Calming a Hyper Dog in the Car

Your dog should associate the car with a fun trip.

Driving can be stressful enough, but if you have a high-strung dog pacing from side to side in the backseat, or — heaven forbid — hiding under your seat or crawling around under your pedals, you have a real safety hazard on your hands. Unless a pup is well-socialized for car rides, even a brief trip can be an anxiety-filled experience. Keeping a hyper dog calm in the car takes patience, some common sense and desensitization, but the reward of being able to travel with your pet is worth it.

Secure the Dog

A dog who is hyper or anxious should never ride unrestrained in the car. Place your dog in a crate secured by the seat belts in the car, or fasten her into a crash-test certified dog restraint harness. Dogs are den animals; they often feel most secure enclosed inside a crate. Resting comfortably in her bed inside a crate that is covered with a towel may be just the thing to alleviate her anxiety. Lisa Peterson of The American Kennel Club advises to place the crate in the middle seat and row of the car — as opposed to the very back of an SUV — and have the dog facing forward to expose her to less movement and minimize motion sickness.

Desensitization

This approach will take time and dedication on your part, but can go a long way with pets who are afraid, uncomfortable or anxious in the car. Start by putting the dog in the car with you for several minutes each day; you don’t even have to turn the car on or drive away. Sit quietly and calmly with the dog, stroking her coat and offering lots of praise; then return her to the house. After doing this for several days, the ASPCA suggests introducing short rides for a couple of days, once or twice a day, always remaining calm and quiet while giving your dog praise. If the dog doesn’t exhibit signs of anxiety — panting, drooling, trembling or whining, try a five-minute drive in your own familiar neighborhood and slowly work up to longer drives.

Take Your Dog to Fun Places

If you only put your dog into the car to take her to the vet, you can imagine how she might associate fear with riding in the car. Alleviate this by making sure the majority of your car trips together are somewhere fun, like a visit with your friends, a puppy play date or a trip to the park, even if it’s just located down the street. Bring her along to pet stores and other establishments that allow dogs. Make it a happy time and she’ll come to associate a car ride with pleasure, not anxiety.

Diversionary Tactics

An exercised and tired dog is less likely to be anxious in the car. If you are taking your pet on a road trip, provide lots of stimulation before you go. Take her favorite ball or toy, and stop frequently to give your dog time to stretch her legs, potty, drink water and get some quick playtime in if possible. Give your dog a complicated treat that she has to work at to eat, such as a rubber toy stuffed with peanut butter or cheese. For severe anxiety or for carsickness, ask your veterinarian for advice. He may recommend an herbal calming agent or medication to treat the dog for motion sickness.

Handling a Dog’s Fear of Riding in Cars

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Many dog owners look forward to taking their dogs with them on car rides. It can be disheartening then to discover that the dog is terrified of riding in the car. A fear of riding in the car is a very common dog phobia. Fortunately, most people are able to overcome this fear by gradually introducing the dog to riding in the car using lots of positive reinforcement.

Causes of the Fear of Car Rides

There are several reasons a dog may be fearful of riding in the car, including:

• Car sickness. Just like people, some dogs may feel nauseous or even vomit on car rides. That queasy, sick feeling may cause your dog to become fearful of riding in cars.
• Fear of the unfamiliar feeling. Dogs who aren’t used to going on car rides may be disturbed by the odd feeling of riding in the car. Cars usually have their own smell, and there is also the sound of the engine, the vibrations of the floor, and seeing everything whizzing past at a fast speed. All these things combined may make for a very frightening experience for a dog.
• Association with negative experiences. For many dogs, the only time they set paw in a car is for a trip to the veterinarian. If your dog has negative feelings about going to the vet, he may transfer that feeling to car rides.
  If you adopted a shelter dog, there is also the chance that his only experiences with car rides were the trip to the shelter or rescue, and possibly a long trip from where he was dropped off to his new home. This frightening experience could certainly account for a car ride phobia.
  Even more traumatic, a dog who was involved in a car accident or hit by a car may have long lasting fears about riding in a car.

Dealing with Car Sickness

If your dog’s fear of the car is related to the nausea and vomiting he experiences when he goes for a ride, there is a fairly easy fix. Dogs are able to take some over-the-counter medications to ease motion sickness. Talk to your veterinarian about whether this is a good option for your dog and the proper dosage for this type of medication.

Overcoming a Fear of Car Rides

If your dog’s fear of car rides stems from more than feeling sick, chances are you will have to put a little bit more time and effort into getting rid of his phobia. The following steps can help you to overcome your dog’s fear of riding in the car:

• Begin by luring your dog to the car rather than forcing him to approach it. Many dogs with a fear of car rides put on the breaks as soon as the car comes into view. Instead of dragging your dog to the car, slowly lure him closer using lots of treats and praise. For a mild car phobia, you may be able to get your dog to walk up to the car in a few short training sessions. For more severe phobias, it may take several days or weeks to get your dog to the car.
• Continue using positive reinforcement to get him inside. Once your dog is comfortable with approaching the car, you can begin to lure him inside. Start by opening up all the doors so your dog won’t feel like he’ll be trapped once he gets inside. Use treats and praise to coax your dog into the car. This often works better if two of the dog’s favorite people work as a team. One can hold the dog on a leash on one side of the car while the other lies across a seat from the other side and uses treats and a happy tone of voice to encourage the dog to get inside.
• Have some special bonding time with your dog inside the car. Don’t rush to slam the doors shut and start the engine the minute your dog finally hops inside the car. Instead, leave the doors open, and spend some time snuggling with your dog in the car. Slowly work your way up to sitting in the car with your dog with the doors closed. Again, depending on the degree of your dog’s fear, this part of the process can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks or more.
• Start your engine. When your dog has become fairly comfortable hanging out with you in the car, you can start the engine. As soon as the car is started, give your dog some treats and talk to him in a happy tone of voice, and then turn off the engine. Repeat this several times until your dog is completely comfortable sitting in the car with the engine running.
• Start off with small trips. Don’t make your dog’s first car ride a long road trip. The first few times out of the driveway, you should probably drive no farther than around the block, giving your dog treats the whole way. Gradually work your way up to going longer distances.
• Take your dog to fun destinations. Your dog’s first longer car ride should not be to the veterinarian. Instead take your dog someplace fun like the dog park, the beach, or to a drive-thru for a hamburger. Your dog will soon associate these fun times with going for a ride in the car.