Terrier Time Travels--in a Car

So...we are planning a looooong trip in the car with our Westie. She/we survived a 4 hour trip when she was 9 months old. It was a bit rough (ruff!?!). We had visions of her quietly sitting in her cage while we blissfully drove the family to our vacation destination. Again, I feel like a new parent. Really out of touch with reality.

But now our crazy terrier is over a year old (HUGE milestone, I might add), and a lot calmer. Did I mention that it will just be me driving with the two kids? No extra adult. I drove such long distances alone when the kids were little that I must feel that if I can do that (miraculously reaching back, securing fallen sippy cups, changing diapers on car mats--not while driving...), then how hard can a dog be for 8-9 hours?

A good website for doggy traveling info is http://www.thepetcenter.com. They even explain that your vet can prescribe some type of "medicine" to help Fido enjoy the ride. Would that medicine be anything like the costly doggy antihistamines our terrier was given when she had the world's most expensive cold? Those little white pills made her VERY sleepy...I have quite a few left, hmmmm....

Well, time to get mentally and physically prepared for this journey. Coconut really loves the car, thankfully; let's just hope we all can co-exist for 9 HOURS! Now where are those little pills....

Wet Dog....Smelly Dog

Wow, wet dogs sure do smell. We finally had snow (then LOTS of rain) and as much as we need it here in the deserts of Atlanta, it is a pain with a dog. Am I right?

Coconut is an outside kind of dog. Loves perching on her deck, chasing a ball, barking at a squirrel, digging under the stairs. But when it rains, she is stuck inside. Unless of course, you leave her outside for awhile (I thought it had STOPPED raining for good) and it begins to pour again and you are busy working on the computer and forget about her! Now that was a very wet, soggy dog that my son let in! But I digress...

So, I stocked up on chewy bones and snacks to keep her busy while she has been quarantined inside. Not only is the rain inconvenient for dog owners, but expensive too...who knew?

Back to the smell---why do wet dogs smell so bad? Anybody know? I believe it has something to do with the amount of oil they secrete to protect their skin. And it seems to vary by dog and breed. Some dogs just smell...doggy. Our dog, God love her, seems to have a bit of body odor. Smells like a rose for about 2 days after a bath, then the aroma starts to transform. So maybe she has a lot of oils and then when she gets wet, she smells even that much better? I'm going to keep researching this dog smell issue. Stay tuned and if you have any tips...