Tails from Home - The Jammer Girls

Hello NLGA Dog Blog Readers!

Our dog blog mailbox got another 'Tails from Home' update!  Today we will hear about the joys of traveling with the Jammer girls!  

[...PLEASE!...Do not forget to send in your 'Tails from Home' too!...let's keep the 30 days of 'Tails from Home' going!...]

For two years now we have hauled the beautiful Jammer girls from Minnesota to Arizona after Christmas.  That is three days of driving: starting out walking the dogs in the snow and cold of the Minnesota/Iowa  rest stops,  thru the slush of Kansas/Oklahoma, and ending in the sun and warmth of Arizona, with a lookout for those critters of the southwest:  scorpions and snakes!  I just have to say, my greyhounds are terrific travelers.

Whether there are two or three of them crammed into the back of our cross-over vehicle, it’s crowded.  After all, Mom needs to take all those clothes and shoes!  But they manage to find their spot and settle in.  

There has never been any snarking, whining or car sickness during our travels.  They just cuddle up and sleep.  Of course, I have lots of dog beds piled in the car and it is pretty comfy for them.  They jump in and out the side door when we stop; it’s pretty high off the ground but even our 13 year old Camille could get in and out with no trouble.  I keep a dish, bottled water and treats close at hand so they can be rewarded for doing their business on our schedule.  We roll down the back windows for them when we are stopped or going slowly thru small towns.  Kaya especially loves to put her nose to the air and enjoy the new smells. 

Feeding time is always interesting on the road.  Forget breakfast; too much action with those suitcases coming and going for them to think about eating.  Pills are not wrapped in sausage so the girls will eat them; they are just crammed down the throat because we need to get on the road.  Dinner in the motel is better.  I have baggies of kibble made for each meal so I don’t have to drag a bag of food along.  I usually add some wet dog food  and warm water to entice them.  But sometimes it’s just inconvenient.  (Check out the picture of Kaya eating her dinner on the bed!!  We just gotta do what we just gotta do.) 

Once we get to our destination, so far a different house each year, they adapt to the situation.  

I just have to say they much prefer carpeted stairs to tile.  It took Kaya a while this year to get used to the tiled stairs; she slipped once and was forever cautious.  Shirlie didn’t mind the tiled stairs, but she really disliked the sharp rocks in the yard.  Where Kaya would go out and do her business on the rocks, not Shirlie.  She would have held it 24 hours if she had to, but I took pity on her and walked them 4 times a day.  So can you see who’s in charge?   Of course, I had lots of time this year as sitting by the pool was not an option!

I think these dogs are very adaptable.  The most important thing for them: “don’t leave me behind.”  As long as their humans are with them, they can deal with anything. J  

Thanks so much for sharing the tails of the Jammer girls with us!