It can be frustrating when you are on a time constraint, and your dog is not cooperating with you by getting into your vehicle. It is a common issue that many dog owners go through. If you find yourself fighting with a dog in your arms, your bags, and fumbling with the keys, there is a less stressful way to go about loading your fear-stricken pup into the car. But don’t worry, you’re not doing anything wrong; your dog just has a fear of car rides, like they may fear your mop, vacuum, or a family member. There are many reasons why your dog is difficult. There are a few ways to make the situation less stressful for you and your furry friend.
Why Does My Dog Refuse to Get in the Car?
The most common reason your dog won’t get into the car is that they fear the vehicle. When a dog is fearful of the car, there will be a struggle to get them inside the vehicle, and they may act up the entire way. They whine, refuse to stay still, and can cause distraction. Yes, this is common in many dogs, and many owners tend to struggle with this, but it can be an unsafe way to drive. Before any steps can be taken to improve the situation and experiences, you need to determine the cause of your dog’s fear of the car.
Your Dog is Getting Car Sick
Just like humans, dogs can become car sick. This is an uncomfortable feeling for both parties. Your furry friend can become nauseated and vomit, which could cause them to be fearful of car rides. Of course, your dog will feel uncomfortable but think about the mess you have to clean up.
Unfamiliar
If your dog is unfamiliar with car rides, this could cause a problem. Your pet could become disturned by the odd feeling of being inside a car and make the ride unbearable and unsafe. This could be caused by the engine’s sound scaring them; the vehicle could have an unfamiliar smell. Rather than their own, the floor vibrations of the floor could make them feel uncomfortable, and looking at the window of everything moving, especially if you are driving fast, could be unsettling for them. These unfamiliar experiences can cause your dog to become fearful of the car.
Negative Experiences
A negative experience can transform into fear for a lot of dogs. Many see that shelter dogs associate negative experiences with cars. They are more likely to have traumatic experiences when riding in a car, and you wouldn’t know about them, especially if they are older dogs. Your dog could also associate the vet with the vehicle. If your pet does not enjoy visiting his friends at the vet, they may associate any car rides with that bad experience. Lastly, any dog that may encounter a car accident will show struggle when getting into the car.
Of course, since this is a common struggle for many owners, there are ways to help your dog overcome this fear. Between positive reinforcement to making car rides a little more comfortable for your friend, there are many ways to help your dog get over their fear. The easiest way to help your dog is to slowly introduce them to the experiences by making them associated with positive reinforcement.
How to Train My Dog to get into the Car
There are many ways to go about training your dog to get into your vehicle. It all depends on what you desire the issue and what causes the fear. When done so, you can use a few of these techniques to train your dog to jump, be held, or walk up a ramp into your car. Before teaching your pup to get into the car, you want to be sure to start the introduction with positivity.
Steps to Introduce your Dog to your Car
When you slowly introduce your dog to your vehicle, you have a better chance of those fears disappearing. Of course, if your dog has a motion sickness issue, it may be a little more elaborate than a dog that uncomfortable or associates car rides to go to the vet. Here are a few ways to start the process of training your dog to get into your vehicle without any trouble.
- To start, you want to lure your dog to the car. This can be done by offering treats and giving praise. When you force your dog, they will start putting the breaks on heading to the car. There is no need to drag, push, or pull your dog to the vehicle; this will make it worse. For dogs that don’t have a severe fear, this will only take a few training pieces before they can walk up to the car without struggle; for any dogs with more profound anxiety, this may take longer. Be sure to use their favorite treats, and adding their favorite toy along with the training will only make things easier.
- When starting, you’re only luring your dog to the car door; next, you want to lure them into the car. The best way to begin this part of the training is to open all the car doors. This will help make your pet feel comfortable and not trapped. The best way to encourage your dog to get into the car while training them is by having two people present. One person should be next to the dog, and the other person should be on the other side of the vehicle lying across the back seat, luring your pup into the car with treats or a toy. You want to work as a team. You want to be sure to use a happy, cheerful voice when trying to get your dog into the vehicle.
- When your dog has finally jumped into the car on their own accord, be sure to bond with them before rushing to close all the doors, start the engine, and get going. You want to work your way up to sitting in the front seat; continue praising, cuddling, and spending time with your dog for a little longer. This could take a few weeks for them to see the car isn’t such a horrible place.
- When seeing your pup comfortable with being inside the car, try to sit up front and start the vehicle. When you do, be sure to give them readily some treats. Continue talking to them in a positive, praising way, then turn off the engine. You want to repeat this a few times until your pup becomes comfortable with being inside your vehicle with the engine on.
- When you finally can go on your first right out of the driveway, you want to be sure that you are no further than a block away. Don’t make the first trip a long one. Be sure to bring that helper to sit in the back and give the dog treats as needed. As your dog gets more comfortable with the car moving, you can slowly work on longer trips.
- Be sure to take your dog somewhere fun for their first long car ride; for example, the park, maybe their favorite family members home, the beach, the drive-thru of their favorite fast-food restaurants to snag a few bites of a hamburger, etc. Anywhere your dog loves to go. You don’t want their first trip to be to the vet. You’ll be back to square one faster than you ever expected.
Being as patient as possible is the key to success. You can’t rush your pup into enjoying car rides; it will only make them more anxious. Every dog has a different anxiety level towards car rides, so each situation needs to be taken at a different speed. You need to give them time, a positive experience, and lots of yummy treats to kick the fear of your car.
Teaching your Dog to get into your Vehicle with One Word Commands: Load
When your dog is more comfortable riding in your vehicle, you can teach your pet to get into your car on a one-word command. If you thought teaching your dog to sit, stay, or come was easy, this is way simpler. This is the easiest way to lure your dog to the car without any struggle. Here are the easy steps to train your dog to get into your car on command.
- Be sure to start putting something that your dog loves, like a treat or a toy already in the car. Place the toy or treat near your dog’s nose first and start to lure them into the car. A trick: don’t move the item you’re using to lure your dog with, like a treat, too far away from their nose; they will not follow if it goes too far. If you are using a toy, toss it into the car you want your dog to go. Once your dog does where you want them to go, mark it with a word like, yes, or good and give them the treat to reward them.
- Once you have successfully done this a few times, try guiding your dog in the car with your hand without the lure. Be sure not to overuse the appeal; after a while, it will not work on your pup. A few indicators to show if you’re doing it right:
- If your dog jumps in the car, use a marker word, like, good or yes, and reward them with a treat.
- If your pup doesn’t jump, you may have to use the lure a few more times,
Once your dog is following just your hand, you can use a hand signal or a word command; it is up to you.
Adding the Command
Whatever you choose as your command word, load, up, car, you want to start using the phrase wight before you lure your dog with your hand. As your pup starts to get it, they will move towards the car as you say your command word, but before you have begun the lure. Depending on the comfort level of your dog, you can drop your hand and signal, or start fading it by luring them three-fourths of the way, then a quarter of the way, until you no longer have to use your hand.
How can I Make my Dog More Comfortable in the Car?
Depending on your dog’s reason for fear of the car will determine how you make them comfortable in the car. For example, if they suffer from motion sickness, there are a few things you may have to do before your dog gets into the vehicle to ensure that they don’t feel uneasy. Here are a few tricks to make your dog more comfortable when suffering from motion sickness.
Preventing Motion Sickness
Puppies are more inclined to have motion sickness than an adult dog. As your dog gets older, they are more likely to grow out of it. Unfortunately, some don’t, but there are ways to help your pet become comfortable with a moving car. Here are a few ways to ease your pup’s sickness and anxiety.
- The temperature inside the car should be cool.
- Keep windows open for fresh air.
- Be sure to limit your pup’s water and food intake a few hours before an upcoming car ride.
- Talk o your veterinarian about using anti-motion sickness or anxiety medications.
- Use exercise to help you. This will decrease the stress of the trip on your pet. Be sure to do this twenty minutes before your upcoming car trip.
- Spray dog pheromones in the car; they come in collars, diffusers, and sprays. This will mimic the odor of a nursing mother and will relax your pup and adult dogs.
Where Should My Dog Ride in the Car
You want your dog to be safe, mostly if an unfortunate accident was to happen. You never know, so you want to be prepared. You don’t want your dog to roam freely in your vehicle; it is hazardous. Your furry friend could distract you from the road, which could cause injury to you and your pup. They could also jump out of the vehicle when you open your door, which could cause a big issue; they could get hit by a car or run off and get lost. Lastly, if you were to get into an accident, your pup could go flying and become extremely injured.
You want your pup secured at all times while the vehicle is moving. The safest and proper way is for your dog to be inside a crate, a dog seat belt, or a harness. You also want to be sure to place your pup in the back seat or cargo area. Refrain from having them in front of the car with you.
Is it Illegal to Drive with an Unrestrained Dog?
It all depends on what state you live in—every state has its laws about securing your dog while a vehicle moves. For example, Massachusetts has no law about securing your dog, but they restrict where your dog is allowed to be while the car is moving, such as the driver’s lap or front seat.
Other states like New Jersey require your dog to have a seatbelt when in a moving vehicle. If you fail to follow the law, the fine you would face is between $250-$1000. Save that money to buy something fun for your pet rather than a ticket. It is a lot safer for your pet to be secured even if your state doesn’t require your dog to be secured. You want to protect your pet.
Conclusion
Depending on why your dog fears car rides, there are ways to overcome them. Be sure to start by determining where the fear is rooting from and then overcoming the fear of car rides at a slow pace. Rushing your pup will not reduce their fear; it will only heighten their anxiety. Don’t forget to praise your pup for being a good dog, and remember to reward them with many treats.
FAQ
Here are a few related questions about your dog refusing to get into your car.
How to calm an excited dog?
Your dog has what seems to be unlimited energy, which is not a good thing. An over-excited dog can be tough to calm down. Here are a few tips to calm your pup.
- Don’t encourage their excitement: The worst thing you can do when they are overexcited is to give them affection or attention; the best way to deal with this situation is to ignore your pup: no touch, no talk, no eye contact. If your dog jumps on, be sure to turn away and push them back down.
- You want to encourage calm behavior: When your dog is calm or in a submissive state, reward them. Give them attention and affection, which will reinforce that state.
- Be sure to wear out your dog: Give your dog many exercises; wear them out. The more they get their energy out, the less likely they are to be overly excited.
How to train your dog to jump into the back of your truck?
Not all dogs are just going to jump into your car when there are car rides. Some will need help getting into the car or will wait for you to put them into the car. Here are some training tips to get your dog to jump into the back of your truck.
- When starting to train, you want to keep the car out of the equation. Be sure to use a blanket as a target; you want to place it on the floor. Use praising words and treats for your dog when they interact with it.
- Next, place the blanket on top of some books and use praising words and treats when your dog walks over to it or interacts with it.
- Then, place the blanket on some large pillows. Be sure to use praising words and treats when your dog interacts with it.
- Next, place the blanket onto a couch that you’re okay with your pup jumping on. When your pup jumps onto the blanket placed on the sofa, use praising words and treats.
- Place a sturdy box strong enough to hold your pup onto the couch with the blanket onto the box. The box will encourage the dog to sprint and make a slightly longer jump to get on it. Use a cue to encourage your pup to jump onto the box, for example, up or come up. Be sure to practice over and over again.
- The same blanket that you have been using for a training place in your car. Use the command word of your choice. Practice until your pup doesn’t need the blanket as a reference anymore.
Are extended car rides terrible for dogs?
Long car rides aren’t easy for dogs or any animals. Shorter trips are more recommended for your pets who are not well adjusted for long rides.