My dog is scared of getting in the car

Don't know if anyone has had the same issue but, my dog is so scared of getting in the car. We have a two door car and it seems that Archie is petrified of getting behind the front seat. I was wondering if anyone has had the same issue and how you might have overcome it.

First of all why is he behind the front seat? Is your car a small one and does the floor vibrate giving him a bad feeling? When I have had that answered I can then maybe help.

How old is Archie? (lovely name!)
Is he afraid of being trapped in.
Has he always ridden in the back of the car? is he in a seat belt harness, that might make him feel more secure if he was.
Some dogs just dislike riding in cars, Pepsi isn't keen, although she is better than she was, and a Lurcher I once had used to go beserk as soon as the engine started, we never got over it.

In a two door car the only way of getting in the back is to go behind the front seat, whether he eventually sits on the seat or the floor isn't the issue from what I read, It's actually the front seat tilting and him getting past it. Two things I would try is chucking small pieces of cooked chicken or whatever his favourite treat is into the back to entice him in, or sit in the back myself and call him in and reward if he obliges. Make a game of it, you don't need to be going anywhere as all you're trying to achieve at first is getting him in the car willingly.

You beat me to it! I had the same problem with Georgina. Although my car has 4 doors the rear ones don't open wide enough for her to jump onto the back seat (see the attached photo). The only way she can get into the car is by clambering into the footwell and then onto the back seat which when she was younger she didn't know how to do. It wasn't helped her by having poor eyesight at the time.

Every day I'd open both rear doors and eat my breakfast and lunchtime sandwich, sitting in the back seat. She loved to share my toast and honey and ham and cheese sandwiches and gradually over a period of a week, she first put one front paw in the car, then another, then both front paws plus a back paw until finally her desire to be given some of my food overcame her fear and the whole of her body was in the car.

It's just a matter of patience and consistency.

Thank you for your replies, Archie has ridden in the car, once when we first took him home, again when he went for his first vet check, he wasn't too keen either time but once in he sat very well on the back seat with me, in fact I was really surprised how good he was, the third time was when we came out of the vets, he suddenly became very scared of getting into the car.

he's behind the front seat because that's where the back seat is, the car is't a tiny vibrating tin box either.
Some of the answers I have had have been very helpful and I will be trying them out in due course .

Thank you, this is very helpful

This is helpful, thank you

Corrine, please stay in touch and let us know how Archie gets on.