Mums dogs barks constantly when in the car

[ladybirdm]

Hey :) just wondered if you can help. As a family we are going away at Christmas and going to need to travel for about 3 hours. The trouble is my mums dog who cry’s and barks constantly whilst in the car. They have tried lots of things treats/plug ins and scented things but nothing has worked. I think normally they would just wear ear plugs but my Mum is going to start chemo next week and I’m just wondering if there is anything else she can do? She has heard about collars the vibrate? A sedative? Behaviour training? Leaving the dog at home isn’t an option....
Would be great to hear if anything has worked TIA :)

How does the dog travel in the car? Is it barking at things or is it the stress of the journey? I'd probably try darkening where the dog is, maybe dark sheet over a crate? Might make it feel more secure.

Hey, thank you, it’s the stress of the journey.... I know they have a crate/cage but being in it made her worse because she could get physical reassurance. I’ll get them to try darkening. Thank you :)

Can she be kept occupied with something like a kong? If she's trying to get peanut butter out of nooks and crannies, she can't bark at the same time...

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PLEASE don't put a spray collar on her! She's crying because she's distressed, please don't stress her even further by spraying her with a harsh scented chemical!

Have you tried a Thundershirt? They can be very effective with some dogs but other than that, getting a behaviourist involved is a very good idea.

Please don't get an awful spray collar! That will not help the poor dog, darkenking a crate could help and you could also try a herbal tablet. I use these for one of my dogs as he is scared of fireworks and instead of him shaking with fear he is able to calmly relax on the sofa. They are recommended for travel anxiety as well - www.dorwest.com/product/scullcap-valerian-tablets-for-dogs-and-cats/

Aversives like spray or shock collars "work" by attempting to get the dog to associate an undesirable behaviour with an unpleasant stimulus. That's no basis for successful training in any dog but for a dog who is already stressed it can make things much, much worse. This article explains why they're such a bad idea, particularly for stressed or anxious dogs.

Training really is the way forward. Things like Adaptil diffusers, body wraps/Thundershirts and even medication can be used to help with this but they're an aid to the training and not necessarily a solution in and of themselves.

I would start by getting her used to the crate away from the car. If she's not already crate trained then they should start from scratch as if she were a puppy. This is a really great guide to crate training.

She'll also need to learn that not only is the car something to not be afraid of (desensitisation) but that it's actually a really awesome and fun place to be (counter conditioning). This article explains the process very well and although it's not specific to cars the same methods can be used to deal with anything a dog finds scary or worrying. I'd also recommend having a watch of .

Getting a professional in might be an idea if it all seems a bit too much to deal with, it can really help having someone there to demonstrate and explain everything. Their vet will be able to refer them to a behaviourist or they could find one themselves via one of these organisations.

I’ve just spoken to my Mum. She said she tried the herbal tablets from the vet, diffuser, a high pitch barking device, a hissing spray, calming spray and clicker. She describes her dog as excited and I mistakenly said earlier it was the journey but actually Mum said it’s the cars coming towards especially smaller roads...

Has she bothered contacting a behaviourist or trainer who works with positive methods?!

Hodge -That's a bit rude "bothered to...?"
The Mum is obviously trying different things and I'm sure will get there in time!

Sorry if it came across as overly harsh, but she's wasted her money on several aggressive products that have probably upset and stressed the poor dog even more when one of the first things should have been to call a decent behaviourist/trainer. It upsets me when we use harsh methods on dogs.

Thank you so much for all your help. I’ll pass this thread to her xxxxx

Have you tried putting her in a harness on the back seat and someone sitting with her?