Overcoming Fear of Car Travel

Whether it is taking you dog to the vet, your pet sitter, or just to your favourite exercise park, your dog will need to travel in a car. Many dogs just accept car rides as a natural part of life, but for some dogs the experience can be frightening and stressful.

Early Memories
For many dogs their first ride in a car is when they are removed from their mothers and go to their new surroundings. They remember car journeys as the removal from a safe and familiar environment, and find the journey stressful experiencing lots of strange noises and movement.

Bad Associations
Small dogs or toy breeds may spend a lot of their time indoors and the majority of their experience with cars may be in journeys to the vet. From their first vaccinations to treatment of illness, regardless of the skill of the vet and their staff, your dog may associate all car trips with a trip to the doctor.

Car Sickness
Pets that have developed an anxiety in relation to car travel display clear symptoms. As well as whimpering and a reluctance to enter the car, they may also drool excessively or vomit. If your dog vomits regularly when in the car regardless of driving conditions or diet, this may be a symptom of car related anxiety.

Gradually reduce the association of fear with the car by feeding your dog close to a car when it is stationary and the engine is not running. Feed them closer and closer and eventually treat or reward them inside the car. Play games with them that involve getting in and out of the car. Sit with your pet in a motionless car and praise and pat them. Get them used to the car as a non threatening environment before you move them on to car trips. You can suggest your dog sitter to perform these dog training tasks. It is better to have them listed in the the dog sitting checklist so that the sitter knows exactly what to do.

Excursion Variety
Early trips should be short, just driving around the block and back home is fine. As your dog becomes more comfortable with car trips vary the destinations. A trip to the park, a visit to a friends house, or even a half hour drive and then back home, all serve to create the association if car trips with a variety of good and mundane experiences rather than just negative ones. By moving at a consistent pace, being patient and reassuring your pet, you will soon have a keen traveller.