Made it to Nebraska. We're Both Tired.

We're in Kearney, Nebraska. I think this is day three? The days are starting to blur together into one long stretch of highway. We're both so tired. The good news is Austin is doing surprisingly great in the hotels. The second we get the door open he goes in, does a full sniff of the entire room, and then just collapses on the floor or on his travel bed. I was worried he'd be too stressed to settle but he seems to understand that hotel room = done with car for the day. Which is a huge relief.

We've got a little system going now. Wake up early, go for a really long walk to get some energy out. Then back to the room for his breakfast. After he eats I give him his Trazodone and Cerenia, and then we wait about an hour while I pack up the car and get everything ready to go. That last part is still the worst. He knows whats coming. The deadweight thing is still happening every morning. Its maybe a little less intense than the first day, but he still makes it clear he is not a fan of this plan. The car hammock is definitely working better than a crate would have though, at least I dont have to try and shove him into a box.

The Drive Today

Once he's in the car he settles down faster now. There's less frantic panting, he just kind of sighs and finds a spot to lie down. He still drools a ton but he's not actively freaking out. The Trazodone seems to be the right call, it just takes the edge off his panic so he can tolerate it. He's not like, a zombie. He's still aware of things, he'll lift his head up when we slow down or if he hears a weird noise, but he's not in full-blown panic mode which is all I can ask for.

I've been using the BringFido app to find places to stop. We found a decent dog park today somewhere in Wyoming and it was so good to see him get out and just run for a little bit. He actually seemed happy. He stretched his legs and sniffed everything and just got to be a normal dog for twenty minutes. It was cold and so windy but totally worth it. Getting him back in the car afterwards was the usual struggle but he seemed a little better for the rest of the drive.

So yeah. We're exhausted. I feel like I've been driving for a week straight. But it's going okay. It's not a disaster. He's being such a good boy even though I know he hates every minute in the car. We're past the halfway point now which feels like a huge milestone. Just have to keep doing what we're doing.