Another thing you haven't mentioned (and this is why I was getting your thread mixed up with MJ's thread)-- has your puppy ever been driven to someplace fun, or have you only driven him to the vet so far? A lot of dogs have car sickness which is directly associated to anxiety, then the car sickness causes more anxiety, which causes more car sickness....
In MJ's thread about "Puppy Training," she said she recently took her puppy for a "practice session" just driving up and down the lane for about ten minutes, and he did okay. On another session she drove him to the park and let him play for a bit, then drove him home, and again he did well.
When we adopted my second dog, the rescue told us she got car sick, so we got her a crate just to help her be more comfortable. However, she did just fine. And every car ride she's had since has always led to a pleasant experience (Walk at extremely fun place), so I've never seen what the rescue was talking about!
dog and the car
Moderators: emmabeth, BoardHost
-
muddyfloors
- Posts: 23
- Joined: Wed Apr 01, 2009 9:17 am
When we got our 6 mo puppy the previous owner said he hates riding in the car, and she rarely drove him anywhere. I made a point of taking him out every other day to fun places, to pick up kids from school, or down the street and back. He does absolutely fine in the car! I think he probably associated "car ride" with "shots/neutering at the vet office" before.
-
nikkim0501
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2009 10:10 pm
car and dog
I used to take them with me to pick my little one up from school, and we go to the park, I let ocean run and play. Phoebe has to stay on a leash at all times outdoors, she likes to run off, and stay gone, or she thinks we're playing tag when really we are not.
anyhow back to the car. Before I had taken them to the vet for their initial visit. i would take them for rides, and even in those early days, ocean would slobber, but the throwing up thing didn't start until about a month after i got him, which would be about the time he went to the vet. he seemed to have done fine at the vet. he was only 9 months then. do you think he is relating the vet with the car?
anyhow back to the car. Before I had taken them to the vet for their initial visit. i would take them for rides, and even in those early days, ocean would slobber, but the throwing up thing didn't start until about a month after i got him, which would be about the time he went to the vet. he seemed to have done fine at the vet. he was only 9 months then. do you think he is relating the vet with the car?
-
Fundog
- Posts: 3874
- Joined: Wed Dec 03, 2008 8:31 am
- Location: A little gambling town in the high desert
It is quite possible, though I can't say positively/absolutely, since I've never met your dog or actually seen his reaction for myself.
But one thing I do when I take my dogs to the vet, is I always take them for a nice leisurely walk, at their pace, letting them sniff and putter along all they want, before taking them to the vet. This helps to relax them, and give them a positive experience. They still don't like going to the vet, and they still try to convince me to take them home as soon as we get there, but having the walk first really helps, and does solidify the fact that a car ride does not always mean vet-- even when it really does mean vet! And so far, going for a walk has never been associated with vet either, since they get walks almost daily, and the vet is only an annual thing. Same with car rides. Car rides to fun adventures happen frequently/ several times a week, whereas car ride to the vet is only annual.
But one thing I do when I take my dogs to the vet, is I always take them for a nice leisurely walk, at their pace, letting them sniff and putter along all they want, before taking them to the vet. This helps to relax them, and give them a positive experience. They still don't like going to the vet, and they still try to convince me to take them home as soon as we get there, but having the walk first really helps, and does solidify the fact that a car ride does not always mean vet-- even when it really does mean vet! And so far, going for a walk has never been associated with vet either, since they get walks almost daily, and the vet is only an annual thing. Same with car rides. Car rides to fun adventures happen frequently/ several times a week, whereas car ride to the vet is only annual.
