How to calm the dog's anxiety in the car? 3 tips

In this post we will give you tips on how to calm your dog's anxiety in the car, with a step by step tutorial and tips to know if he suffers from anxiety or a disorder known as motion sickness, and that discovering the cause of your dog's discomfort in the car is key to be able to help him. Read the tips we have for you and the products we recommend you to have to travel with your dog in the car in a successful and pleasant way for both of you.

How to calm dog anxiety in the car?

It is important to be able to take your dog in the car without too much fuss. However, this can be a bit of a problem if your dog is nervous in the car. Whether you simply need to take him to the vet or you need to take him on a long road trip, there are steps you can take to make your dog's trip easier and the experience more enjoyable for both of you. If you love your dog and want to take him with you, learn how to manage and calm dog anxiety in the car with these simple tricks.

Teach your dog to travel in the car in peace and comfort so that your traveling companion becomes a first class passenger.

To do this, the first thing to do is to detect the problem, as there are different causes that provoke uneasiness and discomfort in dogs when traveling by car, we will analyze the causes and then we will give you the solution.

1. Teach your dog to travel by car

When you love your dog, you want to take him with you wherever you go.

Even if that means driving in the car.

Although many dogs look forward to traveling by car, other dogs dread the experience and whine, bark, drool or even vomit.

This may be due to 2 very different problems: motion sickness or an anxiety disorder.

2. Distinguish the problem: anxiety or motion sickness?

Motion sickness in dogs is a disease that causes discomfort due to the vibration and movement of the car.

How to prevent motion sickness in dogs?

Puppies are more likely than adult dogs to become car sick, and many of them will stop having car sickness as they mature.

For those who don't, fortunately, we will give you some tricks and a step-by-step method (further down in this post) that can help your dog get used to a moving car.

Car disease in dogs

Dogs can become car sick while riding in the car and often this leads to anxiety, but also to excessive drooling, and even vomiting.

Puppies are more affected by motion sickness, but as they get older, at about one year of age this improves and usually disappears completely.

Here are some tips to help soothe your dog's tummy:

• Keep the temperature inside the car cool.
• Roll down the windows to let in fresh air.
• Limit your dog's food and water for a few hours before the trip.
• Consult with your veterinarian about motion sickness medications or anxiolytics that you can give him if you are taking a long trip.
• Exercise your dog about twenty minutes before your trip to reduce stress.
• Consult your veterinarian for other options.

If, on the other hand, your dog is just very anxious, whines, barks and gets excited, but does not drool or vomit, then he is probably suffering from anxiety.

Does your dog suffer from anxiety when traveling by car?

Does your dog get anxious in the car? Does he pant and never calm down? Travel anxiety can ruin a trip, even before you hit the road.

How to calm dog anxiety in the car?

Fortunately, we have a step-by-step that will solve this issue for you.

Dogs can be great travel companions, but before you gas up and pull out of the driveway, there are definitely a few things you can do to make your car ride with your dog a smoother, safer and more enjoyable one for everyone.

Help your dog to feel comfortable in the car

For many dogs, a visit to the veterinarian is the main reason they may travel by car. Therefore, many dogs associate that a car trip = a visit to the veterinarian. This is called "classical conditioning". And since many dogs don't always love what happens at the vet, it's no wonder that getting in the car can often cause stress and anxiety in so many dogs.

Other dogs become anxious in the car due to previous bad experiences in the car, such as being left alone or a frightening event such as a car accident.

Expert tip: You can help your dog even more by following these additional tips to make veterinary visits less stressful.

The good news is that if you start young, you can prevent your dog from developing negative associations (and the resulting stressful state of mind) with the car through a process called desensitization.

And if you already have a dog that shows anxiety during your car ride, it is possible to modify that association through counter-conditioning. The key to both desensitization and counter-conditioning is to recognize that it's not a race. Go slowly: Success is more likely with small steps.

3. Teach your dog to love the car

Although it is easier to prevent problems of traveling by car by training a puppy from a very young age, any adult dog can be taught to associate the car with wonderful things, through desensitization and counter-conditioning.

• Desensitization is a step-by-step method for gradually introducing your dog to the automobile.
• The counter-conditioning is a method that changes the dog's emotional response from negative to positive by making wonderful things happen near and in the car.

1. Start slowly by bringing your dog closer to the car.

The trick is to find the point where your dog feels comfortable and relaxed inside the car, this way you will make him associate the car with something pleasant, with a rewarding and calm moment.

Depending on the severity of your dog's reaction, you may need to teach him to ride in the car starting a few feet away while the car is parked at home.

Then you can get into the car with your dog, sitting with him or her, in the back seat, with the car seat parked and without moving it. Once inside you can pet him or her, play with him or her, and even, once he or she is calm, give him or her a treat or cookie as a reward.

Start by staying locked in the car with your dog for only 4 or 5 minutes. Then add 5 minutes at a time, until he/she is calm for at least 30 minutes.

You must be patient and do this several times, for at least a week.

If your dog starts to become restless in the car, you have moved too fast. You should simply take one or two steps back, reducing the time spent in the car, until your dog relaxes and then start again, increasing the time in the car (always parked) progressively.

2. Your state of calm is important

At each stage of the process, you must be calm, this state is transmitted to your furry friend.

If you are nervous about your dog not calming down during this stage of training, you should find someone else to help you do it.

Remember that your dog senses every mood of his human.

Never yell at him, or mistreat him, as he will associate the car with a moment of stress and discomfort.

3. Reward good behavior

Once you have calmed him down, with petting and your own peace and calm, you can give your dog something dear to him, such as a special toy, tasty treats or a food he loves.

Anything goes if it helps your dog connect the car with food, pleasure and fun.

You should only give these "treats" when your dog is completely relaxed.

Your dog may be able to calm down in the car in minutes or it may take weeks. Be patient and go at your dog's pace.

See also: Separation anxiety in poodle dogs

4. Put his belt on and sit in front of him

Now is the time to add greater challenges.

For example, sitting in the driver's seat, locking the doors, or sounding the remote locks, while your dog remains in the back.

Once again, combine each step with something wonderful.

Throw treats in the back seat or play tug-of-war together.

Once this is done, you are ready to give it a first short walk.

But first, you must put his seat belt on.

Remember: dogs must be secured in a moving automobile, Therefore, incorporate a car harness attached to a seat belt into your dog's training routine at this stage.

Recommended products:

5. Start the car and take a short first drive.

To teach your dog to ride quietly in the car, the last step should be to turn the car on and off.

At first, don't go anywhere, just let your dog associate the sound of the engine with food, fun and games.

After he is calm and has become accustomed to the car vibration, you can take him for a short drive around the block.

If he remains calm, you will have done a good job, reward him and try a trip to something longer the next day.

Make every trip as pleasant as possible. Praise your dog while driving. Talk to him calmly.

If you can ask a family member or friend to travel with your dog and provide positive rewards while traveling, even better.

6. Teach your dog to enjoy riding in the car.

When you start venturing out of the house, choose destinations you know your dog will enjoy.

For example, drive to the park or beach a few blocks away or to the woods on the outskirts of your neighborhood.

Go out and let your dog play and explore before returning home.

Before long, your dog should be looking forward to car rides, because with this step-by-step method of how to calm your dog's anxiety in the car, the trip itself will be enjoyable.

Of course, after you teach your dog to stay calm in the car, not all of your destinations will be pleasant, but he will have already taken his mind off the car and the rides with something pleasant.

Trips to the vet or groomer can be stressful. Make sure these destinations are few and far between and when necessary. We also recommend that you always carry toys o goodies to sweeten the deal.

How to prevent a dog's anxiety in the car?

Desensitizing a puppy to enjoy riding in a car (prevention) is not that complex. So the saying goes: Better safe than sorry.

Therefore, if you have a puppy, you can start training it as soon as possible.

Puppy training for relaxed car travel

1. Start with the car parked and turned off. Sit next to your dog in the area where you plan for him to travel regularly (we recommend the back seat or cargo area with the leashes and safety harness). Give your dog petting, cuddles, praise, treats.... whatever you love! and make you feel at ease and relaxed. Do this for just a few minutes each day.
   
2. After a few sessions in the same area as your dog, start being behind the wheel while your dog is still in his area.
3. You can toss them treats and praise them when they are calm and quiet. This is a great opportunity to use a stuffed Kong or Toppl to build a positive association with staying calm and being farther away from you while in the car.
   
4. After practicing with the car off, begin to introduce the ignition of the car. Keep your own energy and attitude neutral as you turn the car on, wait a brief moment, and then turn it off again. The noise may be a little disconcerting at first, so throw a treat or toy right after it happens. Start increasing the amount of time you leave the engine running, while making sure your puppy is calm and happy with verbal praise and the occasional toss of a treat or toy:

Products we recommend to relieve anxiety in dogs

There are certain products and tricks you can use to try to calm your dog in the car. It is difficult to predict which of these will work for a particular dog, so I recommend trying each one until you find what works for yours.

Anti-Anxiety Jackets

We also recommend you to assemble this dog travel kit.

Carry a bag of supplies for your trip. It should include treats as a rewardA good strong leash, fresh water and a drinking bowl, a toy or two, and plenty of cleaning supplies, such as cloths, spray cleaner, poop bags, etc.

It is likely that your dog could have an accident in your car in the first few days simply because of nervousness. If you have cleaning products on hand, long-term damage to your vehicle will be minimized and the comfort of you and your dog can continue for the rest of the trip.

Here are products that we recommend:

Don't panic!

If at any time during this training, you notice a fear response from your dog, during this process, don't panic! Your dog may back away, their ears may turn back against their head or their mouth may be closed and their eyes wide open. If you see them trying to avoid getting closer, trying to get farther away from the car or trying to jump out, it's a sign that they are stressed.

Other subtle signs of stress include yawning, licking lips or not wanting to approach.

Keep your energy positive to show the puppy that there is nothing to worry about and offer some comfort.

Once you have overcome all stress, you can take short trips with the puppy in its car seat.

It's time to travel to fun places with your puppy, so you can enjoy a nice walk and outdoor games together.

We recommend these travel chairs:

Sleepypod dog travel harness recommended for safer dogs

What you should NOT do if you want to calm your dog's anxiety in the car.

Do not try to lure them with a toy or treat or force them to approach with leash pressure.

Their confidence around the car will increase if you give them the choice to approach or get into the car, of their own free will, and that choice is rewarded with the things they love. The more a choice is rewarded, the more they will choose to make it. Patience is key!

You should also talk to your veterinarian or veterinary behaviorist early on to find out what supplements or medications will help your dog stay as calm as possible.

A certified dog trainer can also help you manage this behavior modification process by showing you what signs of stress to look out for and helping you plan your dog's program step-by-step.

A trainer can provide support and encouragement while you develop the patience necessary for your dog's behavior modification.

Summary on How to calm dog anxiety in the car

1. It starts slow: Some dogs need to begin this process without even getting into the car. If your dog has extreme anxiety and begins to stress even before getting in the car, start outside the parked car. Every time he looks at the car, offer him a treat and praise him! Do this every day, or every other day, for a few weeks.
2. Build trust: then you can open the car door and repeat this process of giving high-value rewards for looking at and moving toward the car. You don't want to force them to get into the car; instead, you want them to choose to go to the open door on their own and then reward them.
3. Rewards continuous progress: once he has shown more confidence in approaching the open door, you can add the jumping step (or pick him up and place him in the car, if he is small enough). Congratulate him a lot and give him a high-value treat when he puts his feet in the car, and then let him jump out. You should take him out immediately if he wants to. Practice this step until your dog shows confidence in getting into the car and shows no signs of wanting to get out right away.
4. Weather warning: do not do these exercises on hot or extremely cold days.
5. Always stay with your dog. Never leave him alone in the car!

Conclusion on how to calm a dog's anxiety in the car

To calm a dog's anxiety it is important to have a lot of patience, time to dedicate to his training and above all a lot of calm. Remember that they perceive our emotions, and if you stress them, they will get worse.

Follow our tips on how to calm your dog's anxiety in the car and if you have any doubts or advice be sure to write them in the comments.

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