I have a 7 month old lab and she doesn't like the car at all. We have to pick her up and place her in the car. Then she seems very nervous and uncomfortable. She seems to drool a lot during the ride but is generally quiet and doesn't move much at all. Getting her out is no easier. She trembles and makes it difficult to carry her out. She is absolutely fine once we get her out of the car though. What can we try aside from giving her treats to lure her in and/or out of the car and maybe some toys to play with during the ride?
Re: My Lab doesn't like the car. Hi, dont lose heart, it is fixable One of my Labs was just the same and this is what we did . I would get her into the car with the help of a treat and then just sit with her, no engine running , just sit for a minute or two and repeat for a few days . Then , as she relaxed , the car was started but not moved , this again for a couple of days . Then we started the car and just went a few yards , then a bit further the following day and so on . It isnt usually car sickness but just a fear , this particular dog of mine never actually enjoyed the car but she did accept it as a means to an end , a play off lead when she got out
Re: My Lab doesn't like the car. Kate just beat me to it, but I'll post it anyway... How often does she go in the car? Is it only for necessary journeys? I think I'd start looking at popping her into the car, giving her a treat, getting out again... without going anywhere. Get her used to the space (with a bed / blanket for her) before going anywhere. Make first journeys short... round the block, back out, and make it a daily training exercise for a while, even if you don't actually need to go out. If you think she is frightened by what she can see, you could also try restricting her view. It depends on how you are transporting her, but if she is in a crate you can cover it / partially cover it with a blanket to see if this helps her. I'm in a position at the moment where I have to do some long drives on a regular basis, so when I got my pup, we did work on daily car rides from day one because I knew I couldn't risk a problem developing... she's been fine. Maybe it's because the daily exposure helped, maybe it's because she seems to be a very chilled pooch! I'm sure some of the others who have had nervous travellers will have plenty more in the way of ideas... Clare
Re: My Lab doesn't like the car. Yes, she is only in the car for necessary trips. We have had her since August and she has really only been in the car a handful of times. She did throw up multiple times when we first got her on the way home from the breeder. Maybe that left a bad impression on her. We'll try training her with the tips provided above. Thanks for the quick responses!
Re: My Lab doesn't like the car. I had this problem with our rescue dog Charlie, drooling, anxiety it was awful, we picked him up to get him in the car, treats, toys even put out other dog Hattie in so that he had company absolutely nothing worked. What I did was left the boot of the car open and let him get in and out of his own free will and I did not turn the engine on. When he did that quite a few times I took him on the school run to pick my boys up. We are not 100% there but definitely getting better. Always make sure you are going somewhere nice and rewarding for your dog and it wil decrease. Good luck
Re: My Lab doesn't like the car. I have a very similar problem with Harley. She is fine when the car is stationary, but as soon as I drive she cries, whines and it gets louder and louder. Recently I went and brought Adaptil spray - it is quite expensive, but it has made a massive difference. You spray it in the area they will be 15 mins before the dog goes there. I managed to drive to my friends last weekend which is 45 mins away and within 2 mins, Harley had calmed down and led calmly on the way there and fell asleep on the way home . Might be worth a try?!
