Dog Trainer Tenerife

One of my recent clients was having terrible trouble with her Yorkshire Terrier travelling in the car.  She would bark the whole time, pant heavily and spin in circles if not secured with her dog seatbelt.

This particular case was due to anxiety and stress so we set about on a training program to enable the dog to be at ease when travelling in the car.

Yes it is always nice to be able to take your dog out with you however depending where you live over here in Tenerife you usually need a car to get around! Some dogs just do not like travelling in vehicles and this can be linked to car sickness, excitement, stress, anxiety or maybe from a previous bad experience in a car (such as going to the vets).

I would advise starting at the beginning and going right back to basics with your dog to make the car a happier and more relaxed place to be.  It is always advisable to get a correct diagnosis as to why your dog is misbehaving in the car and then you can act accordingly.  However here are some basic guidelines:

• Start off by getting your dog to sit next to the car with the door closed and reward him for being quiet and good.
• Have your dog sit next to the car. Open the car door and again praise him when quiet. If he starts to bark then go back to step 1 and repeat more frequently.
• When your dog is calm, open the car door and encourage him to jump in. Give him treats and praise him quietly.
• Repeat the same as step 3 but close the door, give treats and praise him only when he is calm and relaxed.
• Go slowly through all the previous steps until your dog can climb in and out of the car without barking. This will take time and patience on your behalf and may take you a few weeks!
• When you get to the point where your dog is calm with the car door closed then start the engine, leave it on for a short time then turn it off.
• Eventually put your dog in the car, switch on the engine and then move the car just a few yards. Stop and turn off the engine. Slowly extend the amount of time your dog is in the car and how far you go.

It is important to remember to do each step slowly. If you go to fast and try to hurry your dog then he will become more anxious or excited. The key to success is to be consistent with your training and repeat each step thoroughly before moving on to the next one. Also please remember that is the law to have your dog safely secured in your car, either by a harness, seatbelt or dog-guard which are all available from local pet shops.

Good Luck!

Posted on April 4th, 2009 by Sharon
Filed under: Dog Behaviour, Dog Training and Obedience, Happy Tails Dog Training