Advice sought - getting puppy used to car travel!

[LittleB]

Can anyone give me some advice. I've got a 10wk old Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever (had him 2 weeks). His general training is coming on and he's settled in well, but his main problem is travelling in the car, he just won't settle. When I collected him he got very upset and was sick and poohed in his crate (I borrowed a small crate for car travel) he's then poohed a couple more times in his crate, so I've had him loose in the boot with a dog guard up, he's a little better here and hasn't pooed but still howls, barks and cries for most of the journey. ( I think he associated the crate with leaving his family). When my older dog is in the boot with him, he still whines alot but also barks playfully with her - she doesn't want to play and just barks back. Its making car journeys very noisy which upsets my dd (nearly 2 who gets on very well with hime the rest of the time). Car journeys have been pretty short, often only a few minutes to see friedns where he then gets lots of fussing and some food. I work part time as a Countryside Ranger and plan to take him to work with me, but need him settled in the car, I also need to be able to leave him alone in the car while I pop into the office etc (in a private car park, shady spot overlooked by office before anyone tells me off!) the only time he has settled was when he got through the gaurd (its fixed more firmly now) and lay on the back seat next to dd. Should i let him travel here - I worry about him wandering about the car and the books say make him travel where he will travel as an adult which is the boot. Any tips would be useful he doesn't seem to be improving - we're also going on holiday to the Cotswolds in 1 1/2 weeks where we'll be travelling about with him alot. Would be good to help him settle before that.

Most puppies are travel sick unfortunatly there isnt really a easy solution, they just grow out of it.
In the meantime you should make sure the car is well ventilated and try not to feed him 2-3hrs before setting off.
protect your car!!
give him lots of praise for sitting nicely and maybe have a special toy he has only in the car, or one he plays with lots.

Sorry if this doesn't help much, but I hope you have a nice time.

Jodie x

LittleB, we had this prob with one of our dogs - we got a behaviourist out as it was getting worse. She told us to start by feeding the dog in the car, with the boot open first time (we have an estate car), then boot closed, then as long as the dog was happy, start the engine (but not go anywhere), etc etc over a period of time, only going to the next stage if the dog was calm. Then very short journeys (end of the road at first!) with big treats at the end. It's a lot less comfy riding in the boot than the back seat so she also told us to line it well - we folded a double duvet in it. It has worked brilliantly and from having a dog who puked copiously every time she went in the car, she now never does.

Apparently it's rarely actual motion sickness, more to do with stress. You could also try a DAP spray in the car, though we never needed that.

Thanks for the advice.
Jodie he does seem a bit happier when the windows are wide open and we're moving along, its just tricky when the traffic slows and its raining - but I'll persevere. The boot is pretty comfy - my older dog has artritus so theres a big orthopaedic doggy mattress bed that cover he whole boot area, waterproof but with a fleece throw on it. He has a cuddly toy duck he likes, I'll try taking that with us too.
I've heard about the feeding him in the car etc but we can't park by our house, have to park in a fairly busy road around the corner so it would be quite tricky, although we could do this on holiday - we're staying on a farm and can park right in front of the cottage.
Bitzer what is DAP spray? Is that the spray which can calm them down? Has anyone tried it? He's only actually been sick when I first picked him up, he just seems very upset the rest of the time.
Any other suggestions?

you can buy a DAP spray from your vets, it is a synthetic hormome, the one a bitch gives off to her pups to calm them. you would do a few pumps in the area and i think leave it for a few mins before introducing the dog. I cant remember how long it lasts a few hours maybe but it should come with some info. Its about £20 but will last a while as you dont need to use a lot. infact if I remember correctly if you go OTT with it, it has the opposit effect.
It has only been out for about a yr so there is not a lot of feedback for it yet, but as a last option I would try it.

HTH, Jodie x

little B Hi there, country side ranger AND a puppy .

D.A.P Dog appeasing pheromone, it is a doggie hormone that is produced by nursing mothers (doggies i hasten to add) and can make dogs feel more settled. I imagine that time will solve the problem TBH, DAP do work but you need to be using them for up to a month before a real difference is noticed. If the main problem is the barking you could try an anti bark collar that sprays citronella when the dog barks, they hate the smell, - im sure its safe for dd too.

The harness is a good idea if going to be in the back but he would still be able to get his paws into the car seat so maybe not.

I think the feeding idea is a good one, but dogs do associate food with their territory and they can develop gaurding behaviours in enclosed spaces, mine used to bite me when i got into HIS car! Soon put a stop to that i can tell you

It took about a year for my lab/retriever to get used to the car. We had a horrendous journey home from the breeders, who had fed him just before I arrived to collect him. He vomited everywhere and was only calm on the motorway but the windy, hilly roads stressed him out. Aged 5 he still gets stressed but normally shuts up when I shout at him!! Aged 5 months we did a 3 1/2 hour trip and he ended up sitting on my lap in the passengers seat...I smelt wonderful when we arrived. I think you just need to make it part of his daily routine until he gets used to it. Good luck!

I forgot to say DAP is odourless to us