Our Dog Hates Going In The Car

[CoolC]

I'm after some advice from the ACG&S crowd on this.

Harry, our 7 month old cross just hates being in the car.

He goes in a cage in the boot (estate car) but yelps, howls and cries as if he's being tortured the moment we start moving

Following advice, we spend a week feeding him in the car, so he didn't just associate it with travel, we also covered the cage to see if that helps, but to no avail.

All the journeys are short, no more than 20 minutes, drives to the training place, local woods for walks etc.

Is it just a case of keep at it and hope he learns to like/accept it? or are there and old wives tales type tricks to sort this out?

I'm hoping to be able to take him further afield in the summer for nice long walks on the beech or over to the Peak District which would involve much longer drives.

TIA

[xstian]

This might sound daft, but he defiantly dislikes it? A lot of dogs get very excited when they are going in the car, because they know they are going for a walk. This pent up excitement for 20 mins can mean they can make some very strange barking and howling noises.

[Jasandjules]

Does he puke at all? Is he yelping the whole way?

[CoolC]

It doesn't sound like excitement, but he does happily jump in/out himself. It defiantly sounds more like unhappy sounds.

No puking.

[Prof Prolapse]

I see you've already tried positive association with not success. What about trying to increase the value of the treats and doing it before his tea so he's hungry? Also if you're getting stressed, or over fussing him too much, it may make things worse.

They do tend to get better with age but now is still the easiest time to train a dog.

[Fastra]

Jasandjules said:

Does he puke at all? Is he yelping the whole way?

My next door neighbour has a 10 week old Border Collie that is sick numerous times when shes in their car.
They've tried tablets, music, singing to her and all sorts but nothing is making any difference.

Have you any experience?

[Prof Prolapse]

Some people will hate me for this, but if you've tried all the niceties what about a slap on the rump? It may keep it quiet long enough it calms down.

I've never used that for the car, but if my current dog has been irrationally frightened to the point of danger to himself I have skelped him, it's a last resort but it worked for us when my dog would try and lurch into the path of buses.

Then again my "old school" approach to training my dog is often criticised, so some may prefer a howling vomiting dog.

[Petrol Only]

xstian said:

This might sound daft, but he defiantly dislikes it? A lot of dogs get very excited when they are going in the car, because they know they are going for a walk. This pent up excitement for 20 mins can mean they can make some very strange barking and howling noises.

This is my dog. It's like having scooby doo. After walk/visit to friends he just lays down and not a word. Crazy extremely excitable hound.

[Jasandjules]

Fastra said:

My next door neighbour has a 10 week old Border Collie that is sick numerous times when shes in their car.
They've tried tablets, music, singing to her and all sorts but nothing is making any difference.

Have you any experience?

All too much. For one dog, homeopathy cured it. For another dog, the same homeopathy did nothing but essential oils have cured it. For a third, we went through everything including the vet tablets and just suddenly at about 9 months old, she just "grew out of it" and learned to love the car.

[CoolC]

Prof Prolapse said:

I see you've already tried positive association with not success. What about trying to increase the value of the treats and doing it before his tea so he's hungry? Also if you're getting stressed, or over fussing him too much, it may make things worse.

They do tend to get better with age but now is still the easiest time to train a dog.

I certainly try not to get stressed and leave him to it, not always possible, but most times.

Trips out have been at all sorts of times, although thinking about it, it's mostly late morning after he's had his morning fill, so it might be worth a shot letting him go hungry and giving treats of a higher value than the bits I normally have in my pocket.

He is generally a very excitable dog though, wanting to say hello to everyone and every cat or dog he sees. Our trainer has suggested getting him snipped to help calm him down and I wondered if it might also help with this car issue.

[xstian]

Fastra said:

Jasandjules said:

Does he puke at all? Is he yelping the whole way?

My next door neighbour has a 10 week old Border Collie that is sick numerous times when shes in their car.
They've tried tablets, music, singing to her and all sorts but nothing is making any difference.

Have you any experience?

At 10 weeks old, I would say they need to be a bit more patient.

[Spiffing]

Prof Prolapse said:

Some people will hate me for this, but if you've tried all the niceties what about a slap on the rump? It may keep it quiet long enough it calms down.

Yeah, why not add more reasons to be worried of the car.

Have you tried feeding him with the engine running to reinforce the car is a good, fun place to be.
Or is there a treat that you can give him in his cage to distract him on the journey? Maybe a Kong filled with something good so his mind is taken off the car?

Edited by Spiffing on Friday 24th April 11:46

[CoolC]

Spiffing said:

Prof Prolapse said:

Some people will hate me for this, but if you've tried all the niceties what about a slap on the rump? It may keep it quiet long enough it calms down.

Yeah, why not add more reasons to be worried of the car.

It wouldn't really work in my situation either way, as he only yelps when moving, as soon as we stop he stops. He's only associate the slap (not that I want to do that anyway) with stopping the car.

It's like he doesn't like the movement of the car rather than being in the car.

I did try having him up-front with me once in the passenger seat, but even with the window open a crack and me next to him he still yelped.

[Prof Prolapse]

Spiffing said:

Yeah, why not add more reasons to be worried of the car.

I appreciate you don't agree, but it's not duff advice, sometimes it does work.

As the OP says though, it sounds like in this instance it won't.

[Fastra]

xstian said:

Fastra said:

Jasandjules said:

Does he puke at all? Is he yelping the whole way?

My next door neighbour has a 10 week old Border Collie that is sick numerous times when shes in their car.
They've tried tablets, music, singing to her and all sorts but nothing is making any difference.

Have you any experience?

At 10 weeks old, I would say they need to be a bit more patient.

Actually, my mistake, shes probably about 5 months old now.

[elephantstone]

One of our puppies was like this and threw up a couple of times. After a few more trips and a bite of the other one for ruining his journey shes now nice and calm and sits there happily. We didnt make any fuss over her when she was making a fuss as it is a normal part of our lives going in cars.

[Jasandjules]

CoolC said:

No puking.

Drooling? Panting heavily?

[Foliage]

Have you tried him in a seat, with a doggy seat belt? he might not like not being able to see whats going on/where he is going or similar.

[CoolC]

Jasandjules said:

Drooling? Panting heavily?

Not that I notice.

Foliage said:

Have you tried him in a seat, with a doggy seat belt? he might not like not being able to see whats going on/where he is going or similar.

Yep, tried him sat in the front passenger seat, not quite as bad (maybe because he could see me) but still yelping and howling with a very worried look on his face

[Shaw Tarse]

CoolC said:

Yep, tried him sat in the front passenger seat, not quite as bad (maybe because he could see me) but still yelping and howling with a very worried look on his face

It's your driving?