Makana does roadside tricks - makes her nose disappear

Look i can make my nose disappear...

Makana in Kansas - the Blue Star Memorial Highway.

See watch this

See told u!

Yup I thought i loved car rides but now i know what road-trip punchy means.

I (Makana) slept through most of Tennessee (sorry Uncle Alan & Aunt Tina)! Will try to get pics in front of 'state' signs but it's not that ez only at rest stops. -makana

Makana One of the American Heroes

Where's Makana? Checking out Superman in Metropolis, Illinois.

Makana Superdog

Pawed by makana

We stopped in Metropolis, illinois, home of Superman & Wonder Woman.

Mom thought i would find this amusing.

Makana looks depressed

Pawed by: Makana

Everytime i see bags, luggage, people moving, makes me anxious and then i get sad as i think they're leaving me again.

Mom & Dad: hey makana you get to come this time.

Makana: really? Am i going to stay with Aunty Janey? I love staying with Aunty Janry when u people travel.

Mom & Dad: that would be a much farther trip then where we're going. (aunt janey lives in Hawaii) Makana you get to go with us! 

(Makana has no clue)

Makana is ready to roll - HI

Pawed by: makana

'HI' (sticker) is home where I was born. The car is packed with my stuff, let's roll mom @ dad, hurry up!

How this dog travels by car

Pawed by: makana

Mom couldn't get my round bed in the car and still have enuf space since we got this little hamster car a few months ago. So i have the whole back seat to myself and i have the 'sling' that protects me from falling between the seats and floor. On top of the seat mom placed my eggcrate bed wedged between the front and back seats so i feel safe, snug and comfy.

I even have my bags & snacks within easy paws reach ;)

Makana's Travel Playpen - a review

Makana Reviews Her New Pet Playpen

Pawed by: Makana's Mom

Here's a quick video review of my new travel pen, instead of staying in a crate when my mom and dad go out, I got this cool new puppy pet playpen that folds up easily and goes with us in the car. I love it, especially since mom got me adjusted to it by throwing pieces of my favorite jerky treats in it. It fits my bed, a pad, and my bowls for food and water.

Go ahead, put your paws on the arrow, click it and watch it!

If you want your own pet playpen, you can click on the Amazon link below.

Have dog will carry, dog carriers finding the right one

Animal Free Zones?

killiebraeamos via wp

Pawed by: Makana's Mom

Okay, so this isn't a picture of Makana, but she liked the pic. Now you might think there's a reason that animals aren't allowed in certain areas. I agree. I look for signs and if there's no sign I proceed with caution. There are obvious places that say, "no pets allowed". I'm working with the idea that there are places that don't post such signs and I don't want someone to make up a rule just as I walk in with my pet. So for this reason, I'm looking for a bag (pet carrier) or bags that I can bring Makana into a facility, rest stop etc. so that I can do my bizness and she does hers outside so there's no reason to be concerned.

I know there are places that just won't allow pets. We're driving and the hotel is pet friendly, I'm just trying to think through the other challenges of traveling with her. Since others travel with their pets, I'll be doing research on where to go and what to do before we hit the road. I know rest stops have places for dogs to go but some may not allow pets in the restroom area, that won't be good because I can't leave her in the car. So both drivers can't go at the same time. That's why it's better to drive during the cooler times of the year but we don't have this option for this trip so we'll figure it out.

I'm sure that once we're out there, we'll have some close calls but I'm hoping that because she travels well, is quiet when she sees people or other pets, she'll be fine. Actually because of her age she's lost some of her hearing so she probably lives in a less stressed world. In addition, she only barks at people when they enter our home. When I take her on walks she ignores other people and walks faster if there's a dog that is barking at her. She's like her mom in that way, just keep walking and don't talk to any strangers. :)

Sherpa Tote Pet Carrier

Today, I got the first of two bags that I ordered online. We have other bags when we had Nala but she was barely 4 lbs and she fit into almost any bag. Makana barely fits in the largest bag that we used for Nala so I needed to find her something that was inconspicuous and comfortable but not doggie-gaudy.

It had to look like a bag that I would carry and one that didn't look like a dog was in it. Since I already had a bag that was 16", I measured the length, height and width and measured Makana lying down, sitting and standing. The 16 inch bag that I already had was narrow at the top and not as wide so I knew she needed a few more inches in every way. This is a large, the medium could probably fit her but since I'm 5'7" this bag didn't look off scale for me and Makana seems to like it.

This bag, see pic, is black with all mesh on one side for ventilation, which is great but if you look closely you can see Makana in there as she is primarily white with black spots. I found a suggestion on a forum on how to deal with the "see through" mesh. (read more below).

Makana sitting down in the bag, mesh side, goes against your body..

Makana still in the bag, this is the other side.

Only been 1-day and Makana seems to know the bag means she gets to go places!!
She actually looks happy and doesn't run away from this bag. 

  In addition, I saved ten bucks by buying one that was "like new" which was probably a return, it came straight from Amazon. You can't return the bag if you put your pet in it so someone must have returned it and I got the deal! Plus I signed up for the free 30 day trial of Amazon Prime and got free 2-day shipping. Nothing I like more than saving bucks!

Anyway, when I get the second one I'll make a post on that and as we start using it I'll write my thoughts on how it works out. so far this black Sherpa Tote is comfortable for Makana, it's 18" long and when she lays down it's big enough. The 16" bag we already had was too snug and not tall enough. In this large Sherpa, Makana even turned about in it while I had her on my shoulder. The floor seems secure for her to stand and doesn't sag down. While I have the bag against my body (the mesh side) I looked at my reflection while waiting for a sandwich at a gas station and you can't see anything unless you look at the bag directly from the other end and only if Makana moved did you notice there was something in the bag.


Possible solution for the see through mesh:

Considering this, I will get a light weight silk scarf as recommended on a forum to drape over the front and back parts of the bag so it distracts from her white hair that shows through the black mesh. Something like this would look nice, it has to be long so that the I can tie it to the mesh side handle and drape it on the sides; but I don't think I have enough time to wait for it by mail so I'll go to Kohl's or something.

Makana: Experienced Pup-traveler

Read the About Makana pageFor Makana's stats and history                                                                    

Pawed by: Makana's Mom

Makana Ages

We're at less than a week before the big trip and Makana knows something is up. Seems that when she sees bags, boxes and lots of movement she gets a bit nervous. Although she's no longer a pup, she will be referred to here as many things including, pooch, doggie, 'you people', etc. She's almost 14 years's old, that's 14 x 7 = 98 in human years?!! Well, as she ages she seems to NOT like changes or doesn't adapt as well as she used to when she was younger. When we lived in Hawaii she was accustomed to visiting other people's homes and riding in the car at least once a week. Now, there's no one to visit that will welcome pets so she doesn't go riding much.

Makana's past mainland miles vs Hawaii Miles

Makana has been on at least two road trips that we can remember; one from FL to North Carolina, along with her sister and sleeping at rest stops until we got in the hotel, she and Nala did great. No one got sick in the car and they were fine as long as they were with mommy. Another trip was from Orlando to St. Petersburg about three hours, not as far but again no problems.

Sometimes I'll just put her in the car and drive around the neighborhood so she can go riding, or just to pick someone up for a short ride.

Here's a pic of her in a kid's booster chair after 'da kid' left the car. It was funny that Makana just hopped into the chair and loved sitting in it.
So now it's been a few years from a long trip and we're trying to get her used to being in the car for an extended period, going in a carry bag to go into rest stops and stores has taken some time to find the right sneak bag for size, comfort and be incognito.

By the way, here's a funny pic of Makana's sister Nala. She was barely 4 lbs and was fine with going in her bag but wanted to stick her head out when she was strapped to the seat, don't worry she wasn't squished the bag was very rigid and she felt safe inside.

Planning what to bring

Bringing your pooch along for a long road trip is almost as much work as bringing your kids! Planning is key, not just finding the right hotel that will accept pets but what do you do when you have to go to rest stops, stores or restaurants. At least I'm not traveling by myself, someone else can stay in the car with her and it's summer so there's no leaving her in the car. I'll be posting about carrier bags that I got for this trip that fit Makana and write a review of how 'we' like it.


I'll be posting a list of all the things we'll be bringing on the trip. Some of the things are coming in the mail so I'll post those items as we get them in and test them before we leave and while we're on the trip.

Makana helps her mom get an upper body work out

In this episode, Makana goes for a walk/carry exercise with her mom after they visit a local farmer's market. Makana has a little arthritis in her knees so mom gets a upper body work out.