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Between spring break and summer vacations, it is officially road trip season! Road trips are an inexpensive and fun way to travel, especially if you’re planning to bring your dog. Unfortunately, not all dogs respond well to traveling in the car. Between getting car sick, being anxious in confined spaces, and having too much energy to sit still for long, car rides aren’t always our pups idea of a fun time. Whether you’re planning a road trip with your pet or simply just need to get to the vet, these 6 tips to get your dog used to the car are for you.
When it comes to teaching a dog anything, starting when they’re a puppy is key. If you adopt your dog when they’re young, taking them on car rides frequently is a must!
When your dog is a puppy, take them in the car with you as often as possible. Trips to pet friendly stores, parks, or even just drives around the neighborhood will quickly desensitize your dog to the car. As long as car sickness is not a factor, a puppy who goes on multiple car rides a week is much more likely to enjoy the car than one who doesn’t.
Everything you do with your puppy will shape who they are as an adult dog which is why it is so important to start training and desensitization to things such as the car at a very young age.
If you adopt your dog as an adult who is already fearful of the car, positive reinforcement will be the key to breaking that fear.
Use high value treats whenever your dog approaches or gets into the car on their own and be sure to give frequent treats throughout the drive, especially when they’re calm. Don’t give into your dogs fear by coddling them, but instead help build their confidence with praise and treats for good behavior in the car.
For dogs that are incredibly fearful of car rides, even getting them inside of the vehicle can be a challenge. Breaking this behavior will take time, but it’s important to work on desensitizing them to the car altogether.
If you struggle to get your dog in the car, teach them that the car doesn’t always mean going on a drive. Let your dog approach the car and eventually get inside of the car without actually driving anywhere. Sit in the car with them, giving them treats or letting them play with a favorite toy. Once your dog is willing to get in the car, getting them comfortable on drives will be much easier.
For a lot of dogs, getting in the car means going to a scary or not so fun place such as the vet, groomer, or boarding kennel. Teach your dog that the car doesn’t always mean you’re going somewhere scary by taking them on fun trips too! Take your dog on fun adventures such as hiking trails, the pet store, or an ice cream shop. After all, dogs deserve to go on fun outings too!
If your dog gets to go to fun destinations, then getting them in the car for a vet visit will be much easier. Although I can’t promise you they won’t feel betrayed 😉
Just like humans, dogs can get motion sick. If your dog feels nauseous or throws up every time they’re in the car, they’re going to associate it with that bad feeling. Luckily, for dogs who get motion sick, there are ways to deal with it.
Riding with the windows down or allowing your pup to sit up front can keep them from getting sick in the car. You can also ask your vet to prescribe a medication that will help with the nausea. An anti nausea medication such as Cerenia or an anti anxiety medication such as Trazadone could very well help your pup feel more comfortable in the car.
Note: do not let your dog sit up front unless they’re able to be calm when doing so. If your dog is anxious in the car, sitting up front could be a major distraction to the driver which is not safe for anyone.
Comfort and safety are two important factors in keeping your dog calm in the car. Bringing your pups bed, blanket, or favorite toy along on the drive may help ease any anxiety they’re feeling.
For super anxious pups, it’s important to keep them safe. A lot of dogs who are nervous in the car tend to jump around everywhere which is dangerous not only to them, but to the driver as well. If your dogs car anxiety keeps them from sitting still, a dog seat belt or car seat may be necessary to protect everyone involved.
Some dogs may even do well if they’re crated in the car, especially if their crate is a safe space for them at home. If your car has the space for a crate, try crating your dog for the drive and see if that makes them feel more comfortable.
Does your dog enjoy riding in the car?
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Along with sit, lie down is a basic command that you should work on teaching your dog as soon as you get them home. Lie down can be necessary for your dog to know in certain situations where you need them settled and relaxed. It’s also a stepping stone for more advanced tricks such as “roll over”. Today, I’m sharing how to teach your dog to lie down in 7 simple steps.
“Sit” is the most basic command you can teach your dog and one that most dogs will catch onto quite quickly. If you haven’t already taught your dog to sit, read this blog post to learn that command before moving on to “lie down”.
Once your dog has mastered sitting on command, put them in a sit position to teach “lie down”. When your dog is sitting, hold a treat in front of their nose. Drag the treat down from their nose, to their chest, and then down to the floor.
The goal is for your dog to follow the treat (and your hand) until they are in a lying position.
Praising and rewarding your dog whenever they successfully follow your direction is key to a well trained dog. Each time your dog follows the treat into a lie down position, praise and reward them heavily.
All dogs are different and what might be a high value reward to one might mean nothing to the other. If you know your dog is food motivated, use high value treats as a reward such as cheese or bites of chicken. If your pup isn’t a huge foodie, try something else such as verbal praise, belly rubs, or even a toy.
When your dog is consistently following your hand into a down position, accompany the hand motion with the phrase “down” or “lie down”. This will help your dog associate the command with not just a hand motion, but a verbal cue as well.
Practice this several times and slowly take the hand motion away altogether, just leaving the verbal cue. Your dog should start to associate lying down with the phrase “down” rather than the hand motion.
Even though your dog is now lying down with a verbal cue and not a treat, it’s still important to reward and praise them for following the command once they are lying down. Each time you tell your dog “down” and they lie down, reward and praise heavily.
Being able to lie down on command is important, but getting your dog to stay in that position for an extended period of time is even more beneficial.
Once your dog is consistently lying down on command, increase the amount of time they’ll stay down by giving them treats periodically as they’re lying down. Start by giving a treat every 5-10 seconds and gradually increase that until they are staying down for minutes at a time.
The key to an extended down stay is a release cue. If your dog is willing to lie down for minutes at a time, teach them a release cue such as “release”, “okay”, or “up” to let them know they can move from their down position.
Always remember to give plenty of rewards and praise when teaching each new cue!
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