Car Ride!! No Way!!!

[sashas-mom]

I have a border collie/australian cattle dog, she is a very good dog. She is very focused on any of us human relatives. The biggest problem with her is she is afraid to ride in the car. She soils the car in every way. We open the car door and she runs for the house. We have tried food and toys to get her in the car. I even threw her freesby next to the car and she would not retrieve it. How do we get her to overcome this behavior?

[Fundog]

Very, very slooooowly. Start with a far distance from the car, with absolutely no intent of getting her into it for now. For example, a good place to start would be inside the house, looking through the screen door, if a view of the car is possible from there. She will probably not be too worried, as she is still inside.... you can then reward her. Personally, I would choose a very special treat (something she would do back flips for), and use only that treat for car training, and nothing else. You want her to associate the car with her very most special, most delicious, "I-am-in-doggy-heaven" treat. Every time you see her looking out the door where she can see the car, give her this very special treat. Keep the tidbits small-- about the size of your smallest finger nail-- so you don't fill her up too fast, and so you have her eager for more.

In a couple of days, you will be able to go the next step, which is simply going outside, perhaps for a potty, or to do some work on the property, or a walk, or whatever.... see that there is absolutely no intent of going anywhere near the car, but she can see the car from her position outside. Every time she glances at the car, give her that ultra-special-delicious treat. You may have to keep a baggy in your pocket when you go outside. Do this step for about a week, without trying to get her any closer to the car than she will normally go. Always give her a treat and praise for looking at the car. Do not proceed to the next phase if she is still exhibiting signs of stress or apprehension. Here is a hint: stressed dogs cannot eat, so if she will not accept the treat, she is still too close to the car, and you must take her farther from it, until she is comfortable.

The next logical step is to venture out just a couple of paces closer to the car than you have been, but still keep things casual-- you are not trying to get her into the car at this point, but you are just walking around on the property, going about your chores-- you just happened to take a couple of steps closer to the car, is all. If she comes with you, give her the reward and big praise. Do not force her.

I think you see where this is going now, so I will leave off at this point. You will have a lot of work to do, and this is going to take a very long time--- at least a couple of months! Be very, very patient. For now, do not take her with you in the car unless it is vitally necessary-- a matter of life and death, really. Try to arrange to leave her home until she is comfortable riding in the car. This is going to take a few months, at least.

*Hint* The treat my own dogs go nuts for is cooked beef liver, cut up into very small bits, then frozen in a sandwich baggy. I just keep the bag of frozen liver bites in the freezer all the time, so they are readily available when I need them. I carry the bag in my pocket when we train outside (I've been using this particular treat for recall training only), and because they are frozen, they do not get smooshed and smelly in my pocket.