Car Trips; How to teach your dog to like it and to behave well.

It’s great that we get to take dogs everywhere with us, but how do you get your dog to like travelling in the car? Better yet, be calm and well behaved?

Car = Exciting!

Many dogs get very excited when travelling in the car because they are often going somewhere fun like the park or beach. If your dog moves around a lot, barks, gets reactive to outside stimuli such as other dogs, people, bikes, trucks etc, it can distract the driver, startle others and create an over stimulated dog who will be harder to handle when they get to their destination!

Reducing visual stimulation and movement can often be the first step in creating a calmer doggy passenger: Try these tips;

• A covered crate (if your dog is already crate trained)
• Window shades
• Restricting movement so your dog doesn’t rush from side to side.

Plus let’s focus on teaching your dog what you do want them to do when travelling in the car. Have you got a picture in your mind? Work towards that!

Teaching a relaxed down in the car

• Practice without the car on to start with
• Ask your dog to jump in or lift them into the car
• Ask for a down/drop cue on the seat/crate. Mark and treat.
• Continue to practice this until your dog lies down automatically predicting the treat.
• Put a verbal cue on this behaviour such as ‘lay down’ or if your dog already knows down or drop, use their known cue.
• Using a remote reward trainer such as a ‘treat n train’ can help for rewarding if you are by yourself.

Gradually add distractions to this behaviour starting with turning the car on, driving the car out of the driveway then back, going on short trips up the street etc.

Your dog may still get excited by some triggers, but you can try using your ‘lay down’ cue, paired with the reduction in visibility will make it easier to get to your goal.

Is your dog fearful of the car?

One of the reasons dogs may not like travelling in the car is because they get sick. This then creates a negative association with going in the car.

There are some products on the market you can try to help your dog overcome the car
sickness including; Natural Animal Solutions TravelEze, HomeoPet Travel Anxiety and Adaptil travel.

You can also try using ginger – often the ginger snap biscuits can help, or ginger in tablet form. Please consult with your vet before using any of these products. Your vet will also be able to advise you if travel sickness medication is suitable for your dog. A lot of puppies can grow out of car sickness as they grow, and their centre of balance matures.

If curing the car sickness doesn’t change your dog’s fear of the car, you can go through a gradual desensitisation process which may look something like this:

• Pair the car with good things – this may still be at a distance from the car. Use treats or even toy play. Near the car = good things happen.
• Gradually decrease the distance your dog is from the car providing they are relaxed.
• When your dog is happy to be around the car, start opening the door.
• Rather than luring your dog into the car, play games such as when your dog sniffs the car seat, mark and treat by tossing the treat away from the car. This then sets your dog up for another repetition to approach the car again.
• Make it easy for your dog to get into the car (use ramps/steps or lift them gently).
• Choice is important here. If your dog doesn’t want to be lifted, don’t force them as this will increase their dislike of the car.
• Do very small trips in the car until your dog feels more comfortable.

For a tailored training plan for a dog who either hates the car, or loves it too much, contact a qualified trainer.

For more tips and products to help travelling with your pet easier visit the vet-n-pet DIRECT website here.