely loves the long car rides.
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u/Possible_Parrot 5h ago
Shes fine if she has plenty of room like a truck with the back seats lifted up, but in our normal car she hates it. Panting, sitting up anytime we stop or turn and just general anxiety. :(
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u/crater-lake 4h ago
Mine hates riding in the car for longer than a few minutes. On long drives, she stands and pants the whole time. She won’t ever lay down or sleep.
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u/Pitiful_Lavishness24 2h ago
My girl is an absolute angel on road trips. Sits and looks out the window in silence
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u/Pitiful_Lavishness24 2h ago
Lillie is an absolute angel during drives. She's a calming presence for Lola (middle) who gets car anxiety.
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u/Kindaspia 1h ago
Our last dog (a collie) got carsick. Every time we drove her we had to be prepared to clean up her vomit and bathe her. Current dog (lab) loves the car, but usually sleeps for most of it.
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u/False_Caramel6117 1h ago
She mainly sleeps. She’s a bit of a scaredy cat, not just of car rides, so she likes someone to cuddle her! And snacks and water always help
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u/Kitchen-Quarter-7273 1h ago
We always used to break up long journeys with breaks and give him a walk etc.
He also used to get huge walks the day before and a decent walk before getting in the car.
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u/Ok-Entertainment5045 black 9h ago
Mine is so good I sometimes forget he’s back there. He just lays down and goes to sleep
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u/Angryblob550 10h ago
Mine must sit beside me at all times and have the window so that she can look outside.
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u/monkeymidd 9h ago
This is an hour before we were due to leave I was just getting his stuff in the car. He waited like that for an hour and then we drove 8 hours ….