Most dogs love nothing more than to go for a long car ride. Even the mention of a car ride can make a dog lose control from such an exciting plan. But if you own a dog that is afraid of going into a car, for one reason or another, there are ways to train your dog, and maybe one day he’ll actually look forward to it as much as going for his daily walk.
Getting your dog to enjoy such a ride takes a lot of patience on your part, but don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results after the first day. In fact, the process of training your dog to love the car takes about two weeks before he is fully ready.
The first step is simply to bring your dog out to the car. The actual drive comes much later. Get him use to going to the car by providing a treat or a toy as a reward is the best solution. Lead your dog near the car, and open the door. Inside, have a treat or a toy ready for him. Once you get into the car, give him the treat or toy. In this step, your dog doesn’t need to get into the car. Repeat this several times in the first three or four days.
After he is used to going to the car, the next step is getting him in there. Once again, bribe him with a treat. Bring the treat further away from him as he gets nearer to it. Soon, after several days, he will be fully in the car and eating his treat without realising it.
When your dog has successfully been trained to enjoy a treat or a toy in a parked car with the engine off, try repeating the above step, but this time with the engine running. This will give your pet a better idea of what a car does.
If your dog has become accustomed to sitting in a car with the engine running and he’s not stressed or afraid, now you can begin with a short drive around the block. Try this for several more days. After that, if he is comfortable in the car, you can begin longer drives, and hopefully he’ll not only accept being in a car, but will actually enjoy it too!
Speaking of car rides, vacation news: The plans to take a caravan along the south coast are in the works! Although we do need to look into getting some Touring caravan insurance, I am delegating this to Jayne…