Dogs in the Car

It's going to snow tonight ....

but we're trying not to think about it. We certainly can't complain about it to anyone we know around here.

This morning we took the car into the car 'doctor' just to make sure that everything was in shape for the long drive. Well, all will be in perfect running order AFTER we replace the battery and all four tires. Just general wear and tear, guess it's better that we discover these things now, and not when we're part way to Mazatlan.

Mentioning wear and tear, we took our 14 year old Abi to the Vet last week and she's in perfect health (unlike the car). We received her Certificate of Good Health, which we will have to show at the border, along with her Rabies Certificate. We also bought a 'giant' bag of her special dog food, as we won't be able to buy it in Mexico. (Mike and I are going to just have to make do with whatever we can find. More on that subject later!)

Abi, of course, simply had to come with us for the drive this morning. We have created a monster. Now, whenever we put our coats and shoes on, we find her sitting at the front door, whining and shaking. She is just desperate to get in the car, but hasn't quite figured out that since this was her idea, it might be a good idea to just settle down and enjoy the ride. This morning was an adventure; she shivered, shook, whined, paced, and just generally was a pain the whole drive. We are truly hoping that once we get her settled in the back seat with her favourite blanket and pillow, she'll just relax and sleep most of the way. (Seems to me that was the goal when we travelled with Jeff when he was young!)

We picked up a book offered by CAA called "Travelling with your Pet". It has been quite helpful, has lots of useful tips (like not sedating your pet, which surprised us) and also a comprehensive listing of 'pet-friendly' hotels, motel and campsites through Canada and U.S.

Mike also used a site called "petfriendlyhotels.com" to assist when making our reservations for the drive down.

So, basically, the dog is ready to go. Packing for her is easy - her certificates, food, her dishes, blanket, pillow and of course, two or three of her favourite toys.

Judging from today's performance however, think we might be tucking in ear plugs for Mike and I, at least until she gets the hang of it!