Dog co-pilot help.

[dcmdon]

Sounds like a solid idea. She is crate trained. I’ll ge one and do that along with the shirts and positive reinforcement. Thank you. All great ideas with some I hadn’t tried.

Nas4A also had a great point. Make the short trips to place he loves. If he loves hiking or walking in the woods, bring him there. So the unpleasant car ride is (at least initially) always something he associates with fun.

If you look at the picture of my current dog. (Not the goofy shot of my GSP with my daughter) There is an Orvis bird vest in the car. He sees that and he knows he's going hunting. Hunting and hiking are his favorite things in the world. He had been sitting in the car waiting to leave for 45 minutes at that point. The e-collar in the crate with him, he brought up into the crate. To him the e-collar means hunting or hiking.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

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[Summitsearcher]

Nas4A also had a great point. Make the short trips to place he loves. If he loves hiking or walking in the woods, bring him there. So the unpleasant car ride is (at least initially) always something he associates with fun.

If you look at the picture of my current dog. (Not the goofy shot of my GSP with my daughter) There is an Orvis bird vest in the car. He sees that and he knows he's going hunting. Hunting and hiking are his favorite things in the world. He had been sitting in the car waiting to leave for 45 minutes at that point. The e-collar in the crate with him, he brought up into the crate. To him the e-collar means hunting or hiking.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

Will do.

 

[Trickster]

Similar to what DocMike said, try throwing a worn t-shirt or shirt on the seat. Something that smells like you. The key is that it smells like you.
An old hunting trick when a dog gets lost is to leave your shirt laying on the ground where you parked. Come back before sun up the next morning to find your dog laying on your shirt/jacket etc..
That and spending time in the truck for nothing, like reading the paper or whatever; get the dog used to just being there. Then try putting the dog in the truck and working around it where she can see you. The key is to gradually create more distance.

@Trickster is that a GSP/Springer mix? We have GSP's.

(not altered, she is just perfectly out of focus)

Purebred English Springer Spaniel. Pic is at about 1 year old after getting fixed, hence the shaved belly.

 

[Jems007]

Vets typically prescribe trazadone to dogs who have vehicle anxiety.

 

[Dark_Iron_Mojave]

I didn't read through all the posts, but basically exactly what Jeepin48 said. Desensitization takes repetition, but you have to start easy. Be at home, work in the garage, yard, whatever, just have the pup in the car with you not really paying attention. Slowly work into doing more and more. Eventually close the door with the window down, run back into the house and go to the bathroom, etc. Depending on the dog, it may not be easy. May take a few weeks, or it may never take at all. But slow immersion is generally the best, non-medication, route once the regular self-service options that you've already tried don't work.

Good luck. Canine co-pilots are the best!

 

[Free2roam]

I had a half Walker and half Blue tick hound. Used to get anxious all the time because he always thought we were going out to chase something. So camping trips I resorted to using Dramamine. Worked like a charm. Calmed him down he took naps and when we got there he had fun.

 

[Summitsearcher]

Vets typically prescribe trazadone to dogs who have vehicle anxiety.

I’ll check that out as last resort. Thank you

 

[Sportsbiz]

Basically echoing what’s been said. I got my dog when he was 4 months old, and at the time he was reluctant to get into any vehicle. Started using treats, and going to destinations that were fun for him (parks, hiking trails, etc.). As we started doing longer road trips, I saw that he would get restless, so I brought along a chew toy, and now when we go on multi day overlanding trips, I bring his crate bed to use in the backseat. Took a couple months, but now he loves it, and will pull toward the rig anytime he sees it.

 

[Jems007]

I’ll check that out as last resort. Thank you

Also to add, it’s not something they need to take all the time, just before a trip. Not a bad thing to have on hand for long drives so they aren’t miserable.

 

[Summitsearcher]

Also to add, it’s not something they need to take all the time, just before a trip. Not a bad thing to have on hand for long drives so they aren’t miserable.

Agreed

 

[Cape taco12]

My dog had some unpleasantness in the car and he wanted to be close to us in the front and was not comfortable in the back seat. Seemed him being off balance or on a narrow seat bothered him. He did not like the hammock.

What helped immensely was to build a little stool and toss his bed on it. I did 2 pieces so I can have a rear passenger sometimes with the dog. then wrapped edges in foam and covered them in marine carpet. Then I put a normal dog bed over it. Then he had room to sprawl and could put his nose on the seat back or divider. no issues spinning or moving around.

then I started driving him to a walk everyday. Now he’s fine, he barks for about 30 seconds if we leave him in the car to go in a store then goes to sleep.

No pic of the bed on top as my wife has that in her car at the moment.

Edit: I also use a strap and walking harness when the top and front doors are off. It prevents him from jumping over the seats, not that he tries.

 

[Cape taco12]

And of course pre platform in both cars. We had to deal with this behavior often when moving. Then he would get stuck and whine or get over and try to get next to you.

 

[SquirrelNuts]

I don't have any new tactics to share, more so just some words of encouragement. Our dog is a lab/mix that had major vehicle anxiety. Drooling, whining, shedding, and best of all... puking. Puking every drive - sometimes multiple times. Didn't matter if she was on a seat, on the floor, in her crate... she wouldn't eat treats, didn't care about her toys... she hated it all. Puddles of drool and then puke nearly every drive since we brought her home at 8 weeks old.

Just as many have mentioned, repetition with frequent short drives that result in a fun destination for your dog and lots of praise. Our dog just turned ONE last week and it was also the first time she jumped into our vehicle on her own because she wanted to come with me for a drive.

Hang in there! It took our dog a full year of working with her and cleaning up puke, but now she's drool/puke free and just started happily jumping in the vehicle on her own.

 

[DocMike]

Trying out his new harness. Don't want goofball jumping out of the open jeep.

 

[DieselInk]

I have a Great Pyrenes that has major issues with thunder, interestingly not afraid of it but rather ready to attack and protect us from 'it'. I tried lots of things but accidently found that when I put his walking leash and on him inside the house, he calms down by a factor of 10. I don't actually have to do anything with the lease, just have it on him.
Good Luck
PS My GP still drools and can really sling the slobber when he shakes his head , but I love him still as I know to get to me or my wife the bad guy will have to first go through his 140 lbs of teeth and fury.

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