Dog behaviour in the car, car sickness

Are you being driven up the wall by a canine passenger - mad behaviour in the car, car sickness - or both?

There are a number of things you can do to help your dog overcome these habits when out in the car.

Barking mad or road-rage? Two common problems include barking during car journeys and frantic "chasing" activity - in other words, a dog who just can't keep quiet - or still - in the car.

1. Walkies
If you think about it, the majority of trips your dog takes in the car with you usually end up in "walkies", which is very exciting for the dog. Unfortunately for you or your passenger, dogs often express their delight by barking in your ear! Try breaking this behaviour pattern:

Take your dog on ordinary, mundane trips in the car, outside his regular walking routine. Once he realises that not every car journey is worth getting worked up about, his behaviour should calm down.

Take your dog in the car to your usual walking place. If he barks during the journey, don't react. To the dog, your reaction to him reinforces his excitement. Once you reach your destination, wait in the car until he calms down. This will help to break the associations he has built up with travelling in the car.

You can also try pulling over and stopping the car whenever your dog gets over excited, and not starting again until he's calmed down.

2. Car madness
Dogs that bark at anything they see out of the windows can be very wearing, especially on long journeys. Your dog could be doing this for one of two reasons: either he is possessive and attempting to "guard" your car, or he could be showing signs of hunting or herding behaviour - trying to "round up" passing vehicles.

Use a lead attached to your dog's collar, so he is able to lie down comfortably below window level in the back of the car (in a hatchback or estate). If he can't see the back of your head when you are driving he is less likely to bark to attract your attention.

This is also a good idea from a safety point of view, in the event of a car crash.

a note on puppies
Stopping this type of behaviour in puppies is relatively easy - just make sure he travels in the back of the car from the moment you take him home.

Small, cute, vulnerable puppies are often allowed to travel on a passenger's lap, where he gets lots of attention. When he gets bigger and is expected to travel in the back of the car, it's not surprising that he starts to bark or misbehave - he's just trying to get the attention he's come to expect in the car.

Sick as a dog?
Many dogs suffer from car sickness when travelling. In puppies, it's probably a reaction to being taken away from their mother or litter and being placed in a strange moving environment, and it could lead to traumatic associations with cars in later life.

There are ways to reduce some of this anxiety and encourage happy and nausea-free travel. Of course, if problems continue, you should see your vet.

Introduce your dog to the car when it's stationary, i.e., when you don't have plans to go anywhere in it.

Take your dog's meal outside and put it in the car with him watching. Let him jump in and eat it. Repeat this exercise to reinforce good associations with the car.

Try to avoid feeding the dog before you begin a journey.

When on the move, provide fresh air, but don't let your dog travel with his head out of the window, as this can cause eye damage.

Avoid smoking in the car. This can have a nauseous effect on humans, so we can assume that it won't help a dog who is feeling queasy either.

On long journeys, make sure you make regular stops for brief walks, this will benefit the driver too.

If your dog looks confident and happy when the car is in motion, feed him small pieces of food as a reward, and to build up good associations.