2ND Webinar! Long Distance Transport

[samadmin]

QUESTION #1Question from Pam--What is the best way to protect yourself as a
transporter and the dog you are transporting if there may be potential
behavior issues between the dogs you are transporting??

Crates are your friend. Use them whenever possible. They prevent dog
fights, they protect your vehicle interior and keep contamination to a
confined, sanatizable space if it later turns out an animal was sick.

The portable divider grates are another option, but I wouldn't trust them
with larger dogs.

Tethering works when you're certain they can not reach each other. I like
to use those short, two foot chain leads as 'anchors' for tethering. They
can't chew the chain and I can often find those at the dollar store.

Don't rely on your seat belts to anchor a dog, they are easily chewed.

Aside from how you confine dogs inside the vehicle, be aware of how you
handle them outside of the vehicle. Having dogs milling about at the end of their leashes, getting in each other's faces, while you chat with the other driver is a bad idea. The dogs can forego socialization opportunities until after they get where they are going.



QUESTION #2
Question from Lori--As a precaution against potential hazzards of transport (e.g.--dog bites, speed limit laws, etc) share with us some of the things you might warn a potential transport volunteer about??

1. Leave your own dog at home.

2. Unless your four legged passengers are crated, leave younger two footed passengers at home.

3. Dogs are going to be at least mildly stressed by a relay transport,
greeting a long series of humans all day, going from vehicle to vehicle,
sometimes with a queasy stomach. Don't put additional pressures on them.

When greeting another driver who has the dogs, greet the person first, don't zero in on the dogs, don't hover over them, stare into their eyes, shove your face in theirs and race to coo and pet them. Keep a casual air about the dogs. Ignore them for a bit while you talk to the other person.

Toss a treat on the ground in front of them. If they accept that, then you
can try handing them one. When you touch them, make it a firm pat on the shoulder, not a timid stroke on the top of the head. Keep your movements slow and relaxed but confident.

4. When you arrive to accept dogs from another driver, don't open their car doors for them, wait for them to open the vehicle after they know they have all the animals contained.

5. Your safety and the safety of your charges is our number one priority.
Seems like every year we hear of at least one incident where transport dogs have escaped after a vehicle went off the road and rolled over. No schedule is worth injured people and animals and lost animals.

Don't drive faster than road conditions dictate. Stay in your personal
comfort zone. Keep your transport coordinator apprised of any delays, but
don't feel pressured to try to make up for time lost in an unexpected
traffic jam or any of the other situations that can slow a driver down. Put
the coordinator's phone number and the numbers of the driver's you have to meet in your cell phone's address book.

6. Carry a spare lead or two and a couple of choke chains or martingales.
You never know when you may run into a dog wearing a flimsy collar or just a slip lead.

7. Bleach out your crates after each use. If you're tethering, put a tarp
down to give yourself a cleanable surface under the dog.

8. Always make sure that a dog tethered in the passenger seat can't reach the driver. Never let a dog roam loose in your vehicle, even if you've only got one dog on board.

Have you ever noticed how some dogs have a barrier aggression that doesn't manifest itself until they are on one side of a barrier and you are on the other? If that barrier is your car door and you're on the outside looking in, you have a problem.

(LMAO, Take it from someone who was once kept out of their own truck for a good 40 minutes when my passenger decided he needed to protect "his" vehicle from me and his tether was a bit too long.)

9. For the transport coordinator: Make sure that your route and your
schedule are developed with the speed limits in mind, adequate time for
transfering animals, pottying and offering water and road conditions. If a
leg involves the rush hour, add extra time. Listen to the feedback from your
drivers.

10. For the coordinator: Get full information on the animals for your
drivers, including size, weight and any known or suspected health or
behavioral issues. Let the rescues and shelters that you're working with
know that you can work around most "issues" as long as they are known.

[samadmin]

Question from Sarah--I'm sure that transports within the U.S. has noproblem with crossing state lines, but what about transports that go across international borders (Canada/Mexico). Have you ever coordinated one across either border and are there any legal/ health problems involved??

Actually, each state has its own regulations about transporting animals into or through that state. Some states require health certificates, others do not; some states will not allow transports of puppies/kittens under 8 weeks; each has its own regulations with which you -- as the transport
coordinator -- must comply. Transports have actually been stopped and
animals confiscated because they could not produce the appropriate
paperwork.

Here is a great link for information concerning transport regulations. US
Department of Agriculture regulations state-by-state: www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/sregs Choose the state and then scroll down to "Dogs" or "Cats".

I have never coordinated a transport into Mexico, but have brought dogs back across the border into the United States. To do so requires proof of
current vaccinations and rabies. My one and only Canadian experience was a piece-of-cake!. I was transporting a Katrina dog from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Buffalo, New York. The fastest and most direct route was through Ontario. All that was required was a current rabies certificate, although I sent along a Health Certificate just to be on the safe side.


QUESTION FOR BOTH BRANDY & LAUREL--
Question from Lori--As a precaution against potential hazzards of
transport (e.g.--dog bites, speed limit laws, etc) share with us some of the things you might warn a potential transport volunteer about??

I had the luxury of reading Laurel's wonderful and complete answer. There is really nothing more that I can add!

[samadmin]

My apologies for the closing comments coming in on Saturday night, but Ihave more fosters than usual right now and a meet and greet today that had me washing dogs and printing bio sheets into the wee hours of Saturday morning. (I don't envy those of you with a houseful of white dogs)

Thank you for having us here this past week. I understood from Jim that
your group hopes to put together a Samoyed transport network. I hope we've helped lessen the learning curve for those of you who are new to transport.

No one group can pull off a long distance transport totally from within
their own ranks, there will always be a need for networking, but there is a critical element in transport that involves shelter pulls and temporary
fostering while transports are put together. And there the breed rescue
contacts are crucial.

Likewise, recruiting your own transport coordinators will be of major
importance to you. This can be a perfect job for someone who can't do much driving, can't foster, isn't into fundraising, but who has good organizational, communication and people skills.

It can be a lot of work, that is true, but a successful run is very satisfying.

Good luck and thanks for having us.

Laruel
RollingRescue, LTLs with Love
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rollingrescue
RollingRescueTalking, Discussion List
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rollingrescuetalking/