How to Solve Your Dog's Fear of Car Rides
How does your dog feel about riding in your car? If it has no fear and loves a road trip، chances are it will jump right in. On the other hand، if it's afraid، it may struggle with you as you're trying to get it safely inside the car and whine or act up the whole way. Although this is a common dog phobia، it can be discouraging، distracting، and a potentially unsafe way to drive.
Fortunately، most people are able to help their dogs overcome this fear and become comfortable during car rides. The key is to gradually introduce your dog to the experience while associating the car with good experiences، including lots of positive reinforcement.
Why Do Dogs Fear Car Rides?
There are several reasons your dog may be scared of riding in your car. Your first move is determining which one is affecting your dog so you can figure out what to do next.
Car Sickness
Just as people do، some dogs get car sick. They may feel nauseated or even vomit during car rides.1 If this sounds like your dog، that queasy، sick feeling may have conditioned your pet to become fearful of riding in cars.
An Unfamiliar Feeling
Dogs that aren't used to going on car rides may be disturbed by the odd feeling of riding in a car. Cars usually have their own smell، and there's also the sound of the engine، the vibrations of the floor، and seeing everything whizzing past at a fast speed. Any or all of these things may make for a very frightening experience for your dog.
