Placid, Orderly Car Travel

[koalathebear]

We've been trying to get Elbie used to car travel. He has a funky harness and looks super cute and funky in it. Depending on your view, it looks like he's in commando gear or in bondage gear.

Anyway, the harness clicks into one of the seatbelts in the backseat. For now, one of us sits in the back with him and one of us drives. The problem is that while he doesn't get car sick and he wants to get into the car - when he open the front door, he scoots around to the back left door of the car and then jumps up on the seat of his own volition - he gets pretty agitated in the car.

Naturally he wants to look out the window, which is fine but then he'll start whimpering and making really pitiful sounds as though he's being tortured. Then the next minute he'll be happy and fine again - then he'll start making strange monkey sounds. I'm hoping that as he gets bigger and can see out the window properly he'll be less freaked out as it must be terrifying to be in a moving metal box with a restricted view of the outside world. Treats and favourite toys don't seem to work.

I look at the cars with those dogs that sit very majestically in the back seat, taking the corners easily and looking most at ease as their owners drive around town and I wonder how they trained their dogs to do it Does anyone have any tips? We can't crate him when driving because Elbie's getting too big and any crate that could fit him wouldn't fit in our back seat (Mazda 3 sedan) - and would have to be jammed in at an angle, which is not something we're going to do. Thanks heaps in advance!

[matilda1]

Have you tried spending time with him in the car without actually going on any trips.

Perhaps play with him outside and tire him, and then let him have a nap in the car for 15 minutes (supervised of course).

After having done this a few times, tire him before the next trip and see if he associates this with sleep time even though the car is moving.

I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination but this worked for one of my previous dogs.

Eventually the car just became a place where you sat/hung out rather than a place of excitement.

I have my own issues with car travel with katie.

She gets incredibly car sick and vomits.

[koalathebear]

Have you tried spending time with him in the car without actually going on any trips.

Weirdly enough, we have done this. We felt very goofy doing it - one of us in the front and one of us in the back for half an hour. We'll probably try it again. One of the problems is that Elbie seems to want to go and explore and a moving car just isn't the place to explore

Perhaps play with him outside and tire him, and then let him have a nap in the car for 15 minutes (supervised of course). After having done this a few times, tire him before the next trip and see if he associates this with sleep time even though the car is moving.

We used to be able to tire Elbie out - doing 5-10 minutes of obedience training used to make him curl up and sleep like a baby afterwards but these days, he's getting so good at the various tricks he already knows that it seems quite effortless for him and he doesn't get tired!! He has his final set of booster shots on Monday so after that we can take him for short walks - we're hoping that will tire him out a little bit and then perhaps we'll get him into a car.

I have my own issues with car travel with katie. She gets incredibly car sick and vomits.

I read that in your other post! I'm so sorry to hear that. When my partner and I are pulling faces at Elbie's car monkey noises, I do remind him that we're lucky he doesn't get car sick The vet said that DAP spray might work on Elbie but also said that it might have the reverse effect because it might make him feel too relaxed and even MORE boisterous - if that's even possible ;D Our puppy is this whirling tornado of pure energy. I suspect he could power a small town.

[matilda1]

Your puppy sounds adorable (from a distance)

Seriously though, I do feel for you and hear what you are saying.

It's so easy for other to say "just do this and it will give you this result" when in reality it is not always the case.

if he wants to explore the car, perhaps set aside a good half an hour of exploring time (again supervised) where he can climb through the car and have a good sniff around. That way perhaps it won't be so tempting when it comes time to do an actual trip.

The other option is speaking to you vet about the prospect of some LIGHT sedatives just to break the cycle.

[persephone]

Do you look at him/talk to him when he makes noise? if so, STOP. I would not even be sitting with him. put him on a leash- take him to the car .. no talking/patting required. Clip him in- tell him, good dog .. get in the front, and drive. kep an eye on him using your miirror.. don't turn around or talk to him. Just drive ..... See how this goes.

he is a kelpie. he will probably react to seeing all the movement Excitement and whinging is probably a normal thing for him ... the less stimulation he receives, the better , IMO. .. so keep things very calm- no baby talk/ high pitched voices, etc in the car. Just calm and quiet and no attention. Pups have to learn to just 'be'. They cannot have someone with them , paying attention to them all the time!

[sarah1021]

Do you look at him/talk to him when he makes noise? if so, STOP. I would not even be sitting with him. put him on a leash- take him to the car .. no talking/patting required. Clip him in- tell him, good dog .. get in the front, and drive. kep an eye on him using your miirror.. don't turn around or talk to him. Just drive ..... See how this goes.

he is a kelpie. he will probably react to seeing all the movement Excitement and whinging is probably a normal thing for him ... the less stimulation he receives, the better , IMO. .. so keep things very calm- no baby talk/ high pitched voices, etc in the car. Just calm and quiet and no attention. Pups have to learn to just 'be'. They cannot have someone with them , paying attention to them all the time!

we did roughly the same thing with our puppy and it worked really well she now lays down on the back seat and sleeps the whole way. We found the more toys she had the more excited she got so now we just put her in, clip her seat belt on and give her a pat and thats it.

We got a really good back seat cover from the reject shop for $12 it clips up to all four head rests and is water proof so if there are any accidents in the car its not a big deal you just pull it out and hose it off. It has has velcro bits where the seat belt things come through and you can clip the harness onto it - works really well

Edited June 7, 2010 by sarah1021

[FionaC]

Our youngest boy was a real noisy one in the car to begin with but he settled quickly after a few trips .... neither of us sat in the backseat with him - I was always told to start as you intend on finishing so we both were in the front, he had a comfy rug in the back, a toy and a harness on that clipped to the seatbelt holder - shorten the length of the attachment so he can't jump up and all over the place ... then treat him quickly with something yummy when he is quiet ... ignore him when he is making the noise ... keep doing that until he is quieter more often than he is noisy .... after a few trips it should work itself out ....

[Guest belgian.blue]

With both my dogs they were crated while still small, for car travel. Never one vomit or poo incident. Though LOTS of screaming/crying.

Then tried them in a harness after they proved they would sleep in their crate while in the car. Badger has been car travelling in the crate now for 6 weeks and he's too big for it, so bought him a harness today.

Just been sitting out there with him, locked him in and gave him some treats. He curled up and thought it was wonderful. Going to take him for a small drive tomorrow afternoon.

So I found crate travel, until they are happy to be in the car worked VERY well for my two dogs.

Ivy is fantastic in the car, after about a month in the crate. Though she's now nearly two years old hehe.

[WreckitWhippet]

All of my babies are crate trained for the car. It has the following advantages

They can't move around outside of the crate

Can't chew

It reduces the excitement and they are more inclined to lay down and rest

It places a physical barrier between you and the pup

They are less likely to be car sick or stressed

You can cover them up and in summer if you want to cover them just use a sun shield for a windscreen over the top

The can't see out the windows

In time mine have all moved to being able to hop in the car and sit on a seat quietly, however we still use the crates 99% of the time.

[matilda1]

We can't crate him when driving because Elbie's getting too big and any crate that could fit him wouldn't fit in our back seat (Mazda 3 sedan) - and would have to be jammed in at an angle, which is not something we're going to do. Thanks heaps in advance!

[GoldenGirl85]

Tess is horrible in the car, but I think Ive found a solution, I bought a car harness for her when she was a pup but never really used it, it was one of those ones from BigW with the big D ring to clip to, but it has a loop after the D ring to put the seat belt through, its worked wonders, we have only had a couple of drives with it but its the most peaceful drive Ive ever had with her, when she is hooked into this harness she cant pace from side to side and look out the window which is what stresses her

Lexi...well she just curls up and goes to sleep lol, she is such a good girl

[koalathebear]

Goldengirl85 - thanks for that suggestion. I think we'll try a different harness. We tried clipping him in and ignoring him but his current harness even when shortened allows him to walk around and even fall off the seat so we can't leave him in the back alone when he's howling and being a brat ... I had to go back there and sit with him when we were taking him to the vet today. We'll be better at 'ignoring' him if he's securely strapped in...

[dancinbcs]

I never have any trouble with dogs in the car but mine have almost daily car rides to start with, even if it is just round the block. I actually start litters with car rides every few days from about 5 weeks old then the one keep gets daily rides for a while from 8 weeks. The more you take them in the car the better they get and the less fuss you make the better they are.

A crate is always better to start with if possible and I find the working breeds love to look out the window with all that movement. The crying may be that he can't see properly and also would like to get out and chase everything. He will soon learn that it is not going to happen and settle down.

Does your back seat not fold down to allow space for a crate? I thought most modern small cars had that as a built in feature.

[GoldenGirl85]

I never have any trouble with dogs in the car but mine have almost daily car rides to start with, even if it is just round the block. I actually start litters with car rides every few days from about 5 weeks old then the one keep gets daily rides for a while from 8 weeks. The more you take them in the car the better they get and the less fuss you make the better they are.

A crate is always better to start with if possible and I find the working breeds love to look out the window with all that movement. The crying may be that he can't see properly and also would like to get out and chase everything. He will soon learn that it is not going to happen and settle down.

Does your back seat not fold down to allow space for a crate? I thought most modern small cars had that as a built in feature.

Yes, but it doesnt mean it will fit a crate for a medium sized dog, I have the same make of car as Koala but mine is a hatch, mine would fit a crate with the seats folded down but the problem is the seats dont fold down flat, which means the crate wont sit flat, for the sedan model...I really dont think it would work that way the boots are tiny on those things (which is why I got the hatch lol)

[koalathebear]

Yes, but it doesnt mean it will fit a crate for a medium sized dog, I have the same make of car as Koala but mine is a hatch, mine would fit a crate with the seats folded down but the problem is the seats dont fold down flat, which means the crate wont sit flat, for the sedan model...I really dont think it would work that way the boots are tiny on those things (which is why I got the hatch lol)

GoldenGirl85: That's exactly it! In the sedan version of the Mazda3 - poor Elbie would be on an angle if we got a medium-sized crate and I don't think he'd like that at all. Also - when we bought the car, we didn't have a dog and at that time had no intention of getting a dog

Yesterday we tried following the advice of having him sitting in the back on his own - ignoring him - except that even though we tried to make the strap as short as possible - poor Elbie gave a yowl and threw himself down beneath the seat (where you put your feet). I had to go and sit back there with him so that he didn't accidentally strangle himself. We're going to go to Pet Barn today or tomorrow to try to find a harness that will strap him in more securely until he settles.

I wish I'd recorded him - he seriously makes monkey sounds sometimes when he's distressed He

, he makes monkey sounds and he loves food as though he's a labrador What on earth is he? Edited June 8, 2010 by koalathebear

[GoldenGirl85]

Yes, but it doesnt mean it will fit a crate for a medium sized dog, I have the same make of car as Koala but mine is a hatch, mine would fit a crate with the seats folded down but the problem is the seats dont fold down flat, which means the crate wont sit flat, for the sedan model...I really dont think it would work that way the boots are tiny on those things (which is why I got the hatch lol)

GoldenGirl85: That's exactly it! In the sedan version of the Mazda3 - poor Elbie would be on an angle if we got a medium-sized crate and I don't think he'd like that at all. Also - when we bought the car, we didn't have a dog and at that time had no intention of getting a dog

Yesterday we tried following the advice of having him sitting in the back on his own - ignoring him - except that even though we tried to make the strap as short as possible - poor Elbie gave a yowl and threw himself down beneath the seat (where you put your feet). I had to go and sit back there with him so that he didn't accidentally strangle himself. We're going to go to Pet Barn today or tomorrow to try to find a harness that will strap him in more securely until he settles.

I wish I'd recorded him - he seriously makes monkey sounds sometimes when he's distressed He

, he makes monkey sounds and he loves food as though he's a labrador What on earth is he?

Another thing you can try is a strap similar to the ute lead that goes from the anchor point and latches to their collar, Ive made some of these for my girls and while it didnt stop Tess pacing, it did stop her from jumping off the seat

[dancinbcs]

Try a Backseat Buddy to stop him falling into the footwell.

[koalathebear]

Try a Backseat Buddy to stop him falling into the footwell.

We have a backseat buddy - not that brand but something similar but the annoying thing is once we put it on, there's no gap in it for us to pull the strap to clip the harness to the seat belt! So today we had to put half the cover there and half not so that we could buckle him in. From that website, the 'real' backseat buddy does seem to permit access to the seatbelt buckles and straps.

He does seem to be getting more accustomed to car rides and was a little bit calmer coming back from puppy classes but unfortunately he was still whimpering and sounding a bit distressed. It's a strange contradiction though because he gets so excited when he sees the harness and he hurtles to the car and he's the one who wants to get inside the car so we can't understand why he cries so much

Edited June 8, 2010 by koalathebear

[koalathebear]

We bought a new harness for Elbie - one that loops through the seatbelt and doesn't just have a D-loop that buckles into the seatbelt buckle. It didn't go well - Elbie almost SCREAMED AND SCREAMED AND SCREAMED and then almost strangled himself and tangled all of his legs up. Finally we removed the D-loop strap and just strapped him to the seat belt through the loops on his harness. We're driving along for about 5 minutes when suddenly his head pops up between us in the front seat.

Me: He's got himself out of his harness

OH: Which bit

Me: The whole thing - he's totally naked

Somehow, Elbie had managed to slip his neck and stomach halter buckles on his harness which were snug but not tight ... In the end, I gave up and had to sit in the back to restrain him while OH drove ...

[persephone]

Oops.

Moral of the story- make sure the harness FITS the dog! Don't be tempted to be 'kind' by leaving it loose Also- use it only in the manner it is meant to be used ...

Also make sure your dog is trained to wear the harness, before driving of- it could have been dsiastrous if Elbie had really panicked/bolted onto the front seat and knocked your hands off the wheel or something!

Back to the drawing board ...... and now Elbie KNOWS if he throws a real tanty- someone will once again sit in the back with him