goldee

A laundry basket with big sides! I picked up Sofia from the airport by myself and having spent 8ish hours in her crate from her big flight over from Qld the last thing she wanted to do was sleep and stay in her basket!!

I drove the 10 mins to my mum's place with her on my lap and changing gears/steered with the other hand, naughty me.

Oh thats handy tip! Laundry baskets are cheap, so will find one with big sides! the only transporting i'll be doing is from airport and taking her to the vets and one other house. But the nice plastic crates are so expensive (one that is meant to fit her fully grown is $240!). Its a lot for the amount of times i'd acutally use it! and i'd have so much trouble fitting it in my car! - only 2 doors!!

When I picked my GSD boy up from the airport ... I had brought a medium size crate secured in the back of the car (as that was the largest crate that would fit in my car) all ready and waiting for him. I had a large crate all set up and waiting for him at home.

I did have my mother with me but having the crate just made it much easier .... particularly when he stunk big time

He out grew the medium crate in a couple of months and progressed to a harness in the car. He is also now in an XXLarge but crate training had made life so much easier.

I've seen the harnesses - they clip into his colar and then just buckle into the seat belt part of the car right? I'll get one when she's bigger and trained!

Aww, i hope she wont be all stinky!!

Take a camera because you will never believe your dog was that small once its grown up!

We live less then 20mins from the airport so we just took a lead and collar.

Hahaha! I'll always be having my camera with me when she's around now!

I took so many photos of my last dog but i only have about 6 photos of her as a pup and she was so tiny! I dont remember her that young or small so with this puppy, im certainly going to be snapping away!!

Thankfully the drive home your on one road the entire way, just keep driving straight on! so that makes it easier than having to make a bunch of turns etc.

Do you have a plastic washing basket or a fairly high-sided cardboard box? Put some bedding in it and put it on the passenger front floor well of your car with the puppy in it. That will suffice for the trip home if the crate is a hired one (which they generally are).

Take a towel to the airport in case there is any cleaning up that needs to be done.

A collar and lead.

A bowl and some water.

Some newspaper in case of accidents.

Also take scissors - the crate my puppy was in had a cable tie securing the door and I had nothing on me to cut it open and the poor puppy wanted out fast! I ended up using my teeth!

Agree with water and a collar and lead or a slip lead.

Maybe some wet wipes too in case there has been an accident in the crate.

Woohoo, it's so exciting meeting a new puppy for the first time!

Thank you to both of you! Great idea! I'll make sure i have all of that with me just incase!

I just got some more photos of her and she is getting big, but looks so adorable!

Crates are very handy, Goldee. You might like to buy one.

Yep i am going to - but a wire crate (have another post on that). I wont be transporting her that much. Plus i have a small car. I am hoping to crate train her.

Goldee,

You won't be able to take the crate home as it'll probably be hired. Your best bet would be to buy your ow, that way when you take pup places it can be safely contained. You'll then be able to settle her into to the crate and she won't be able to get up to any trouble on the way home, she'll probably sleep it off.. our boy did. He wiggled for 15 mins then he just curled up on the floor and went to sleep! OH was driving so Bundy snoozed in the footwell at my feet (he didn't want to stay on my lap)

Ahh going through all his baby photos makes me wish he was that small again!

How long would a crate last? I wouldn't be able to fit a big one in my car. Im going to purchase a wire crate for her 'bed' and crate train her. Ive seen the plastic crates but they are ever so expensive and would only last for a certain amount of time before she gets bigger.

It depends if the breeder has bought the crate to send the pup or if they are just hiring it for the flight. Very exciting for you!

Ahh, i would think hired. The flight is being booked 1 week prior to her coming. So i might be able to find out who its through and ring them to see if i can hire a crate for the trip home. dont want her hurting herself on the ride home!

yeah can't wait!!

My new pupy is being flown in from another state. Just wondering if anybody has had to pick up their new puppy from the airport and how it all works?

I assume it will be flying over in a crate. Are you able to use that crate to transport her home or do you need your own?

Someone was coming with me to pick her up, but they can't now - and everybody else is at work (its during the week), so i have to go up their alone to pick her up and drive home with her. Whats the best way to do that?

thanks.

Thanks for the replies.

I had found some other sites on the internet of Golden owners and a few said the 42" was too big and the 36" is fine.

I might have ot see if a pet store has them to see them in person but buy online as they were 3 times the price in the shops!

When its older, it may sleep outside in a kennel. Have to see how it goes really, but very unliekly that i'll keep her in the crate to sleep when she is fully grown.

More than anything, its just the size of the crate! they seem so massive! Its hard to find a place to put it!

Hi,

Im new here. In a few weeks i am getting my first Golden Retriever! I have read a lot about Crate Training and am going to do that. I am having a bit of trouble selecting a crate. I found a place that sells them, half the price of stores!

They have:

Extra Large Crate - Length 110cm / Width 70cm / Height 80cm (42")

Large Crate - Length 90cm / Width 60cm / Height 65cm (36")

Medium Crate - Length 75cm Width 50cm / Height 57cm (30")

It says a Golden Retriever will fit in the extra large. Price is good. But when measuring the crate, it seems HUGE! My main aim is to house train it etc etc.

If you crate train, do you have to stick with it for the rest of its life or can you allow it to sleep on a dog bed (either those raised ones, or a soft cushiony bed)?

Is it better to go with the Extra Large? or can i get away with a smaller one? Price isn't an issue. they also sell dividers, so it will be made smaller when its a pup.

Thanks for any advice.