Re: Car anxiety Thanks Rosemary, will give the ramp a try. And I agree about today and Myles is already set on a swim. Thinking may be good to give him good association soon after yesterday's not so fun ride to/from puppy school. And it's a close drive.
Re: Car anxiety Fingers crossed for you today. Let us now how you get on, but remember with puppies it always seems one step forward and two steps back
Re: Car anxiety Now you mention it, as well as the Easter break with days out, for the first few weeks I drove Tess literally to the end of our road for her off lead walk! We are now able to walk there as she can handle the route without going in to excitement overdrive, but those short journeys must have helped her to like the car too Good luck! I can't imagine Tess swimming for a while but she will have a little paddle in a stream or puddle now!
Re: Car anxiety I've heard opening windows some on either side of the car (so don't just have one down, have 2) can help alleviate sickness a bit as it equalizes the air pressure or something in their ears. Maisie gets carsick and I'm just kind of waiting and hoping she grows out of it, while taking her on short trips to fun places and I must get back to feeding her Kongs in the car while I read and we just sit there to try to make it a nicer place for her.
Re: Car anxiety So we went ahead and took a little trip to my friend's house (puppy play time and swimming, all only fun!). I did lift him up and put him in car on way there. He immediately starting smacking his lips (he does this when he starts frothing). That's about the extent of it, frothing and excessive drooling and head hanging low. We got there, he had a fabulous time, then same reaction upon getting back in car. It's definitely the car itself (rather than anxiety about where we are going). And since he starts his anxiety right away, he can't already be carsick. So this week going to try the baby steps. Going to go ahead and postpone puppy school next weekend. We will pick up a later session. Just don't think I'm doing him any good by making him get in the car every week. [quote author=maisiesmomma link=topic=10728.msg159513#msg159513 date=1430072490] I've heard opening windows some on either side of the car (so don't just have one down, have 2) can help alleviate sickness a bit as it equalizes the air pressure or something in their ears. Maisie gets carsick and I'm just kind of waiting and hoping she grows out of it, while taking her on short trips to fun places and I must get back to feeding her Kongs in the car while I read and we just sit there to try to make it a nicer place for her. [/quote] Yes we do the window thing as well! So far doesn't seem to be helping :-\ . Keep me posted in Maise's progress in this. Hoping they just grow out of it!
Re: Car anxiety These things can start out as car sickness and turn into anxiety. Not that how it started makes any difference at this point as you are now confident the issue is definitely anxiety. You also know the point at which he starts to show visible anxiety. So, I'd think about all the steps that happen before then (picking up the car keys, putting something in the car...) and the order in which they happen. At some point along that chain of events he'll be starting to feel anxious but not yet show it obviously.
