MelbDobeLover Posted December 8, 2007 Share Posted December 8, 2007 Hey everyone I need a little help here with my 11 week old Dobermann pup. I've had him for a week now and hes doing really well at home. Toilet training is going well and accidents are becoming rarer, he has learned to sit and is currently learning to drop. He plays and loves to meet and greet my friends. However one problem is that he freaks out whenever I put him in the car. When he's in the car he starts to breathe really fast, he starts to slobber, twice he's vomited in the car, and as my car is a two seater, he will take the first opportunity to move from his seat into my lap. Obviously however cute this may be in my eyes I can't let this keep continuing when hes going to be big! Yesterday I put his towel down and took some treats into the car with me which he normally loves eating. Once I got in the car he just sat at the door (he's on a leash and sometimes he freaks out so bad I have to actually carry him to the car door) and wouldnt hop up, so I carried him up myself and sat him down on his seat. He was doing alright for the first 5 minutes but then he started to slobber and sat on my lap. I drive manual as well so its not so easy driving with a nervous pup on you! Once he got out for a rest stop he was perfectly fine. He didn't once try to eat any of his treats. I was reassuring him constantly telling him how good he was doing, and I was trying to look like I was having as much fun as possible in case my enthusiasm rubbed off on him as well. Have any of you experienced something similar? How do I get my little fella to like going in the car? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cockerlover Posted December 8, 2007 Share Posted December 8, 2007 al lI can suggest are sits in the car for short periods; then rides in the car for short periods ;would he fit on the floor of the car restrained with seat belt type lead ?they sometimes feel more secure there cause thy cant see the movment of other traffic ;just a suggestion good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted December 8, 2007 Share Posted December 8, 2007 (edited) Slow and Steady:) You may want to try some of these ideas.... only suggestions..every pup/situation is different... Start off with the car door already open..car NOT running. sit on the passenger seat in the open doorway..have pup with you, and if he is relaxed, offer a treat.repeat,repeat. Next step..pup sits in car to eat his meals!! No sitting in car..no dinner Lots of praise... when he is comfortable with being in/around the car..then he gets in and door is closed..you are with him praising ONLY when he is calm..... then sit in the driveway and have the motor running...then drive up&down the driveway....etc etc. Only move to the next step when he is comfortable. You might also want to try some "rescue Remedy".. available at pharmacies.. a few drops before going near/in the car. hope he feels better soon, and enjoys his travel. Edited December 8, 2007 by persephone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chloebear Posted December 8, 2007 Share Posted December 8, 2007 Please ensure that he is restrained, for both your safety and his. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animal House Posted December 8, 2007 Share Posted December 8, 2007 Dog harness attached to the seat belt so he cant move onto your lap. So dangerous to have an unrestrained doggy in the car, especially once they are fully grown. The above de-sensitising is a great idea, he sounds like he actually gets car sick though, hence he might not like the idea of getting in after a while. Good luck, and take it slowly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas Posted December 8, 2007 Share Posted December 8, 2007 Lot's of puppies go through this stage. My pup didn't stop throwing up inte car until about 5 months of age, they're all different. Apprantely a Ginger supplement is good for car sickness, best to speak a Holistic Animal Practioner. Some Rescue Remedy may be good too. Als lot's of in and out of the car for playing and treats and so forth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicole... Posted December 8, 2007 Share Posted December 8, 2007 We have been having exactly the same problems with our cocker pup - now almost 6 months old. She has vomited in the car a couple of times now but there is no way to predict - eg have driven 1 hour numerous times no dramas, but a 10 minute drive up the road can do it occasionally. When she was younger, we would have her on the back seat with her harness and seat belt attachment but she would move around constantly and that would lead to vomiting. She we tied a knot in the seat belt attachment to shorten it up further so she can move a little but not much more than to just change positions. This helped considerably! The 2 other things that we have found to be most effective are directing the air conditioning straight on to her with the fan on high. This stops her from even getting drooly so seems to be the best (just take a jumper for yourself!). The other thing is that she is much happier when she is up higher in the car. We discovered that she is happier in my husband's car which is a 4WD so she sits up higher in relation to the windows than she does in my car. And have even put her folded up crate underneath her in the car to raise her up higher which she seems happier with too. She has gotten slowly better over time, but we still have a bit to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelbDobeLover Posted December 9, 2007 Author Share Posted December 9, 2007 Thanks for the help guys ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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