Our six month old puppy gets terrible motion sickness in the car.
Anybody got any hints?
She travels in the rear of a Passat estate in a cage covered by a sheet. She drools uncontrollably and looks very wobbly and unhappy.
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tinyurl.com/44no3
DVD
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Its likely to be brought on by anxiety.
The link DVD gave is fairly good except for one thing. Praise alone does not work 100% with dogs. There has to be a reward. Now you can use the easy way out and use food or tasty treats as a reward but this is not always convenient. Play is the greatest reward and the greatest driver in dogs (unless its a lab where food can never be beaten)
So, before you even get anywhere near the car, learn to play with the dog. It could be tuggy games, ball games, finding things games, but EXCITING games.
Then start to introduce car & dog but there HAS to be a reward at the end. EVERY time. The best way is a quick short trip to the park where there is loads of fun and games at the end, and when you get home again some fun and games with a treat mixed in.
Get into the habit of giving the dog a reward everytime you get to where you are going and in no time it will equate car+trip=something good for me. Leave a ball or something that equates with fun in the car as a visual reminder of whats going to happen.
Also non car related, get yourself down to puppy classes where they teach "clicker" training. Once you and the dog have mastered clicker training it will be a valuable tool for you and your dog for the rest of your days together where you can hone in and out wanted behaviour or undesireable behaviour.
And watch out, dogs are very good at training their owners. They soon get the hang of doing things or behaving in certain ways and making YOU do what they want you to do!
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Car sickness tends to be a psychological problem. My dog was dreadful as a puppy and would run away and hide when we were going out in the car. Now, he just loves going out in it.
Renault Family has spelled most of it out, and if you stick to this your pup will be cured in a few weeks. However, DO NOT feed your pup before you go out anywhere, and take it for a short walk beforehand.
Restrict your first few journeys for very short distances and make the end of the journey enjoyable. I used to take Charley for a long walk and play with him. He loves DoggyChocs so I always gave him a few when we arrived. Give your pup lots of hugs and affection when you arrive, so it will always associate a car jorney with something enjoyable. Continue with this treatment and you will find it will be cured in a matter of weeks.
Let us all know how you get on.
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Good advice Renault Family - we have dogs in common! We have had a Lab though that was genuinely travel sick although he liked travelling to shows. If this is the case, the vet can prescribe travel pills as a last resort. The travel cage shouldn't be covered while driving not just because of airflow but also dogs like to see where they are going as well.
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\"Nothing less than 8 cylinders will do\"
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You would be surprised how much air they need. Are you sure she is getting enough ?
Try it with the windows wide open, however cold or strong the breeze, and see if her demeanour changes.
In a cage covered by a sheet I would be extremely susprised if the air flow was sufficient.
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My dog loves to look out of the window - while she doesn't have a cage, she does have a harness thing that clips onto the seatbelt and lets her sit on the front seat. I knew those airbag bypass switches had to come in useful for something ;)
Are you sure the sheet isn't doing it? I know I'd feel sick if I couldn't see what was going on around me.
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Cambridge, I agree with others that covering her with a sheet doesn't sound like a good idea -- I'm sure she'd be much happier uncovered.
The labradors we had when I was a kid used to be quite happy on a seat, and never got carsick, but my current terrier gets very bad car-sickness when the ride in jerky. Stop-go traffic is bad news, but on the open road he is fine.
After several car-cleaning sesions, I've found by experimentation that the best thing is to have him held tight in somebody's arms when in town, so that he doesn't get thrown around. This works very well, and it also helps him to get used to the car -- if he is doing lots of car journeys he seems to adjust and doesn't get sick even if he isn't being held.
I think that the idea of a harness and sitting on the seat sounds good. I'm sure you wouldn't like to be swaying around in the boot, covered by a sheet! :)
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All the dogs we've had over the years, from three black Labradors to the current elderly Sheltie, have always been able to watch the world go by through (but physically not out of) the car windows.
I've never had a dog that didn't enjoy car travel - apart from the fact that they are with you, which is all they ask, every dog has realised that the majority of trips (apart from the local Tesco) usually end up with an exciting walk or a visit to friends or relatives.
In fact one of the Labs loved cars so much that she would jump into any car that had a door open and plonk herself on the rear seat....
However, NEVER allow a dog to look out through an open window whilst moving - apart from the danger of it being hit and injured, there is considerable risk of eye injury from dirt or dust, especially at speed.
All the advice given in earlier postings above is very sound.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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You can try 'Sea Legs' available over the counter from the chemist. Only use half a pill, and over a couple of weeks it may well break the cycle, it worked for me with the only one I've had that was sick. The sheet might help as it can settle them and help sleeping.
I tried gingernuts once, but all I got was ginger puke on the carpet.
Another option is to let her/him sit on the front passenger seat as it's a bit more exciting 'up front'. Depends if he's steady enough to sit there without messing about. Then progress to the cage when the cycle has been broken. Of course the only problem with this, is keeping them out of the front seat.
Ha, I usually take 3 or 4 out shooting, all wedged in a crate, so there's not a lot of room to mess around and think too much about being sick.
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My rather (or very) Land Rover crazy Springer hated car travel as a pup. It now makes it home in the Landie. Make sure the beast can see out, make sure the car is well ventilated. Take a favourite toy and a ruggie type thing its used to. Pick feeding/travelling times carefully - if its a working dog get it trained to the gun, this is what finally cured the Springer.
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Can I make the point that you really should not have a dog loose in the car while driving. Apart from being unpredictable and possibly doing something that may cause you to lose control, they react the same way as an unbelted human in an accident. A 6 stone lab hurtling over from the back seat in an accident does not bear thinking about.
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\"Nothing less than 8 cylinders will do\"
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Thank you everyone for your suggestions.
I am now feeding her favourite meal in the car once a day.
Going to take her for lots of very short journeys (not good for the engine, I know).
The sheet thing is confusing. I have had people say the sheet will make her calm and sleep. The theory is looking out of the window makes motion sickness worse. Other say the sheet is making it worse. I'll try without next time.
I'll keep you updated.
PS
She is a wire-haired fox terrier. V cute!
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>She is a wire-haired fox terrier. V cute!
errr, a serious fox killer, surely!
Feeding in the car is a good thing - again to identify the car as a place where fun things happen.
Lots & lots of air is a good thing. I never cease to be amazed how much a large dog will pant unless the windows are open. With a small terrier, you won't need as much air - else she might get rather chilly.
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I agree with mapmaker's point about dogs needing air.
My favourite Jack Russell is so obsesed with fresh air, that one of the best ways to dislodge her from favourite perch on the steering wheel* is to turn up an air vent -- she then sticks her nose right in front of it.
* Yes, I know that dog probably shouldn't be driving, but she's a very careful driver and has never been involved in a crash
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"* Yes, I know that dog probably shouldn't be driving, but she's a very careful driver and has never been involved in a crash"
She's seen hundreds though.
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She's seen hundreds though.
Only because the 2-legged drivers stare at her and take their eyes off the road ...
;-)
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She's seen hundreds though
Not really, that dog always wears really dark glasses while driving.
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Ah but has she got a licence ?
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Ah but has she got a licence ?
Fearing that it might be a sensitive topic, I haven't asked. Have you ever tried having an argument with a Jack Russell?
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Have a window slighty open so the dog can get freash air.
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From this mornings London Metro.
Tale (sic) of a Renault owner and his Westie, Robie (west highland terriers are always called robbie or jock)
They go for drive up some cold (very cold -1) hill. Owner jumps out, Robbie gets excited and jumps on central locking button (probably the one in the centre console) and locks owner out in the -1 in his shirt sleves.
Several (very cold and now wet) hours later manages to flag down a passing car, driver phones wife to come out with spare key(card) wife arrives, Robbie gets excited to see mistress, jumps up and down, and unlocks car!
Ah Bless its little cotton socks!
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Here's the answer!
tinyurl.com/4f9rv
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Roger. (Costa del Sol, España)
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Had a dog that salivated like mad, then was always sick. Nothing worked but I found out a lot about dog car sickness and you could try any of the following
Dried Parsely hanging in the car, read this in a alternative medicine book for dogs. (I think its called cure your dog the natural way, and it saved hundreds of pounds in vets bills)
Ground Root Ginger before the journey may work.
Finally, Bachs Rescue remedy, a couple of drops on the tongue (the dogs, not yours), about an hour to half an hour before the journey.
For long journeys you can get sleeping tablets from the vet. Half a tablet and she was out like and light and wasn't sick or distressed. However its not something you can do all the time.
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