Game: Have A Trucker Pet? Pics Please

Had a pet fly for a short time. Opened the window and it escaped. We'd only been together for a short time but miss the little one. *sigh*

My Trucker Pet is an on/off relationship with our family dog "Trixie." I got this dog from my hometown animal shelter. Originally she was to be my youngest daughter Abigail's pet. Abigail grew up and married some young fellow from Colorado, leaving Trixie with my wife and I.

My wife enjoys having Trixie around, but at this point in our lives she also enjoys traveling around visiting our children and grandchildren. Trixie rides with me when my wife is on the road. Since Abigail recently gave birth to our fourth grandchild, my wife is with her, and Trixie is with me. She loves it! She always goes into a week of depression if I leave home without her, but for the last month or so she's been living large in the truck with me.

She's developed some funny habits. If I am backing up under a trailer she stands alert in the passenger seat, barking, and staring intently at me. She doesn't do this when backing into a parking spot. She has come to recognize the steps or procedures I take and knows when I've dropped a trailer and am hooking to another. Once I've bumped the pin on the trailer her barking goes crazy and she's all excited. It's as if she's saying, "You dumb idiot, you just hit something! I've been trying to warn you to pay attention - why don't you ever listen to me?"

She also has a way of looking at me where she lays her head down between her front feet, raises her eyebrows, and rolls her eyes upward. That look means, "Hey man, I need to pee! I know we've got a tight schedule, but my bladder is going to bust wide open if you don't stop and give me some relief!"

She takes riding with me very seriously. She's convinced she has duty's and responsibilities out here. One of those is making sure the truck parking lot is cleared of any chicken bones that lazy truck drivers have tossed out onto the ground. She prefers we stop at truck stops with a Chester's Chicken or Popeye's on the premises. We have a total disagreement on how our walks are to be conducted. I'm wanting to move quickly and get my heart rate up, she wants to go in between each truck cleaning up the food scraps on the parking lot!

She's a lot of fun, and definitely enjoys life on the road as much as I do, but for very different reasons.

Old School, that was hilarious!

I've had my German Shepherd for years now and he knows every nuance of my life. He can tell exactly what's coming by the order I do things, the clothing I put on, and many other clues.

The thing with Shepherds is that they're herding animals. In order to move a herd, you circle them into a tight pack and then push them where you want them to go. Well, that's what he does to me too. Whenever he wants something, whether it be a snack, a full meal, to be let outside, take a walk in the woods or a ride in the truck, he circles me and then pushes me in that direction.

Sometimes I'll purposely walk the wrong way simply because it's so funny to watch him "work" me toward the destination. I'll go in the wrong direction and he'll stop and look at me for a moment, then he'll come over to me and circle me again, then get behind me, and push me back toward the proper destination. It's hysterical!

Brett, just a few years ago I had to put down one of my favorite dogs, "Cricket." She was in the final stages of cancer, and was suffering.

She was a herding breed. She got her name when as a young pup I heard her out on the porch barking and moving around quite a bit in a small area. I stepped out to see what was going on and she had four or five crickets she had "herded" together in a group. Everytime one of them would try to make his escape she'd get him back in line by blocking his escape and barking. Those herding breeds are really intelligent animals, and make great companions.

Old School,

We have a total disagreement on how our walks are to be conducted. I'm wanting to move quickly and get my heart rate up, she wants to go in between each truck cleaning up the food scraps on the parking lot!

I have a 70lb Australian Shepherd/Heeler mix and have the same problem. I always have to tell her "we are going for a walk, not a sniff!" :)

Ralph, I completely understand.

I always tell my dog, "This is not a hunting expedition. You've been fed well."

It makes no difference though. I've finally decided that a dog is just gonna act like a dog.

I love these dog threads. Always fascinated by trucker dog tales. (pun intended). When I was on the road, I missed my dog, Moocho Poocho, terribly. But he weighs 105 pounds and my company had a no dog policy anyway. He's 11 or 12 years old, so who knows how long he'll last. It'll be hard to get over it when it happens. I completely understand the connection between drivers and their pets.

she had four or five crickets she had "herded" together in a group. Every time one of them would try to make his escape she'd get him back in line by blocking his escape and barking

That's fantastic!

My ma said they had a Collie when she was young and every time there was a family gathering the dog would herd all the kids into a tiny group and wouldn't let any of them leave! The adults, as you would expect, thought it was hysterical to the point of tears!

she had four or five crickets she had "herded" together in a group. Every time one of them would try to make his escape she'd get him back in line by blocking his escape and barking

That's fantastic!

My ma said they had a Collie when she was young and every time there was a family gathering the dog would herd all the kids into a tiny group and wouldn't let any of them leave! The adults, as you would expect, thought it was hysterical to the point of tears!

All good stuff. Thanks everyone for sharing. Miss my babies!

For those of you not sure how to get your dog into the truck, I came across this sometime back and took a screenshot. Looks like it folds up and stows away easily. No clue where to get it.