* Motion sickness can be a problem especially in young puppies. They usually out grow this, some sooner than others. First thing to remember is don't feed the dog too close to travel time. We give our puppies a piece of Bonine < or > a piece of Dramamine tablet exactly one hour before the trip. These are motion sickness meds and can be purchased in the pharmacy, over the counter dept/ of Wal-mart. I will give one quarter tablet to Pom puppies under 3 mos. old. Put the dose in a ball of frozen Bil-Jac, a ball of cheese, meat or something they will swallow right down. A safe approach for Poms over 3 mos. old, or 3-4 lbs might be to start with 1/2 a tablet and go up by 1/4 of a tablet each time you travel until you reach the dosage right for your size Pom, never giving more than one tablet. They do tend to out grow this. IMPORTANT: must give exactly 1 hour prior to your trip!!

* We keep a roll of "Viva" paper towels in the car at all times for those occasions when a Pom might poop or vomit.

*When you travel with your dogs, never stop to take them to toilet on foreign turf! In other words, it is never wise to "potty"  your dogs on grass away from home. Think about it. Where do the hundreds of other people take their dogs to poop? Yep, they stop to fuel the car, and walk the dog. Since we have no clue what might have been left in the soil and grass from the stools of other dogs, we never walk our Poms on soils away from home. We don't want them picking up worms of any kind, coccidia, giardia, disease, or parasites such as fleas and ticks. Instead, consider walking your Pom on the pavement, or better yet take a look at the next tip for information regarding the use of ex-pens.

*Exercise pens otherwise known as "ex-pens" come in different heights. For Poms I think the 24" height is sufficient. These pens can set up to become a 2 x 6 or a 4 x 4 configuration. They have 8 panels which are fastened together and are wonderful for their particular purpose. They can be purchased at nearly any pet shop, and store neatly in the trunk of a car, ready to pop out and quickly set up  (* remember, set up on concrete, never on grass) You can set up an ex-pen in under a minute and have it ready to set your Pom safely inside. Put down a bowl of water to allow your dog a drink and stand by while your Pom stretches it's legs and hopefully goes potty!  After your little rest stop, just fold up the pen and pop it back in the trunk. Don't forget to be courteous by picking up and disposing of any poop left by your dog.

 *For long trips you may want to keep a small suitcase packed with the dogs own things such as: grooming tools (brush, comb ect.), a bed, food & water dishes, tooth brush and doggie tooth paste, bottled water, toys, Wee wee pads or newspaper to potty  on in the motel room, a thick shower curtain liner (to cover the carpet in a motel room, then put newspaper on the liner and set the ex-pen on top, bed, food, water dishes and wa-la a home away from home! )

*Remember to schedule regular dental cleanings every year to 18 months depending on tartar build up. I would be sure to have them done at least every 18 months, and no longer in between, because toy dogs tend to lose teeth early, especially if not maintained with regular cleanings. There is a new shot to prevent peridontal disease. It does not prevent tartar build up you can have the vet give

*If you only have a couple of dogs it would be quite manageable to brush their teeth. You can use a soft tiny little toddler toothbrush or wrap a gauze pad around your finger. Apply dog tooth paste and either brush, or rub the gauze pad vigorously over the teeth and gums.  Do not use human tooth paste as this can upset their tummy! Instead use a meat flavored dental paste developed especially for dogs. Remember to start slow, be gentle, and please be patient. 

* It is wise not to use plastic dishes to feed or water your pet. Staph and other bacteria can grow in tiny nicks and pits in the plastic. This can cause a staph infection on your pets face and other illnesses. Stainless steel bowls or ceramic crocks are excellent choices. There are some nice ones that have little stands so your dog doesn't have to bend down so far to eat or drink.

* For those little paws that like to play footsie in the water bowl, dishes with stands a few inches off the floor work well to stop the temptation.

* Pig ears are a flavorful treat my Poms love to chew. Keep track of the pig ears and when you see that your dog has chewed and worked on a piece until an edge has become soft or floppy, take it up and cut the soft area away with a pair of kitchen scissors. Do not use your HAIR trimming scissors! Don't cut anything other than hair with haircutting scissors. Instead purchase a sturdy pair of kitchen utility scissors for other uses.

* Wee wee pads can be purchased from the pet department of Wal-Mart or in any pet supplies store. I personally avoid purchasing ANY products from ANY store that sell dogs as part of their income. This is not the way any reputable breeder would place their dogs. (This would of course exclude shelter placements) If you prefer, you can do as we do and use unprinted newspaper (see How to Live with a boy)

To be continued.....