Make Traveling With Your Dog a Breeze

Traveling with your dog can be quite challenging. There are several issues that can arise while traveling with your dog in the car.
These problems are quite often stress or anxiety related. It is especially true if your dog is scared of the car or is not used to being inside the car while it is moving. Traveling by car can also be a challenge if you have a dog with loads of energy who just can’t seem to sit still for any extended period of time.

Some dogs may associate traveling in the car with negative experiences and that can also cause some issues.
If you are having problems getting your dog to travel in your car with you or even to just get her inside the car, practicing the following suggestions may be just the thing for you and your dog. Once she can get over her fears and anxiety traveling in the car will be a wonderful experience for her as well as peace of mind for you.
Practice these exercise for at least one week before your trip…
While your car is parked in your driveway open the back door and put your dog inside. At this point make sure the engine is not running so as not to scare her while she is inside. Give her a toy, a chew bone, or a treat and leave her in the back seat for a short while. This will start getting her used to being inside the car and the toy, bone, or treat will create the positive experience.
Once you can see that she is becoming comfortable with being in the back seat of the car, close the door. Make sure that the windows are down. Then you get in the drivers seat and sit there for a while. This will get her used to being inside the closed car with the reassurance that you are there also.
Finally, when she seems to be comfortable being inside the closed car, start the engine and take her for a short ride. It can be something as simple as a drive around the block. The idea is to get her used to being locked inside a moving car. Make sure she still has her toy or chew bone with her. After the drive is over be sure to give her a treat and lots of praise.
Now just repeat this process increasing the distance of the trip each time. Pretty soon she will begin to look forward to riding in the car.
If you can, take her on any short trips or errands you may make. For example, every morning I take Misha with me when I drop the boys off at school. As soon as they come downstairs with their book bags she runs and sits at the door, just waiting to go.
She enjoys the ride to school just laying in the back seat. When we get there and the boys leave, however, she starts to whimper. But that is a story for another day.