Now that Summer is here and
we all start to turn our attention to going on holiday. Packing up the car for a day’s outing with
our dog should be something to look forward to.
Unfortunately, for some dogs this isn’t the case.
Problems
of car travel mainly involve:
- Motion sickness and feeling
nauseous
- Associating the car with an
unpleasant experience (going to the vets or kennels)
- Over-excitement
- Movement chasing
So what
can we do to help?
- If your dog salivates, pants
and looks miserable, it’s likely they feel sick. Ask your vet about
medication that addresses this problem. www.cerenia.com is a product that can help.
There is also some useful advice on car travel on their website.
- For fear, associate the car
with pleasant experiences. Give them treats in a motionless car. Play with
them by opening all the doors and throwing a ball through the car for them.
This encourages the dog to enter the car to retrieve it.
- Gradually build up their
confidence. Follow step 2 but begin starting the engine.
- Work towards moving the car
a short distance. Provided they do not show fear, slowly increase
the journey time. Remember to continue with the rewards.
- For movement chasers-
consider using a covered travel crate. Remember to follow the tips for
crate training: https://www.peteducationandtraining.co.uk/how-to-crate-train-your-dog.
- Adaptil spray is a pheromone
product that may help induce calm behaviour. It has also been shown to
reduce stress and nausea. Spray it on a blanket in the car a few minutes
before travelling or on to a bandana that your dog can wear during the
trip.
- Avoid feeding before a car
journey but make sure they have had a small drink half an hour beforehand.
Don’t forget to take water with you.
- For over-excitement
introduce car travel on the way back from a walk. You could also try
taking them on short journeys but to nowhere in particular. This will help
them stop predicting an exciting walk so they do not become over-aroused.
- For the dog that only
usually goes to the vets in the car - try and take them to pleasant
destinations too!
- Remember: Dogs should always be harnessed or secured during travel to prevent injury and interfering with the controls.
Caroline Clark is a consultant in animal behaviour counselling and you can find more information at www.peteducationandtraining.co.uk
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