Traveling with a new puppy in the car comes with its challenges. You need to consider your puppy’s safety by keeping them buckled or crated in the car. You’ll also want to ensure the experience is positive to reduce anxiety around future car rides. Here are a few additional tips for traveling in the car with your dog.

Starting from the very first night, you’ll want your puppy to sleep in their crate. For a first-time puppy owner, it’s very tempting to snuggle up with your puppy in bed. However, crate training is an important part of puppy care that helps your puppy feel comfortable when alone and keeps them safe when they can’t be monitored.

How long a puppy can be left alone is generally based on their age and how often they need to go to the bathroom. During puppyhood, the general rule is that they can be left alone for as many hours as their age in months up until they’re 6 months old. A 2-month-old puppy can be left alone for 2 hours, a 3-month-old puppy for 3 hours and so on. We recommend using a crate to keep your puppy safe when unattended.

Your puppy should have their first veterinary visit when they’re 6 to 8 weeks old, unless they have signs of illness prior to this age. The 8-week puppy veterinary visit is when your puppy will get their first wellness exam, first round of vaccines and dewormers and get started on parasite preventives. Your VCA care team will also provide you with new puppy care tips and ensure you’re prepared for the joys of puppyhood.

The stages of puppyhood begin when your puppy is a newborn and last until they’re an adult, which depends on their expected adult size. Generally, the stages of puppyhood include the neonatal period (birth to 2 weeks), transitional period (2 to 3 weeks), socialization period (3 weeks to 12 to 14 weeks), testing or ranking period (3 to 6 months) and then adolescence (6 to 18 months). These stages will guide how to care for your new pet.