Unhappy traveling in car - help please!

[iloveruby]

We have a 7 year old rescue, Bella, who has been with us since she was about 6 months old.

Bella has been getting worse when traveling in the car - not wanting to get in the car and panting and shaking when in.

The vast majority of her car rides are to go for walks and she always seems better on the way home (but still not always great).

Sometimes however she will travel really nicely but that is not very often.

We are going to try different travelling set-ups in the car as well as doing things such as feeding her treats whilst just in the car without going anywhere, then just turning engine on, then 1 minute journeys etc but, we can't completely avoid going out in the car whilst we do this.

We are going to try car sickness tablets as well (although she has never actually been sick). Does anyone have any suggestions about what sort of tablets might help or other things we could try with her?

Thank you!

I would not waste time on otc travel sickness drugs or natural remedies but go and ask your vet for cerenia. It is expensive but can stop travel sickness in dogs after a couple of trips.

If it is a new fear I would get a full vet check up including bloods and look at where your dog is in the car. Are they physically comfortable does the rocking movement mean they are in pain etc.

If it is fear of the car I would start very slowly and take out a mat from the car and get your dog happy with the smell of the car. Take the mat indoors and feed the dog on the mat maybe even put it in their bed (if they are not reacting to it) then once the dog is happy with the smell of the car you can start sitting in a still car etc .

Any form of counter conditioning and desensitising will be more effective if you can prevent using the car until the dog is ready for that stage. If you dont you tend to yo yo and the dog can take ages if ever to feel more comfortable

Crate and towel / sheet over it to stop her looking out!

Our dog was scared of the car when he was a puppy. He didn't want to get in it and when he did he would drool like crazy and would usually be sick.

We took it very slowly getting him to be happy in the car but it worked.

We started by just walking towards the car until he started to be unhappy. Once we could get pretty close to the car, we would walk round it. Then we would sit in the car , praising him all the time and maybe giving a treat. We started at a couple of minutes and gradually increased the time. Then we would sit in the car and start the engine, again starting with a couple of minutes and gradually increasing the time. Then it would be driving, starting with literally for a couple of minutes, again increasing gradually.

It did take a while (can't remember how long as it was 10 years ago) but it worked. He has always been comfortable in the car since and will either look out of the window or sleep

Where abouts in the car is she travelling? Our dog hated when we put her in a crate in the boot part but is as good as gold in a seatbelt harness on the back seat.

My dog loathed travelling in the car and we did everything mydogisthebest suggested over a period of months from 8 weeks old to no avail so he never went in the car he used to vomit just walking towards it. I also tried medication from the vet. I was once told by someone it gets better as they get older He's now 11 and two years ago we moved and I now travel a 6 hour journey fairly regularly he come with me so has to go in the car he has no choice. The first time I did the long journey I just picked him up and put him in, he has a crate he was utterly miserable, although didn't vomit when he was actually in the car (I never feed him on the day before he travels even short journeys), two years on he cheerfully jumps in the car and we travel all over the UK and he just sleeps peacefully.
I think you just have to get on with and persevere.

How many people are in the car ?

On long journeys ( ie motorway ) our middle dog ( who hates the car ) would calm down once a long straight journey . What he did not like was short journeys with corners etc IYSWIM. At which point I would sit in the back with him and he calmed down. I realise this doesn't help for 1 driver journeys. We also put a blanket he recognised in the back.