Scared of the car

Hi everyone im new here. I have owned many dogs over the years but never had a dog with this problem. I have a 15 month old JRT X that i hand reared from 3 weeks old. I have only recently had my own car and when he was younger every where we needed to go we went on the bus. He was fine and never had a problem untill he was about 9 months old and we went to the vets on the bus to check if he was big enough for castration. As we got off the bus he vomited. It was a small amount of bile and it didnt really concern me as he was fine in himself. Anyway after the vets we walked to my mothers which was just around the corner and she gave us a lift home. He had been in the car countless times and had never had a problem, only when i went to put him in the car his tail went between his legs and he started slinking around really low to the ground. I had no idea why he was doing it so i walked him away from the car and then back and he was fine. I belted him into the back of the car and off we went. About half way into the journey he was sick absolutely every where. My first reaction was to stop and clean it up and to then ring the vets. They asked me to bring him in but to a branch which was closer to home so we walked. The vet checked him over throughly and he was given a clean bill so i took him home. The only thing is he is now terrified of getting in the car. He is very sick whenever he is in the car, wether its a 5 minute drive or an hour. If i could i would walk everywhere but where i live its just not possible to walk to fave walking spots. I also go camping with the dogs and up to scotland for holidays so i need to be able to drive with him comfortable and happy in the car. So far i have tried bob martin travel eze tablets, not feeding before a journey, anxiety relief droplets, crating him in the car to see if he felt safer and having someone in the passenger seat holding him so he can look into the horizan. The vets have suggested a light seditive but i dont really want to have to sedate him to travel if it is a behaviour problem that can be fixed or made better so he isnt scared and uncomfortable. Big post i know just wanted to give as much info as possible

Hello there, and I do feel for you and your little chap.

I suppose that it is something akin to a child that is perfectly okay in a car whilst a baby and small toddler, then suddenly developes car sickness for no obvious reason. It's a truly horrible feeling, so no wonder your dog is thoroughly miserable at the thought of having to get into that box that makes him feel so ill.

You seem to have tried everything to try to help him, and as he starts being sick after just a few minutes then it is no good taking tiny short journeys and trying to build up the time.

You have tried a cage, but I wonder if covering it over with a blanket might help? Perhaps if you start just by putting him in the covered cage inside the car with some treats so that he associates it with good things, without turning on the ignition, then after a bit get him out again. Do this for a few days, then try starting the engine and just sitting there. If all is well, next time go for a very short journey etc. etc.

I would think that the first priority is to remove the fear of the car, and of feeling ill...........so the first steps should be done over many days.

That's all I can think of, and I hope that someone else has some good ideas.

• Covering up the cage so the dog cannot see things moving
• Homeopathic remedies: Cocculus, Bryonia, Petroleum, Sepia, Tabacum, Nux Vomica
• Herbal remedies: Ginger, Scullcap and Valerian
• Bach Flower Essences: Rescue Remedy, Cherry Plum but Scleranthus would be the essence of choice.
• Commercial Products: Seren-UM, contains vitamins, minerals and amino acids, DAP spray, Anxiety Travel
• Ginger Biscuits!

Ok now this is going to sound daft, but one of those things that take static out of the car may work (I dont know what they are called but they just toutch the ground).
Some people came to stay in my holliday cottage, they came from Holland and from thier place it was a 7 hour drive to me, they had a lovely young corgi that they said had always been sic in the car untill they put this thing on, worked wonders. I dont think they are expensive so worth a try. Good luck.

Do you mean just run of the mill super market ginger biscuits?

Ginger Nuts (no not HV or HWV) but yes .

Oh this is something i havent tried. How much should i give him? and how long before a journey?

Milkmaid what is this static devise you metioned??

Just one biscuit will do just before you start off.

This might not help at all but it is related. Dottie is still not great in the car-she isn't sick but shakes and whines a bit, particularly on the motorway or faster roads it seems. Anyway, I put her in there the other day and she was shaking quite badly (before we had even gone anywhere). For some reason I turned the radio off (it was on Radio 1) and she immediately stopped shaking. Since then I have driven around with the radio off or on Radio 4 and she seems a lot better. I wonder whether it is something to do with the vibrations? She seems to be better with Classical music as well-no baseline?

There is a nice long training regime ive applied in
the past which ive never known to fail, however no one else ever seems to want to use it, they prefer a quicker method. With that in mind you could try putting a drop of rescue remedy on her tongue half an hour before a journey. It takes a wee while but its quite effective