• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Dog's Best Life

Dog's Best Life

The information you need to keep your dog happy, healthy, playful and loyal.

  • Top Stories
  • Blog
  • What We Do
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Overcome your dog’s fear of car rides

Posted March 19, 2017

 

Smiling dog happy in car. Help your pup overcome dog car ride fears.

Driving with your dog is inevitable.

From trips to the dog park to routine visits to the vet, there are dozens of reasons for your dog to hop in the backseat and take a car ride with you.

But, what if your pet tucks his tail between his legs at the sight of your car keys, or goes running when you start up your car?

Here are three ways to help ease dog car ride fears. 

Comfort is key

If your dog in unfamiliar with the family car, or, if you’re planning to take your first road trip, work to make him comfortable inside the vehicle.

For many pets, a trip to the vet is the only reason to get into the car, and this may cause some scary associations with hopping into the backseat.

With the car in park, get your pet into his riding space or the cargo area. Praise him and give him treats to make sure that he’s comfortable.

Doing this daily, or a couple of times a week can help your dog cope with dog car ride fears and will help him turn his negative associations into good ones. Once he’s comfortable, take him on short rides around the neighborhood or to fun places like the park, gradually take longer trips until he’s 100 percent comfortable riding in the car. You’ll be making the ride safer for you and your pet, since you won’t have to worry about his comfort while you’re behind the wheel.

Make it a smooth ride

Bumps and jolts can make for an unsafe and unpleasant car ride for both you and your pet. Make the car ride smooth by adding four new tires. Tire brands including BF Goodrich make special tires that offer superior handling and a smooth ride such as the Long Trail TA Touring Tires. The experts at Autos.com suggest drivers replace tires every 40,000 and recommend replacing damaged tires immediately. Keep your new tires in tip-top shape and a safe working condition by having them rotated every 5,000 or 10,000 miles to ensure even wear and tear.

Buy Dog Carriers & Travel Supplies Today – Shop over 1,000 Brands at Chewy!*

Create a safe riding environment

According to Preventive Vet, some dogs feel more comfortable inside of the car if they are secured. Harnesses, crates, and hard or soft-sided carriers can all help your dog feel less anxious during car rides. And, these helpful restraints can also give your peace of mind while you’re behind the wheel.

Not only can these items calm your pet’s nerves, but they can also keep both you and your dog safe. Unrestrained pets can cause or worsen car accidents, and proper restraints are vital for ensuring safe rides, no matter the distance.

They can prevent your dog from jumping out of open doors or windows and can also prevent debilitating and painful injury caused by car accidents.

Pet expert, Cesar Millan, suggests exercising your dog before putting him into his crate to express any pent-up energy. Millan also recommends limiting what you feed your pet before and during your car trip to make sure your pet doesn’t get an upset stomach; which is not fun, for you or your dog.

*DogsBestLife.com is a participant in the Chewy Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to let our site earn fees by linking to Chewy.com. 
 
 

Related Posts

  • Border collie wears safety harness. When driving with your dog, keep your pup safely restrained.
    Safely take your dog on daily car rides

    Daily car rides: Keep your dog restrained to prevent injury.…

  • dog afraid stairs
    Help your dog overcome her fear of stairs

    Overcome dog stairs fear by training a young puppy to…

  • Border collie wears safety harness. When driving with your dog, keep your pup safely restrained.
    Driving with your dog: Avoid these risks

    Driving with your dog: Keep pup restrained in the backseat…

  • dog-friendly trip
    5 tips for planning a dog-friendly travel adventure

    Being prepared for a dog-friendly travel adventure will make it…

  • Pick the perfect dog-friendly road trip destination
    Choose dog-friendly road trip destinations

    Pick perfect dog-friendly road trip destinations. Consider size or breed…

  • Choose destinations that you and your dog can both enjoy. Make sure parks are dog friendly, and find some off-leash zones where your pup can run around and burn off some energy.
    Plan the ultimate dog-friendly road trip

    Road tripping with friends is part of growing up, but…

Share this post:

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Reddit

Filed Under: Dog Health, Dog Travel, Home Page Tagged With: Driving

« Previous Post
Next Post »

Primary Sidebar

Follow Us

Categories

  • Adoption
  • Dog Breeds
  • Dog Facts
  • Dog Fun
  • Dog Grooming
  • Dog Health
  • Dog Inspirations
  • Dog Training
  • Dog Travel
  • Holidays
  • Home Page
  • Puppies
  • Top Stories

Featured Posts

  • puppy 101

    Puppy training 101: 7 tips to start your dog off right

  • Small brown and white dog wears a mask. Dogs and coronavirus: Canines unlikely to catch or transmit the virus to people or other animals, World Small Animal Veterinary Association says.

    Coronavirus and dogs: Can canines get COVID-19?

  • Dogs and other pets on a video conference call. Dog home alone again? If you're preparing to go back to work, get your dog ready. To prevent separation anxiety, use training, treats, and a safe space.

    Ready to go back to work? Prepare your dog to be home alone

Tags

Dog names Dog walks Pet parents Potty training Hip dysplasia Veterinarian Aggressive puppy Moving Outdoor activities collie dog stress Corgi Dog manners Fleas Hiking Canine diabetes dog thirst Maltese limping Dependent dog breeds Dog cloning dog age Golden retriever CBD-Marijuana-Hemp Old dogs Canine manners dog flu Dog begging Dog temperament Working dogs

Footer

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • Blog
  • What We Do
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Recent Posts

  • How pets help us through the pandemic
    Being stuck at home reinforced the value of pet benefits for most owners. Our dogs provide unconditional love and are great listeners. […]
  • 3 common dog behavior issues and how to fix them
    Don't wait, take action immediately to control three common dog behavior issues: barking, chewing, and aggression. […]
  • What dog breeds are best at scaring away wildlife?
    Dogs provide the ability for scaring away wildlife from your home and property. They also provide companionship and even security. […]
  • Post-surgery physical rehabilitation provides benefits for dogs
    Providing post-surgery care for dogs will help your pup fully rehabilitate and gradually resume regular activities. […]

Get Our Newsletter

Get more news to help keep your dog healthy delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for DogsBestLife.com's monthly newsletter.

© Copyright 2021 Dog's Best Life online magazine · All Rights Reserved · Privacy
Get Our Free Monthly Newsletter

Get more news to help keep your dog healthy delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for DogsBestLife.com's monthly newsletter.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkRead more