We rescued our little Wiley about 2.5 years ago... she is a delight... She was apprehended by the SPCA as a PUPPY (she was abused by her original owner) .... She spends her time walking, swimming, barking (a little), chasing cats, and pulling on my pants when she figures she can get away with it. She knows how to sit, shake both paws, lie down... She listens very well, and loves a good walk... She is the best cuddler known to man/woman, but, does like her space as well.... ... She does have anxiety when in a car, which, she has yet to get over .... How can I fix this issue???... I walk her every day (about a hour+), My wife and I deal with her needs, but she is still Way to Happy!!! Please Help... .... Thanks for Looking.
I take it it's the car anxiety that you are looking to help her with? How does she react in the car? Where in the car does she travel? Is she/how is she restrained in the car? Where do you take her in the car?
If it is car anxiety, why not make it an exciting treat [I do not mean food treat but a special thing to go somewhere nice]? My dogs have rarely gone in cars and to them it has been a special treat, wherever they go. Vet or otherwise. Maybe it is because I make it seem exciting for them?
I will summarize your questions, she basically pants and you can see has anxiety as soon as she gets in the car. The anxiety is only when the car is moving, as if it is stopped it is not there. If I put her in her kennel (the only time we use one) it seems to be a little better (my wife doesn't like it, but I think she is better when travelling) ... if It is a super long trip we try to give her childrens gravol but I think the sedative is the only thing that works as she is more groggy. She mostly goes in the car with me to go on a huge walk (I get dropped off) ..... I think the anxiety could have came from when she was removed from her first owner (as a very young puppy) since this has happened since day 1. It's not a huge issue and we deal with it, but any suggestions/help would be nice .. we are open minded... I was more just showing my happy dog, she really tries to please whenever she can, we deal with the car issue as much as possible but it doesn't get in the way really, I just worry as she gets older (she is 3 now) that travelling with her won't be good, and would be great to see if we can get rid of the anxiety she has.. (I don't believe it is motion sickness).... Thanks, Mike
95% of the time, she is going to the dog park, or a huge walk, which to her is doggy heaven! when anxiety is in she really won't even take a treat....
I doubt she'll get any worse with it unless she has a traumatic event in the car. If you want to work on it, and it's quite a lengthy process, start where she's still ok. By the sound of things she's quite happy sitting in the stationary car so start by getting in the car, waiting around 3 or 4 minutes, turn the engine off, both of you get out of the car and go off and have a game. Repeat until she is happy with the engine being turned on. Next step, move the car a few feet, return to parking spot, out and have a game until she is happy with this process. Next, a very short journey and so on. Experiment with different places in the car where she can travel. For instance, it she happier when you sit beside her? If so, perhaps that's the way to travel She looks to be a very happy little lady and she's beautiful x
I did not mean a treat as such, but making the fact that getting into the car [taxi in my case] was an exciting event - most journeys going to the Vet but then neither Lexi nor Pereg even minded as they were only too happy to see him, and now little Tikva is the same. I suppose it helps having a driver who adored Pereg and now Tikva - I used a different driver for Lexi but he was also a dog lover. None ever went for long journeys though but they were all happy in a car. And all three came to me as young puppies so their only outings were a treat in themselves.
Thanks, she usually sits on the seat beside me, or on my wife, but she is restless and always trying to move forward on me (she for some reason loves to get as close to the shifter as possible so she can drool on it) .. . I'm going to do exactly what you said and see if she makes any improvements... It hasn't gotten worse, and it is definetly not a detraction from going somewhere in the car ... She isn't afraid of the car as she will try to jump right in ... Thanks for all the advise...
