All, Have Kenzi at 7.5months and she's always been really good with travelling, she's been going in the boot of the car for road trips since she was about 12-13weeks. Unfortunately a week or so ago, through her being a little hyper and me being in a rush, she got her tail tip caught when I tried to close the boot (all ok but scared her), she seemed fine getting back in the car immediately after that but since then she's getting more stubborn about going towards the car and runs a mile when I try to pick her up to put her into the boot. As Kenzi has completely refused all previous attempts to put her in a harness, moving her to the back seat vs the boot is ideally a last resort but think she's developed a fear of the boot. I saw this video on the site http://www.thelabradorforum.com/index.php?topic=514.msg2204#msg2204 and used it to overcome Kenzis fear of the house stairs (outside stairs she was always fine with) and have used it to C&T for movement towards the car and her putting her front paws up to get a treat out of the open boot. However, if she stands next to the open boot any movement I make to pick her up she moves away - any ideas how I can use this to get her to stay still so she's ok being lifted into the boot? I was thinking possibly C&T for staying still as I bend down? Also once I get her in there how to C&T when closing the lid as i'll be on the outside so makes it a little difficult. note: single parent here so don't usually have a 3rd party to help with training all the time but may need to enlist family if the only way is to have someone C&T as I lift her or C&T from the inside while I open/close boot.
Re: C&T ideas to remove fear of car boot... Yes - it takes ages when they have been hurt. Tatze once tried to run in the door carrying a huge stick and jarred her jaw badly. I thought some of her teeth were going to come loose. It took her ages to believe the door wouldn't hurt her. But she has forgotten it now, at last. We used really tasty treats to coax her through - and had to do that every time for AGES, we then progressed to kibble. All in all it took six months for her to go through without coaxing. You will get there
Re: C&T ideas to remove fear of car boot... I usually take her in the car 2-3times a week at least and we're on holiday next week so was going to take her on a few trips to Northumberland for some walks/paddles. So do I just reward massively and put her in anyway even though she's a scared? once the boot is closed and she's in the car she is fine, it's just putting her in the car and closing the boot that's tough and because i'm on the outside it's pretty hard to reward her when she's her most scared. I've tried putting treats in the car but she'll just eat them and then try to jump straight out
Re: C&T ideas to remove fear of car boot... When my back is really bad and I can't lift Lola in to the boot I put the back seat down and get her in that way then put the seat back up. Maybe once she has had a couple of trips and lots of treats she'll be more comfortable getting straight in again
Re: C&T ideas to remove fear of car boot... I would train her to jump up into the boot. That should not hurt her limbs (you can still lift her out). Start by feeding her her dinner outside the open boot, then moving it into the boot so she can put her paws up and eat it, then in a bit more so she has to stretch, then in a bit more etc.
Re: C&T ideas to remove fear of car boot... I'm struggling with my boy going up the veg garden steps right now - no idea whatsoever why he won't go up them! It does take ages.... I don't know if this helps, but Charlie used to be funny about getting in and out of cars. Mainly getting out, but getting in wasn't great either. This became a looming nightmare as he needed surgery, and so couldn't have him struggling in our arms around the car. We got an old aluminum workbench, covered it in rubber door mats held down with cable ties. This was the same height as the car, put it against the back bumper, and lifted him onto it. He then trotted straight in and out of the car. Once he was happy with that, we removed the workbench and all is fine now. I think this worked because it just changed the whole routine and way of getting in and out of the car. Plus the picking up bit was no longer associated with the car. I know it's not the same thing for you, but mention it in case it gives you any ideas.
Re: C&T ideas to remove fear of car boot... All thanks for the suggestions, I can't go via the back seat due to the dog guard that is fitted for the boot but I do have a ramp for when she's too heavy for me to lift so will try that and also the dinner/treats options to try to get her to jump in. I did manage to get her into the car earlier so seeing progress in that respect, just need to get her to stay in now as not being able to drive with her is simply not an option. Julie - that video worked a treat for the stairs issue, actually started off with going up stairs, so C&T for forward movement, C&T for moving up steps etc and doing it at her pace. It was the first time I've used the clicker too and took maybe 5-10mins total and now she's up and down the stairs like a pro, so quite impressed with clicker so far.
Re: C&T ideas to remove fear of car boot... well I can get her in the boot no problem (ramp and jumping in), but I can't keep her in there, she refuses to sit or stay and as soon as she's eaten the treats that get her in there she wants to be straight out. I don't understand why she's apparently gradually got this fear, she was fine the first 3-4time after she hurt her tail but since Tuesday she's gotten steadily worse. Don't really have any ideas about making her stay in the boot, maybe give her dinner in there as suggested but then she'll bolt as soon as she's done. Going to take a break from thinking about it and try again tomorrow.
Re: C&T ideas to remove fear of car boot... How about a massively, massively, tasty kong when she gets in? Tied inside the boot if necessary? I mean a really OTT kong, not a frozen soaked kibble kong. Thinking roast chicken, sardines, gravy bones....
Re: C&T ideas to remove fear of car boot... will try that tomorrow/Sunday, I have a frozen sardine/kibble/Philadelphia left in the freezer, but will struggle to tied it so can prep another and freeze some string into it. Earlier we had just sardines and that kept her still in there for a little while. the boot is certainly the trigger vs the car in general, so i'm just going to have to take baby steps and be patient which isn't necessarily in my nature
Re: C&T ideas to remove fear of car boot... Is she just loose in the boot or does she have a harness you can use to clip her to something? Do you mean she jumps out before you can close the boot?
Re: C&T ideas to remove fear of car boot... I don't know what sort of car you have but if it's an estate or four door hatch back what about putting the back seat down, just part of it if it splits, and putting her into the boot through the back door rather than the boot door. Depending on the type of car it might be a bit of a squeeze but might give her time to forget about the tail incident. A Volvo is very good for this type of boot entry. When I went on holiday with my parents my old lab used to get in the boot like this because we had the boat behind and couldn't open the boot door. We also used to split the boot in half length ways with a dog guard. His basket in one half picnic basket, coats, wellies even fishing rods in the other. ;D
Re: C&T ideas to remove fear of car boot... Skooch can't go via the back seat as there's a dog guard fitted (which I guess prevents the seat being lowered?).
Re: C&T ideas to remove fear of car boot... Oops sorry missed that. :-\ The dog guard we had only covered above the back seat so we could put the seat down and Murphy could go under the guard into the boot. It depends on how the guard fits though.
Re: C&T ideas to remove fear of car boot... Yes she's trying to get out before I can close the boot,just since the tail incident, before that she was fine. She's always been loose in the boot, no additional restraint, but sits when I close the door & has to sit while I open to let her out, worked well before but now posing more of a problem. Oddly though she's been in after the tail accident & was fine, it's just the last two attempts to get herein the car where she's gotten worse I can actually lower the seats in the back but have to do all of them which brings the guard down with the seat, problem is that there isn't then a decent angle to get Kenzi into the boot with the seat down - it's an Audi a3 sportback so not the biggest car. I'm just going to go back to basics, c&t for being close to car, then getting in boot, then staying in boot, then reaching up to close, then slightly closing etc hopefully that breaks it down enough to help her get over the fear.
Re: C&T ideas to remove fear of car boot... Looks like it's a fear of the boot shutting, not of getting in there - which is very understandable. How about getting one of these? They are excellent, we used one before we got the boot crate. You could open and shut the boot once the dog is in the car and carry on like that for a week or so, then see if she has begun to forget her fear. It's a back seat hammock and they are not expensive. You need the seat belt clip too. My friend still uses one as her car is too small for a lab in the boot. http://tinyurl.com/k7beudb
