Car Phobia

This is going to be quite a long mail, but I feel I need to give as much detail as pos for people to understand the problem. My male dog is now 13 months old. When picked up from the breeders as an 8week old pup he vomited every few minutes in the car, and was totally miserable. For some months after, he dribbled and whimpered every time he travelled. He has never jumped into the car, but has always had to be lifted in. He is now 5 stone in weight, and stands 30 inches at the shoulder. Since coming into our family we have taken him in the car 2 or 3 times a week, always to somewhere exciting for a romp. I drive a Honda Crv (4x4) , which is quite high at the back. I had a travelling crate made to measure to fit the car. Its big enough for him to sit up in, though he does have to have his head slightly lowered. He can also stand up and turn around, and has plenty of room to lie down.
Since becoming a big dog, I had been able to physically put his front paws on the rear tail gate, and then lift his rear end into the car. This he has tolerated for the past 4 months. Not that it is ideal, especially at the end of the walk and he is muddy. Over the past few weeks he has become increasingly reluctant to allow us to 'assist' him into the car. He is now pulling away from us whilst I'm holding his collar, and has started to struggle when we try and lift him. The other day I managed to get him into the car to go out, but on the return from our walk he refused to get in. I tried to lift him on my own, but he struggled so much I couldn't do it. I tried to persuade him to get in the back door onto the rear seat, but he wouldn't do this either. Eventually a helpful man came to my aid. He took the rear end and I took the front. The poor man ended up absolutely covered in mud!
I've tried tempting him in with pieces of chicken, sausage, and any other really tasty treat you can think of. I've got in the cage first and tried to tempt him in (much to the amusement of the neighbours). I've tried toys, and even a step for him in case he finds the car too high. I'm now at a total loss. If my husband is with me then we can manage to lift him, but I'm often on my own. I don't know what I'd do if Timber was ill and I needed to transport him to the vets urgently. We also got another dog only two weeks ago. She happily jumps in the car, and I had thought this might encourage him, but it doesn't. The two dogs get on very well, but I don't put them both in the crate as there wouldn't be enough room. She's on the back seat.
I've also spent lots of time trying to acclimatise Timber to the car without him having to travel. He's spent time in there just chilling, I've fed him in there, or left him with a bone. There's never been any indication that he has a problem with his back legs, and he was thoroughly checked over by the vet as a pup. I've run out of ideas!!!!!!!!!
Any advice very gratefully received.
AW.

Hi Awleics it sounds as if you have been doing all the right things with regard to desensitising your dog to the car. You say are you holding him by the collar and trying to make him go in? A lot of dogs don't like being 'man handled' around the neck, it is a very vulnerable spot and forcing him to go in the car against his will would make him more fearful and reluctant to enter the car. Have you tried proper car steps or a ramp? Maybe if you now have another dog he would sit on the seat with her (in a car harness a dog should never be loose in a car) .

Hi we had this problem with one of our dogs,we had to return her to the breeder at 8 months due to other issues and she was rehomed.
The lady who now has her had the problems we had been having same as yours,in the end she put Zanta on a training lead and trailed it across the back of the car with rear boot door open,and sat in the front,Zanta was standing on the driveway other end of training lead,her Husband then got in started the car up and drove very slowly forward only a couple of inches then stopped and Zanta jumped in and they have had no problems since.

Hi there

You sound like a very caring owner who is at her wit's end, and you make very valid points about concern in case Timber is ever unwell and needs to go to the vet in a hurry.

I'd firstly suggest having him thoroughly checked out by the vet - explain the problem and get his hips, eyes, everything possible checked physically. Sometimes dogs can develop a fear of vehicle travelling because they associate them with feeling ill, or sometimes it can be because they do feel pain which they don't always show. I think it's always wise to get health checked out, even though this problem has occurred since puppyhood...

I'd also suggest a good trainer or behaviourist to help you with this as you do really need someone professional I think to be with you and work on this with you as the problem isn't an easy one.

(Sometimes people find that changing a vehicle to a different make can help but I won't suggest that, perhaps keep it as a last resort ).

Try www.apdt.co.uk and www.apbc.org.uk for a good trainer or behaviourist near you for help. It's possible the problem is just something simple that could even be solved in one session.

I agree with Minihaha's advice, it may be possible for him to learn that being on back seat with harness is not a bad place at all. It's definitely something I'd try.

Another route might be homeopathic or other help, but I'd still recommend getting a reputable professional alongside.

Wys
x

Thanks to you all for your very helpful replies. We made definite progress yesterday by adopting some of your suggestions. I sat in the back seat whilst my husband held Timber on a loose lead. Initially he wouldn't attempt to get in the car. We then made a sturdy/steady step for him and he got in. He had a good romp over the fields, and then got back onto the back seat using the same method. We're going to try taking the crate out of the back of the car today, I shall get in the boot space, and we'll use the step again.
Thanks again. Great help.

Hi awleics I am pleased to hear you are making progress.
I live near a large common where many people in cars bring their dogs to walk. I notice some of the people have very good folding steps and ramps so they are out there if you need to buy them

Hi we had all the same problems with one of mine, Keena.

It began with extream car sickness (extreamly heavy drool as soon as entering the car and sick within 1 minuet sometimes of driving off) and then she got to where so wouldn't even walk in the direction of the car. We persevered, never made a fuss calmly went about things and never showed that we were frustrated. This went on continuely till she was 9 months old and then rapidly began to get better over a week or two and then it was like nothing had ever happened.

Two things helped her the most. 1) driving her for a very short amount of time everyday even if just round the corner to get to one of her fave walks which meant there was insentive to get in the car and she related it with going to have fun.

You need to make all times in the car and the place you end up fun, make sure these fun times far outweigh any trips say to the vet or anything that might not be so nice.

2) The day we got our second dog and picked him up to travel home with us was one of the last days she was poorly in the car. It was especially at this point that she rapidly recovered.

Not sure if you have more than 1 dog? but I'm not suggesting that anyone should get another for these reasons, but if you do have two you may find that having a friend to travel with helps.

No matter what it can get better. I think Keena had to have been one of the worst cases and I thought we would never get her over it, but now she is great with road travel. To date it is still one of our biggest acheivements with her.