Traveling by car is an activity that is deeply rooted in our routine for humans, which is why it is essential to get our dog used to doing it properly in order to continue our day-to-day activities normally and not cause us any impediment when traveling with animals. But what if your dog cries in the car or is afraid of it and doesn't want to get in?
In this article on our site we are going to give you some tips for dogs afraid of cars that will help you when you have to prepare to travel with your pet and will prevent car journeys from being a negative experience for both you and him. So when you have to take him to the vet or want to spend a day in the mountains, you know how to calm down the dog before putting him in the car and you can travel normally.
Why is a dog afraid of cars?
Fear appears when the dog perceives dangerIt is an adaptive emotion that allows him to survive in the environment in which he it lives. During the puppy's socialization stage we must present our dog with everything that is going to be found in its adult stage, otherwise, when the socialization ends and fear appears, the dog can react negatively to things it does not know, in this case cars.
Apart from being related to socialization, if we have adopted an adult dog or have reacted inappropriately to the first expressions of fear, we must know other reasonsthat can cause this problem:
- Lack of regular exposure to the vehicle.
- Getting sick in the car (including nausea, vomiting, anxiety…).
- The dog has had a traumatic experience related to cars including being run over, traffic accident, etc.
- Vehicle discomfort.
- The dog has been punished or forced into a vehicle.
- Fear of the sound of the car (noises, vibrations, speed…).
- Association with the vet, a kennel or shelter, etc.
- Suffering from some unrelated physical illness.
- Aging (cognitive dysfunction syndrome).
Differentiating fear from phobia
It is very important to be clear about the difference between fear and phobia, since it will be very difficult to treat a dog suffering from the second condition. The dog acts in four ways when exposed to the fearful stimulus: he tries to run away, he tries to move, he stays still or he fights. In the case of the phobia, the dog reacts in a totally disproportionate and irrational way and can panic.
To prevent our dog from getting nervous in the car and having anxiety every time he has to get in, he needs to live that moment as a positive experienceApart from rewarding him with treats every time he gets into the vehicle alone without help or letting him play with his favorite stuffed animal, it is important not to take the dog in the car just to go to the vet or to any other place that may cause Fear, as this will make the dog associate the vehicle as the moment before a negative experience and it will be even easier for him to have a car phobia.
That is why it is advisable to drive the animal to the park, the countryside or any other place that is pleasant for the dog, so that it associates it with a pleasant and calm moment, and knows that the fact of getting into the car doesn't mean that later onthey will hurt you. A good way to make the experience even more positive and reassure the dog on trips is to walk it before and after the journey that we are going to make. Thus, in addition to having made him expend energy before the trip so that he is calmer, the dog will know that he will have a good walk afterwards, something that he loves and that predisposes him much more not to be afraid of the car.
Traveling with the dog as a puppy
As we have already mentioned, for a dog not to be afraid of the car it is necessary to get him used to it from a young age so that he becomes familiar with with the environment and see it as something more than their daily life and not as something unnatural, because an adult dog that has never traveled will be more likely to have car phobia than another that is already used to doing so.
As part of the puppy's socialization with the environment, it is advisable to make trips with him of various durations and of a different nature, either to a relative's house, to the park, to the mountains, etc… We will start by making short trips and then we will increase the duration of the car trip for the dog (at first the trips cannot exceed 10 minutes) as we see that the dog is comfortable and calm. With adult dogs we will use the same technique, progressively increasing the duration of the car trip. Obviously it will be easier for us to teach a puppy not to be afraid of going by car than an adult dog, as happens with basic training commands, but even so, we must not lose patience and persevere with our goal, always from the start. affection and positive reinforcement.
Attitude of companions
The behavior that we have when making a trip will completely determine the attitude of our pet, so it is vital to agree good humor, calm and act normally so that the dog notices our state of mind and gets infected by it. If we are nervous, impatient, angry or upset because the dog does not want to get in the car, it will catch our attitude because it will believe that there is some danger and that it must be in tension, and then it will be impossible for it not to get stressed and make us case.
To prevent the dog from suffering from anxiety in the car, we have to prepare everything necessary to take it with us in a calm and relaxed way, despite the fact that a trip itself can already be stressful for us. To do this, before the trip we will reward the dog with a treat or a good dose of affection when he gets into the car, especially if he has gotten in by himself. During the trip, we will maintain a calm and serene attitude, just as if we were at home, we can even sit next to him and caress him while the journey lasts to transmit that tranquility. And at the end of the trip, it is advisable to reward him again with a good dose of caresses, games or some treat, so that the dog knows how well he has behaved in the car.
If for whatever reason the dog gets upset and starts to be nervous in the car, what we never have to do is start comforting and petting it, because then what we will be doing is reinforcing that attitude and instead of understanding that it is not correct, the dog will think that this behavior is appropriate for traveling and is good for us.
What if the problem is dizziness?
Maybe the main reason your dog is afraid of the car is that he gets motion sickness. Unknown noises, the movement of the vehicle and taking him out of his comfort zone can provoke anxiety and anguish in our animal and make him panic about the car, no because he doesn't like the vehicle or the destination itself, but because for him it is a very negative and unpleasant experience that obviously, he will want to avoid at all costs.
To prevent your dog from getting sick in the car, especially if the trip is long and apart from following the advice in the previous sections, it is necessary not to feed him (but he can drink) a few two or three hours approximately before making the journey and stop at least every one or two hours for the dog to stretch its legs, relieve itself and hydrate with water (just as they recommend us). Also, the fact of going in a carrier means that the dog does not get so dizzy. It must be focused forward or without the dog seeing anything.
If this doesn't work and the dog continues to get seasick because it is prone to it, the ideal thing is to go to your trusted veterinarian so that they prescribe a seasickness pillsThese pills will help calm the dog during the trip and thus prevent him from having a bad time and you too. There are two types of pills used:
- Cerinia tablets (prevents vomiting but not dizziness, it's like a primer).
- Calmivet (not recommended because it is a muscle relaxant, and what happens is that the dog cannot move but is aware that what is happening and his anxiety levels can skyrocket)
Properly condition the vehicle
One of the essential measures so that the dog that is afraid of the car can travel calmly with us is to adequately prepare the vehicle for each occasion. According to the regulations for taking a dog in the car, it is mandatory that the animal be physically separated by a barrier that separates it from the driver so that it cannot distract or cause any accident.
That is why if the dog is large, we will have to install a separating mesh that divides the front and rear of the car and lead the animal tied with a special harnessfor vehicles (as if it were our belt) so that it does not wobble too much during the journey, always placing a blanket or cloth on the seats so that the animal is comfortable, can stretch out and sleep whenever it wants, and step, do not dirty the car. On the other hand, if the dog is smaller, we can take it in a approved carrier that will prevent it from moving too much during the trip and getting dizzy less easily.
