Car Travel With Your Dog

Today I’m going to show you how to build your dog’s confidence with car travel

many dogs find being in a moving car stressful they can show this in a number of ways including barking whining heavy panting vomiting or even refusing to get into the car in the first place the way to overcome this is to help your dog create a positive association with the car remember that as well as being comfortable in the car dogs must also be secured to prevent them distracting the driver or posing any risks using a well-fitting car harness a boot guard or a crate can help keep you and your dog safe while driving step one create a comfortable and familiar environment if your dog is happy to get into the car put a familiar dog bed and some blankets inside so they have a soft cozy space they recognize this can help them feel more secure and also reduce the likelihood of them losing their balance when the car is moving if your dog is crate trained a secured crate can also be a familiar and safe space for them in the car when travelling step two get your dog used to the car if your dog is nervous around the car itself then find some time when you don’t need to take them anywhere and get them used to being around the vehicle with the engine off and all the doors shut walk your dog around the car at a distance they feel comfortable with don’t try to force them closer to the car instead allow them to make their own decision to investigate it when and if they feel comfortable reward them with a toy a treat or some praise any time they calmly look at the car move towards it or even sniff it keep your sessions short initially only doing a couple of laps around the car before taking a break continue these steps a few different times until your dog is comfortable walking near the car when your dog is completely comfortable and relaxed around the outside of the car you can move on to the next step step 3 introduce the inside of the car this time before you take your dog out to the car open the door or the boot wherever you’d eventually like your dog to feel comfortable put some of their blankets inside keeping the engine switched off now it’s time to walk them round the outside of the car again and reward them whenever they move to an open door or start to investigate once your dog is relaxed around the open door approach it and place a treat just inside so that your dog can still see the treat but doesn’t have to get into the car to get it when your dog is comfortable taking treats from here gradually move the treat further into the car so that eventually your dog has to climb into the car to get the treat if they’re hesitant and don’t want to get in then go back a step and build up you can also try getting into the car yourself to see if your dog feels more comfortable following you in once your dog is happy to hop in and out of the car you can build up the time they’re in there during your sessions to do this find some time to sit in the car with them and give them a long lasting treat like a chew or a kong this will build up a positive association with the car as they get to enjoy a treat and also spend time with you when your dog is relaxed being inside the car you can move on to the next step step 4 close the door the next step is to try shutting the door while your dog is in the car first encourage your dog into the car and give them a treat to settle them calmly close the door and then open it again after a few seconds so they have the option to get out if they’re already relaxed during this step you can repeat this a few times gradually leaving the doors shut for a few seconds longer if they’re worried by the door being shut repeat this step but only shut the door partly to begin with gradually build up to shutting the door completely making sure they always have a tasty treat to occupy themselves once they’re confident being in the car with the doors shut you can introduce the engine noise with your dog inside the car treat ready and the door closed have someone turn the engine on and keep it running for a few seconds turn it off and let your dog out of the car repeat this step a few times making sure they still have something to occupy themselves and letting the engine run for a few seconds longer each time keep an eye out for excessive barking panting or other signs of stress and only keep practising if your dog is completely happy once your dog is familiar with the sound of the engine and isn’t stressed by it you can start to go for short drives keep the drives very short initially we would recommend going down the street and back again making sure that it’s a slow and smooth journey start with lots of shorter journeys before gradually increasing the distance you travel when you’re able to build up the length of the journeys make sure that your first real trips are to take your dog for nice walks and fun activities nearby this will build a positive association between getting in the car and going to fun places those are our tips on how to build your dog’s confidence with car travel if 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