Note: Dawn Ross of the Pet automobile safety blog shares her ideas on how to help a pet dog that doesn’t like riding in the car.
What is the normal image that pertains to mind when you think of a pet dog in the car?
It’s the pet dog with his head out the window and a big, puppy grin on his face, right?
But for whatever reasons (bad experience, unfamiliarity, fearful tendencies, for example) some dogs really do not like riding in the car.
If you have such a dog, here are some things that can help.
How to train your pet dog to like riding in the car
The primary thing you can do to help a pet dog that is terrified of automobile rides is to introduce him to the automobile slowly and positively.
People don’t get rid of their fears overnight, so don’t expect these training ideas to “cure” your pet dog of his concern quickly either. The following steps will take time (days, weeks or longer), and it is even possible that your pet dog will never come to like riding in the car.
But in the long run, pet dog training methods using desensitization, counter conditioning, and positive reinforcement can go a long way to help minimize your dog’s anxiety.
1. introduce your pet dog to the outside of the car.
Introduce your pet dog to the automobile from the outside, but don’t take him in the car. walk around it, let your pet dog sniff it, and reward him with treats or his favorite toy. If you use clicker training, click and reward. If you use your voice, praise in an upbeat tone. always keep your voice upbeat.
2. sit in the automobile without the automobile running.
Once your pet dog is safe with step 1, sit in the automobile with him but don’t turn the automobile on. get him to play if you can or just sit quietly and reward him with treats. Be careful about soothing (more on that below).
3. sit in the automobile with the automobile running.
Make sure your pet dog is comfortable with step 1 and 2, then sit in the automobile with the automobile running but don’t go anywhere (make sure your automobile is outside and not in the garage in buy to stop carbon monoxide poisoning). If it is just you training your dog, sit at the wheel and have your pet dog sit where you are going to expect him to sit when you drive. considering that you’re not driving, it is ok to distract your pet dog with treats or toys.
4. Take short drives.
Once it seems your pet dog has gotten used to being in your automobile when it’s running, take short drives around town. If possible, avoid too much turning as this can cause automobile sickness. go to the drive-through at your bank or favorite fast food place. check out a park or a pet store. Make sure your destination is not a place your pet dog hates, like the groomer or vet office. and make sure you never leave your pet dog alone in the automobile while you run errands.
5. Make your trips a bit longer.
At this point, you can start to make the road trips longer and longer. Remember, the a lot more frequently you do these steps, the better. For example, do step 1 three times a day each day for weeks, if needed, before moving onto the next step. once you get to step 4, try to do it once a day or a few times a week. The amount of time it takes for each step depends on your consistency and on your dog’s level of concern of automobile rides.
Other valuable ideas to get a pet dog used to the car
Dog training is a long-term option that can take even longer if you are not working at it regularly. Fortunately, there are a few supporting ideas to help. some of the following ideas may do the trick to help your pet dog be less stressful on automobile rides, but a lot of are simply supporting methods that work best in conjunction with pet dog training. Oni sú:
1. A pet crate.
Some dogs feel a lot more comfortable in a den-like enclosure. If your pet dog is already crate trained, using the familiarity of her own “den” can add to her comfort. often dogs don’t like to ride in the automobile because they keep sliding off the seat when you take a turn or stop. A pet travel crate can also help with this. Incidentally, so can a pet dog automobile seat belt. learn a lot more about these products here and here.
2. Familiar items.
Your pet dog will probably be much a lot more comfortable in the automobile if there is something he is familiar with such as his own pet bed or a few toys.
3. Pet anxiety remedies.
There are a number of medications, pet dog appeasing pheromones (DAP), natural herbal remedies and anxiety wraps that claim to help dogs be calmer. Your vet may be able to supply a calming medication with L-Theanine, Benzodiazepines or other types of pet anxiety drugs.
For natural, herbal vital oils and aromatherapy, hľadajte prísady ako harmanček, rockrose, levanduľa, koreň valeriánu alebo bergamot. Medzi dva úžasné príklady prírodných liekov na úzkosť PET patrí záchranný liek a jeden špeciálne pre psov s úzkosťou z automobilových jazdy – cestovanie pokoja. Medzi zábaly úzkosti patrí thundershirt, Rein Coat a ďalšie.
4. Windows dole.
Čerstvý vánok v automobile môže pomôcť minimalizovať úzkosť niektorých psov, keď jazdia v aute, takže valte dole okno. Niektorí psi tiež nemajú radi jazdu v automobilovom vozidle, pretože sú chorý autom. Uistite sa, že môžu vidieť z okna, môže pomôcť minimalizovať automobilovú chorobu. Ak máte malého psa, zvážte sedadlo na posilňovanie automobilov pre domácich miláčikov.
5. Upokojujúca hudba.
Hudba môže robiť zázraky pre ľudí a veriť tomu alebo nie, môže robiť zázraky aj pre domáceho psa. Ukázalo sa, že klavírna hudba upokojuje psom. V skutočnosti má psom ucho niekoľko CD, ktoré pomáhajú psom s úzkosťami a inými problémami.
6. Niekto na zadnom sedadle.
Mať niekoho, kto váš domáci pes vie na zadnom sedadle, môže byť pre domáceho psa veľmi cenný, ktorý nemá rád jazdu v aute. Môžu pomôcť upokojiť domáceho maznáčika masážou, t-dotykovou technikami alebo jednoducho rozptýliť domáceho maznáčika hračkami. Buďte opatrní, aby ste príliš upokojili domáceho maznáčika. Existuje podozrenie, že upokojenie domáceho psa potvrdzuje, že automobil je niečo, z čoho treba vystrašiť. Osoba v zadnej časti automobilu sa musí ubezpečiť, že ich vlastné emócie sú pokojné a že sa správajú čo najprirodzenejšie, aby nedali nesprávnu správu.
Každý domáci pes je iný, takže niektorí psi môžu reagovať na výcvik rýchlejšie ako ostatní. A niektorí psy sa darí veľmi dobre s liečivami úzkosti pre domáce zvieratá, zatiaľ čo na iných nepracujú vôbec. Nájdite to, čo najlepšie funguje pre vášho psa, a potom možno jedného dňa váš domáci pes príde milovať jazdiť v aute.
Čo pomohlo vášmu domácemu psovi naučiť sa (alebo sa s nimi vyrovnať) auto?
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