Can I make my dog love car rides?

[JoZ]

I think I may have actually asked this before here. But I couldn’t find it with a search, and I didn’t use any of the tips or hints at the time. Don’t know what came up to distract me from this goal, but I’m thinking about it again.

I have a wonderful farm dog who hates the car. He is a big boy, about 100 pounds, so not easy to deal with when he’s unwilling. As a result, he has only ever gone to the vet. I think his problem is the car though, not the destination, because he is happy and relaxed at the vet once we get there.

When I picked him up as a puppy he had diarrhea all over the car on the way home. Now he doesn’t get physically sick, but does a lot of nervous, uncomfortable mouth smacking like he has nausea. Today I put him in the truck by pretty much picking him up and shoving him in, and then just sat in the driver seat and pet him and told him what a good boy he is. I figured I could do that a few more times, and then try sitting there with the engine running.

Please let me know your suggestions. First of all, would you continue to push him in, or try to entice him in with treats? I’m leery of the treats in anticipation of actually driving somewhere with him, because I don’t want them to come right back up. And secondly, are anti-carsickness meds effective, and if so should I get them before I even start the engine, or reserve them for an actual trip? This is my second car-hating dog, and also my second dog. I am jealous of folks whose dogs come running and hop in the car, eager for an adventure. Do you think I could get there?

Here is my adorable boy looking miserable.

[jetsmom]

You are on the right path. Get in, treats, get out. Get in, turn car on, treats, get out. Get in, turn car on, drive to end of street (just a short distance…like one block), treats, walk dog and get back in car, drive home, treats, get out. Then drive somewhere further/fun (drive thru for a hamburger that you give him at the drive thru?/place you can hike?/dog park (if you normally go)?), treats, then home.

Repeat each step until he no longer displays drooling. Dramamine does work. Part of the problem is that nerves make them nauseous and they feel awful. So the next time they get in, they get more nervous. So it’s really important that you take your time going through each step, and quitting BEFORE they get drooling. By then, they are feeling sick. So repeat each step as often as you need to, for them to feel comfortable with it.

[kimkatsooo]

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy! any time around or in the car!

Oh what fun this is while over treating him the BEST treat ever!

Look we are heading to the car! TREAT PARTY with happy voice!

Look we are at the car! TREAT PARTY!

Look we are in the car! TREAT PARTY!

so and so forth. Your body language and tone of voice will help the most. It will take time and he may never be joyful about the car but hopefully he will not be so sad.

That face is so cute! Makes you want to kiss him and make it all better.

Kim

[S1969]

[QUOTE=JoZ;7964879]
I am jealous of folks whose dogs come running and hop in the car, eager for an adventure. Do you think I could get there?[/QUOTE]

From his perspective - it’s never an adventure, it’s just scary. (The Vet).

So, you’ll have to think about how to change that first – where can you take him that would be a fun adventure (for him?)

I agree that training him to get IN the car will help, whether he likes it or not. Treat, clicker, whatever - in the driveway - so that when you want to get him in, you can.

But, maybe just drive him to the other side of your farm? To some place he knows and is fun? Like a pond, stream, etc.? Then back to the driveway.

I don’t think you can convince a dog that the car is FUN unless it takes him to more fun places than not. My dogs LOVE to get in the car, because it might mean going to our camp, or to train on birds, or to my parents house…but, it might also mean dog show, vet, or something else. The fun trips have to outnumber the non-fun ones, or it won’t work.

That’s tough to do, but it’s possible.

[clint]

The best dog I ever had never liked the car. We took him fun places, like friends with lakes so he could swim, and horse shows, but we finally gave up because I think the motion of the car always made him queasy. He would steam up the windows with his panting. Because he was the best dog ever, that was a minor issue, and he went with me everywhere that didn’t involve a drive.

[Foxtrot_s]

We had a thread on this and the consensus was that pretty well all dogs can become used to car rides, given time.

[Bicoastal]

First, work on this way before you have to drive him anywhere. Second, observe when/where the anxiety starts. Is it with the leash? On the driveway? Then back up one step from there and start treating. Work up to feeding him his dinner in the car every night for a week.

You aren’t going to worry about his upchucking those treats because he isn’t going for a car ride.

Report back, and we COTHers can brainstorm next steps for when your pup is ready for his new first tires-are-turning ride.

[VelvetsAB]

I’ve done all of these suggestions with my Aussie Shepherd, but she still doesn’t truly enjoy car rides. I put it on the day I brought her home, which was a two hour ride, and she got sick multiple times.

She will jump into the car on her own now (off leash), but never is OMG WE ARE GOING SOMEWHERE!!! She pants and shakes. Sometimes she will lay down and appear more relaxed then others. Summer time rides seem to be better when the window can be open, so she can stick her head out at slower speeds.

Children’s Gravol doesn’t seem to do the trick much either…

[TrueColours]

I have a little dog that hates and despises car rides. When we first got her as a 12 week old pup, she started going with me everywhere and loved it. Truck rides ended in parks, running around and playing, sharing a burger or sandwich I bought (she got the meat and cheese and I got the lettuce and bun …), playing with other dogs. All fun stuff. And then one day she went into the truck as normal (maybe 3-4 months later) and before we hit the end of the driveway she was panting and shaking and crying like crazy. I was the only one that had taken her for rides and I KNOW nothing bad had ever happened to her. Its like someone threw the switch on that particular day. I tried taking her with me for the next month or so and it was the same - about 1 - 1 1/2hours of crying, shaking and panting and then she’d settle but not be happy. Same procedure - we’d stop and she’d run around and play and share lunch with me, then back into the truck we’d go and sometimes she’d continue on crying and sometimes she’d be okay on the drive home

She loves going for rides in the Gator and in the tractor. She could stay in both all day long as happy as a clam. We’ve tried the car instead of the truck - the same. We tried taking her with us to visit friends and having her on someone’s lap the whole way - same again. We tried opening windows, elevating her up so she could see out of the side window and the front window - same again. Back seat - the same

She is happiest staying at home, upstairs, on her chaise, looking out the window. She stays there 99% of her day watching the world go by unless we are inside. That’s “her” spot and she’s happy there

We’ve accepted that for whatever reason she doesn’t like car rides and never will and there is no point torturing her by making her go, so friends come by to let her out if we are out for the day, and if we go away for a week or weekend, the farm sitter stays in the house and all remains the same for her

We’d love to take her with us - we are planning on renting a motorhome this summer or next and hopefully she will love going travelling in that. Only time will tell I guess …

[enjoytheride]

My childhood dog used to hate car rides because all she did was go to the vet. She’d hide under the bed and have to be drug out kicking and screaming. I got the bright idea to make car rides fun so we would literally put her in the car and drive two blocks to the park every single day. After a few weeks you couldn’t keep that dog out of the car.

[weixiao]

Does he have a friend that likes the car?

My puppy was scared of the car when I first got her, and is still learning to like it (I haven’t been practicing much lately), but my other dog LOVES the car and jumps in and out happily. It helped her a lot to go with him a couple of times. Not being alone in the back seat was reassuring to her, I think, and him happily going in and out was positive for her as well and she sort of figured out that it was okay and not scary. They are both smaller though, he’s 35 lbs and she’s 25lbs, and I have an SUV, so there is lots of room and it is easy. Might be harder with a big guy though.

[betsyk]

Does he get carsick? try driving your car like you would drive your truck and horse trailer - slowly accelerate, slowly turn and stop. Does it matter if he’s in the front or back seat, or in the way-back? If you put him in the back of an SUV, ride there yourself sometime and see if it’s too hot/too cold or smelly from exhaust.