# Hates Riding In The Car



## quilter (Sep 12, 2011)

If it makes you feel better, you are not the only one. In our case, Casper is perfectly happy while we are driving, but positively refuses to get in the car. All 65 pounds of him. Many times, he won't even budge to go into the garage, because, you know, the car is there.

I despair of it. We take him out several times a week - the dog park, dog school, training about town. We bought a trailer so that we could take him on vacation with us! And yet, it's an ordeal every time we have to get him back in the car. And sometimes, he refuses to get out of the car!! Two and a half years and 15,000 miles we've done this.

He is perfectly healthy.

Am I exaggerating? Mmmm, no. I have fed him in the car. I have given him treats. I have used the clicker. We tried ginger snaps. We tried the $10 carsick pills, just in case. We let him sit in the front seat, the back seat, and the back of the Subaru. Open air in the Miata. Nope, not doing it.

Last night was a great night. Unprecedented. I took him to Petsmart for "shopping training". He got into the car on his own, walking up the ramp. Both leaving home and leaving the store. Sloooowly, but on his own. I have no idea why last night. I have no idea if it will happen ever again.

OK, I feel better now.


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## abradshaw71 (Jan 13, 2014)

Quilter - thank you! It's so nice to know I'm not alone. I understand everything you described about Casper because that is exactly how Josie is. And no, not once did I think you were exaggerating.  Josie knows when I get my bag out to pack to head north that she is going for a car ride and so it begins. She hides in the corner, then on the couch, then I'm dragging her through the living room, kitchen, and out the door. Dragging. It's horrible. Thank goodness for hardwood floors. The dragging is more sliding at that point.  I can't pick her 70 lbs up and carry her. Impossible. I feel so bad for her...and me.

Same as you, I've tried everything. The only time she actually gets in the car is when I pick her up at the groomers. She's ready to go.  Josie's a good rider. Very quiet and sleeps when she's in the kennel in the car. If she's out of the kennel, she's trying to sit in my lap, so the kennel is the only way I can have her in the car in order for both of us to be safe.

Best of luck to both of us!


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## Dexter12 (Feb 10, 2012)

Archer is the same way, he will not get into the car. If he's outside and we're trying to get him in, he'll go to the porch and ask to be let back into the house. If we pick him up, which is difficult because he must be 70lbs at least, he'll flail as much as possible to get away. If the car is going, he will not go outside.
We've tried giving him treats and encouraging him in, but it just doesn't work. I have no idea why he's so terrified of the car. Besides a couple trips to the vet, he has not had many bad experiences with the car, I don't get why he's so terrified of it.


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## Bosn'sMom (Feb 11, 2013)

josie is beautiful!!!!!!


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## goldengolfer (Jan 6, 2014)

I just got an 8 month old female who is scared to death to get into or out of a car. Once in the car she rides just fine with no problems. She just hates the in and out part. She is the 5th golden I have owned and the first one who did not absolutely love to get into and out of the car and go for rides. Was happy to see your post as I was wondering what was up with her or if she had a bad experience with previous owner.


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## quilter (Sep 12, 2011)

The only bad experience Casper had was when he was about 12 weeks and we took him to his first dog class. We didn't know he had worms, and he got sick in the car, had diarrhea, and had an accident in the car. I few times we've heard him burp, but otherwise he seems fine. He doesn't seem to like to put his head down in the car. When we are driving a lot in the truck, we put several layers of blanket down for his head. He will always choose to have his head on the blankets. I do wonder if the vibrations bother him. He was two years old before he even got the idea of sniffing the wind through the window. He does love that now.

Some tricks we've come up with:

When he won't leave the house through the garage, we leave him at the door and walk out to the driveway. He hates being left behind, so he walks through the garage. 
I have taken him out the front door to go to the car, but that seems unfair somehow. 
We have tied the leash in the car, both climbed in the car, and told him we are leaving. That works about 90% of the time. But we certainly look silly doing it.
Mega-good food. We are talking above and beyond high value. A bowl of beef stew. A freshly opened can of catfood.
Feeding him in the car. The only and only time he has jumped in the car (yes, once!) was when I fed him his breakfast in the car every day for a week or so. The school bus stop is in front of my house. I got some seriously weird looks from kids and parents that week. I suppose if I were a better person I would still be feeding him breakfast in the car. And then dinner in the pickup truck?


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## abradshaw71 (Jan 13, 2014)

I'm going to try a few new things this spring to see if it helps. I will make sure she has her favorite food as a treat sitting in the car. The hard part is just getting her out of the house if she even thinks she has to get in the car. Keeping my fingers crossed that we can start seeing some positive moves forward this year. 

Loved your bullet points. They made me laugh.


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## quilter (Sep 12, 2011)

I had to come back to this thread. We have Casper getting in and out if the car now. He will use the ramp to get into the pickup truck and he will jump into the Subaru (several times now). If I had to guess, it's because we've been taking him to the dog park three times a week in the pickup. For three months. I also decided that he probably didn't like the ramp and tried using Up Up Up which is his command to get on the couch. When he jumps in, he gets a jackpot. 30 seconds of treats. Yes, 30 seconds. Treats delivered individually. 

I've got my fingers crossed that things will continue to improve. 

We took an agility class this month and discovered that he didn't like the teeter or the dog walk. It could me the ramp part or that sticky stuff. That had me thinking he didn't like the ramp. So I just kept doing up up up. (He loves the aframe though.)


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## golfgal (Dec 31, 2013)

Me three. Fine in the car just doesn't want to get in. Anywhere. I tried having the other puppy in the car thinking dog would be incentive as it for most other dogs. Nope. Tried kongs and feeding in SUV. Worked those times only. Hot dogs. Stretched as far as possible to get them without getting in. Bacon-Beggin Strips, pepperoni treats. Layered every surface with various treats. Sat in front of back gate and stared at me. We use liver treats or peanut butter zukes' as high value treats. Nope. Will move for cheese but stops short of getting in. Apples he'll get in for but not always. Last week I had these new crackers he loves, new peanut/liver treats and cheerios to see which one he'd go for. Cheerios did the trick for two days. Too be honest, he doesn't get in, but he'll put his feet on the hatch so I can lift him in. Did that several times willingly. The other day when he was exhausted and refused to move, I had friend come pick us up and he got willingly into the car. So exhaustion so car is only option, cheerios or perhaps apples. Hmmm. I think I'm going to try apple-cinnamon cheerios if that improves our ratio.


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## quilter (Sep 12, 2011)

golfgal said:


> Me three. Fine in the car just doesn't want to get in. Anywhere. I tried having the other puppy in the car thinking dog would be incentive as it for most other dogs. Nope. Tried kongs and feeding in SUV. Worked those times only. Hot dogs. Stretched as far as possible to get them without getting in. Bacon-Beggin Strips, pepperoni treats. Layered every surface with various treats. Sat in front of back gate and stared at me. We use liver treats or peanut butter zukes' as high value treats. Nope. Will move for cheese but stops short of getting in. Apples he'll get in for but not always. Last week I had these new crackers he loves, new peanut/liver treats and cheerios to see which one he'd go for. Cheerios did the trick for two days. Too be honest, he doesn't get in, but he'll put his feet on the hatch so I can lift him in. Did that several times willingly. The other day when he was exhausted and refused to move, I had friend come pick us up and he got willingly into the car. So exhaustion so car is only option, cheerios or perhaps apples. Hmmm. I think I'm going to try apple-cinnamon cheerios if that improves our ratio.


I have so been there. Two and a half *years*.

He got in Wednesday after dog class. It was the last class and the teacher gave us a giant milk bone. It was the blessed milk bone - it had teacher germs. I waved that around his nose and tossed it in the car and he followed it in.


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## abradshaw71 (Jan 13, 2014)

Congratulations on your success! That is wonderful.


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## ScottyUSN (Jul 18, 2011)

I picked Reese up at his breeders house in Houston at 8 weeks old. Drove 6 hundred miles with him crying himself to sleep the entire day. That trauma stuck with him for months. 

Then for a few months the only place he went when we got in the car was his favorite place in the world a field and water area the dogs get to just run and play off leash. Add it's only a few miles from the house. Now, whenever he see's my Durango hatch open, he get's in and won't get out without an argument. 

Any place you can go 3-4 times a week for a few weeks they really enjoy going and is the only place they will end up driving to for awhile?


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## Leslie B (Mar 17, 2011)

Many years ago I purchased a 18 month old sheltie that was actively campaigned in the ring. The dog was not exposed to the normal sights and sounds of life before I got him. He was afraid of cars, stairs, laundry, kids on bikes or anything with wheels, fireworks, the blender or any other kitchen appliance. It was painful to watch but what I learned was the my reaction counted the most. 

When he was freaked out by my folding laundry I tied him to my table and folded away. I ignored his fear until he finally gave in and realized that it was not going to eat him alive. THEN I would talk to him and praise him and give him a treat now and then. 


When I realized that he was terrified by a car ride I started taking him in and out of the car a lot. We would get i (yes, I had to put him in there) and just sit there in the drive way while I ignored his shaking. We would get out and walk around the car and get right back in. I never asked him to get in - just grabed by the collar and the base of his tail and put him in the back seat. I would sit some more while I ignored him. Again, when he finally gave in and relaxed he would get attention from me. By the time we actually drove the car, he was fine with it.


When the kids on bikes scared him, I had my kids ride in front of our house while he walked with me on the grass. Then we walked together. Again, I ignored his fear and rewarded his acceptance.


I think you get the drift. Lots of exposure, in small steps, with no reinforcement of his fear. Cooing or applying love to the fear actually reinforces the fear. Becoming upset also reinforces that there is something to be afraid of. Act like there is nothing to be afraid of because it is the truth.


While my boy was always a shy and reservered dog, he was able to have a good life eventually.


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## abradshaw71 (Jan 13, 2014)

Leslie B said:


> Many years ago I purchased a 18 month old sheltie that was actively campaigned in the ring. The dog was not exposed to the normal sights and sounds of life before I got him. He was afraid of cars, stairs, laundry, kids on bikes or anything with wheels, fireworks, the blender or any other kitchen appliance. It was painful to watch but what I learned was the my reaction counted the most.
> 
> When he was freaked out by my folding laundry I tied him to my table and folded away. I ignored his fear until he finally gave in and realized that it was not going to eat him alive. THEN I would talk to him and praise him and give him a treat now and then.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much. This was very helpful. I'm planning on doing some training with Josie this spring once our two feet of snow is gone. Like you, I plan to just park the car in the driveway and practice getting in and out of it with her and sitting in it with her. Hoping some of these steps will lead to a good summer heading north to the lake and doing some camping without it being so frustrating for both of us.


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## Brave (Oct 26, 2012)

Bear HATED the car for a good long while. I think he felt unsteady to some point. He flat out refused to get in the car as a puppy. It was at that point that I decided to nip it in the bud. We spent 20 minutes getting in and out of the car., every couple of days. Lots of treats. Teaching him how to get in. How to get out. Driving down the street. Parking. Turning. We taught him "signals" so he knew what was about to happen. 

-Turning!
-Lay down!

He learned if I suddenly said "lay down!!" that we're about to stop suddenly. He learned how to shift his weight so he didn't slide all over the backseat (even in a harness and seat belt). We took him EVERYWHERE for a while. Grocery store? Bring Bear (him and I would loiter in the parking lot and practice commands). Petstore? HECK YES take Bear. Dropping off DH at work? Bring BEAR!! Picking Mommy up from work? OMG PLEASE BRING BEAR! 

Now he loves it. Everywhere we went we made sure it was fun for him. I can let him outside off leash, and he immediately circles around the car trying to get in and go for a ride! 

OP - have you tried a thunder shirt on your pup? It might ease the anxiety so he can have some good experiences.


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## abradshaw71 (Jan 13, 2014)

I have a thunder shirt but never tried it with Josie. It was for my last golden during storms. 

Thank you for all if the suggestions. Josie and I will be working on this in the coming months. I'll let everyone know how it goes. Keeping my fingers crossed. 


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## golfgal (Dec 31, 2013)

miracles occur. not sure what happened but Rosco got in the car twice yesterday with no treats (i'd forgotten the cheerios in rush to leave) or coaxing. Did the same thing twice today. knock on wood, it happens tomorrow too. 

I don't think mine was ever afraid of the car, he'd go up to it all the time, smell, etc it just when you wanted him to get in that it became an issue. I do miss those days where you could just pick him up and put somewhere, hard to do at 70lbs. My theory is that in the almost week it took him to get here, he got passed around from person to person, in and out of cars, never knowing what was going on that he just learned to hate transitions.


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## quilter (Sep 12, 2011)

We are still on a roll here. Casper has jumped into the car for every trip since that first time. He stalls a bit and thinks about it, then jumps. I always follow up with steady stream of individual treats. We are not exactly sure why, but it's probably the dog park visits. I have to day, it's such a relief. Everything we wanted to do that's fun started off with stress. Now onto polite people greetings. What do you think, another two and a half years?


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## abradshaw71 (Jan 13, 2014)

So happy to hear of everyone's success stories. I really wish Josie and I could work on this but the snow just keeps us from working on it. I don't want snowy, muddy paws in and out of the car right now.  So tired of the weather here in Michigan. It's been a long winter and the temps are going back down into the teens for the next ten days.


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## golfgal (Dec 31, 2013)

its been a week and no treats/pulling or coaxing, just walks up to the door and gets in. all i have to say is yeah honey-nut cheerios.


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## porchpotty (Aug 4, 2011)

Dogs can get motion sickness just like people, in which case DAP makes for an effective and simple way to keep them calm for the duration of the trip.


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## Heart O'Gold (Jul 31, 2012)

Bentley hated the car as a puppy, he was car sick and sometimes still is, including diarrhea.  I had to work a lot on making the car a good thing for him. I, too, used to have to lift him in, drag him towards the car. Taking him fun places has helped the most. One helpful method is putting him in the car driving 2 minutes down the road and taking him for a nice walk. This was great, less chance of sickness as the trip is so short, and he loves walks! Plus I didn't have to climb my hill!  The Thundershirt has both helped and been slightly detrimental. On one hand it seemed to help with some initial anxiety, on the other it has seemed to make him unwilling or unable to lie down and relax. We have stopped using it and he lays down now which helps him feel more secure. Good luck I hope your progress continues!


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## Heart O'Gold (Jul 31, 2012)

porchpotty said:


> Dogs can get motion sickness just like people, in which case DAP makes for an effective and simple way to keep them calm for the duration of the trip.


I will have to try the DAP, he's still anxious even though he jumps in and likes to go places. I have tried rescue remedy with not much effect.


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## abradshaw71 (Jan 13, 2014)

porchpotty said:


> Dogs can get motion sickness just like people, in which case DAP makes for an effective and simple way to keep them calm for the duration of the trip.


What is DAP?


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## quilter (Sep 12, 2011)

golfgal said:


> its been a week and no treats/pulling or coaxing, just walks up to the door and gets in. all i have to say is yeah honey-nut cheerios.


Yeah! I'm going to have to try cheerios. I need a new, but tidy treat. We've been using popcorn, but that turns out to be pretty messy.


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## Heart O'Gold (Jul 31, 2012)

abradshaw71 said:


> What is DAP?


Amazon.com: Comfort Zone with DAP for Dogs Spray, 60 Milliliters: Pet Supplies

It is Dog Appeasing Pheromone and come in diffusers, sprays and collars.


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## abradshaw71 (Jan 13, 2014)

Thanks! I may try it when I start working with Josie on getting into the car. Still waiting for the snow to go away so we can work on this without bringing snow and ice into the car with us.


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## abradshaw71 (Jan 13, 2014)

Well, Josie and I have started working on her car therapy!  Day 1. On Saturday, I parked my SUV in the driveway and then proceeded to try and get her to come out of the house.  Didn't work so well. Finally got her out, but she went and hid around the corner of the house, so I just kept on doing some work outside and every once in a while went over, petted her and gave her a treat. Pretty soon, she was playing like normal, but she wouldn't go near the open door of the car. Finally she walked by and I "helped" her into the back seat. I gave her pieces of a hamburger and lots of praise. She sat in the front seat and I was in the back. Comical. I finally got her in the back seat and we sat there until she was done shaking. Day 2. The next day, I left my car in the garage and after we came back from our walk, I got some yummy treats out for her, but she would not come near the car again. Finally, I got her into the garage and again "helped" her in. This time she stayed in the back seat with me and her shaking was very minimal. Day 3. Again, tried to get her near the car in the garage after our walk, but she wouldn't budge. I gently led her into the garage and again "helped" her into the vehicle. This time, she actually laid down in the back seat with me. Making progress. I'll continue doing this for the rest of the week with the goal being she actually gets into the car on her own by then. We'll see. Baby steps.


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## Golden999 (Jun 29, 2010)

When I brought my dog home for the first time as an eight week old puppy, he cried the entire car trip.

What I did thereafter during his earliest days with me was take him for a short drive every second or third day and let him sit in my lap and petted him when I could spare a hand from driving. He loved all the attention and pretty soon seemed perfectly fine riding in the car. Sometimes he'd take naps using the steering wheel as a cradle and open his eyes halfway and give me dirty looks when I had to turn the wheel. It's amazing how many drive-thrus and the like stock dog treats to give to puppy (Interestingly, very few offer them to him as an adult).

When he got bigger, I made him move over to the passenger and I still reach over and pet him when I feel it's safe to do so. When I have to stop petting him at times, he claws me to prompt me to resume petting him.  Sometimes I reach over to that side to do something that doesn't involve him and he sticks his head in between my hand and the radio or whatever. When the weather is appropriate, I roll his window halfway down so he can stick his head out at times. He loves looking around at things while driving and seems to find it mentally stimulating.

He does sometimes hesitate to get into the car initially when I open the door on his side, but I give him a car command or tell him I can leave him at home instead if he wants, and he jumps right in.  I think he finds himself outside on a leash and hopes to go on a walk instead, but he seems to really like the car rides once he's in there. He always looks very sad when I have to leave him at home for whatever reason and just peers at me sullenly from inside the apartment until I'm out of site. I try to bring him as many places as I can. He's been on some really lengthy car trips with me at times. I never stay overnight anywhere without him, and I take him with me to every family or holiday gathering that will have him. That's the other thing that may contribute to him enjoying car rides, he knows it sometimes leads to where his dog and human friends live or to a park.

Anyway, I don't know how much of him liking car rides now is nature and how much is that I intentionally acclimated him to being a passenger in a car at a very young age and made it as pleasant for him as possible. It's possible that some dogs just get sick to their stomach in the car or whatever and are never going to like it. I'm not sure. But I'd definitely recommend that people try to acclimate their puppies to car trips as young as possible if it's feasible and they think the dog will need to or want to ride in the car later. I'd imagine it's much harder for an adult dog to get over their fears of something than a more impressionable young puppy.

If you feel you can drive safely this way, you might want to put him in the seat next to you and devote one hand to driving and one hand to constantly petting the dog for a while. Of course, sometimes you need two hands. But I find with golden retrievers, generally petting them for a long time without interruption is a good way to calm their fears about basically anything.


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## quilter (Sep 12, 2011)

Good progress everybody!

Casper is still getting in on his own. Sometimes he has to think about for a minute. A minute seems like forever when you are waiting. I also learned a couple of other training tricks. *Jackpots*. When Casper gets in the car, I feed him a jackpot. That's 30-seconds of treats coming one at a time. *Freedom*. I haven't tried this one. One of my agility training books suggests it. The reward for getting in/on is getting off/out. So when I was trying to get Casper to use the ramp, I could reward him for stepping up by letting him jump off. But Casper never did really learn to use the ramp. Instead, he went right to jumping.


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