Ideas on getting puppy in car?

[TUindecisive]

Hi, this is my first post I have a 7 month "rescue" Rotti mix. I call him a rescue because he was given to me by a friend who found him abandoned at 12 weeks old in a backyard. His family had moved away without him. He's a very sweet little guy, but he absolutely refuses to get in the car. When he sees that we're walking towards the car, he lays down-in the yard, driveway, parking lots...wheverer. I've tried everything I can think of to get him to walk over to the car, and hopefully someday, actually hop into it. He's not interested in being bribed by food or toys, or by having any of his favorite people sit in the car and call him. I will admit that I've even tried dragging him by his collar to convince him to walk over to the car, but he just choked and gagged and dug his feet into the ground. I've tried standing by the car and looking bored, so he would walk over to investigate (to get praise/rewards), but he sat around in the yard instead. My obedience trainer just said to take it in baby steps, praising often for any step in the right direction, but he just doesn't seem interested. It's getting worse, and he's getting too heavy for me to pick up and place in the backseat! Things did seem to get worse when the weather started getting hotter, so I've worried that he's afraid of getting in a big, hot SUV, but I can't change the weather or make my A/C any colder and he still needs to be able to travel. He almost always goes to "good" places, like the park or the store, and he's never left alone in the car, so I can't figure out what he's so scared of. He's always on lead, and as a side note, he generally won't jump out of the car either. Sorry about the length of the post. I'm glad I found this place....everyone here seems to really know what they are talking about! Thanks.

Coley and Bailey

[Luvs]

Hi, Welcome to the forum! We are happy to have you join us!
Does your pup get sick while he is in the vehicle? Are you ever able to get him at least to the vehicle? Does he have any toys that he goes crazy over? If so I would use that toy to play with him and slowly move him closer to the vehicle. I know my girl Akasha LOVES her tug and I can get her to do ANYTHING if I have the tug in my hand. A few months ago our neighbors were shooting some fireworks and Akasha hates them. As soon as they started she jumped up and ran to the window looking for them. I went and got her tug and we played tug the entire time they were going off and she forgot all about them.

That is the only suggestion I have other than just taking his collar and marching him over to the vehicle and helping him in. I am sure that you will get many more suggestions and hopefully one of them will work for you.

[lblax]

Originally Posted by TUindecisive

I've worried that he's afraid of getting in a big, hot SUV, but I can't change the weather or make my A/C any colder and he still needs to be able to travel.

dogs dont reason things out like that but i would try to lure him in either with a favorite toy or hot dogs if that doesnt work make sure he doesnt have a medical reason (hips) that he doesnt want to jump in the car if not feed him his dinners in the car to eat he has to get in the car and if all that fails when its time to go drag his fanny into the car choking or not... he will either learn the easy fun way with treats and praise or he will simply have to learn the hard way that when you go hje goes

[Alicja]

Hi,

This is what I would do... I would get a piece of his favorite treat in my hand and I would let him slowly follow my hand. This is what I did few times my our Gina and now we have no problems with her getting into the car. Also at the beginning I just started the car and let it run and I simply gently talked to her and touched her and gave her a treat or two.. just so she got used to the sound of a running car... It worked for us, and now we have a very happy passenger-pup.

Good luck!

Alicja

[diddybopper04]

Something you might try. Find out where the pup's comfort threshhold is with the car. In otherwords, where he naturally stops when you are approaching the car. When you find out where this threshhold is, mark it clearly in some way so that you know EXACTLY where it is. Start taking him there, and when you get there, just BEFORE he stops, reward him with something he likes. Do this for several days, several times per day, making sure the car is in the same place each time. If the puppy makes ANY progress toward the car, even if it's only an inch, be sure to reward him. If you have a clicker, or know how to use one, this would be an ideal time to use it to shape this behavior. Click just before you are going to treat each time. If you don't or have not used a clicker, you can use a word to make the behavior you are rewarding. YES! works well for me.

After several days of giving the dog positive reinforcement at the threshhold point, try to move one step closer. Even a few inches closer is progress. Then start rewarding at that point. Keep this up, moving the threshhold closer to the car at the puppy's own comfort level, never forcing him, just helping him when he is ready to move a few inches closer. It may take you several weeks even, but if you do it this way, if you have the patience, you can get him to walk to the car and get into it eventually.

[kingkong]

Maybe he has been thrown out of a car before you got him and NOW has a hate car phobia.

Unwanted dogs and cats get regularly thrown out of cars into the road at night where i live. I was so close to catching 1 such scumbag 1night as well.Saved the dog though.

Hopefully he will grow out of this with time and bribes (treats,etc)as the trust between you both grows?

Good luck.

[Canadianrotti]

What does he do once in the car. Our little girl was not to impressed with the car at first, she would lay down and drool. Now she sits up and watches all that is going on around her.
Someone else here has a dog that throws up while in a car, motion sickness. Is that a posibillity?
Just be patient and keep on taking baby steps

BTW welcome to the form.

[Cassandra]

Hi and welcome to the boards!
In addition to the many suggestions...my suggetions would be to set aside a few days that you don't have to actually do any driving around with your pup. Work quietly up to getting him into the car. When you do, give him a treat in the car, and then take him right out of the car. I wouldn't give him any treats after taking him back out of the car at that point. Then start over working to get him back in, once you get him in, give him his best treat, take him out. See if you can just take him in and out two or three times for a few days before riding around in the car. Then try some short drives.

You also could try focusing practicing obedience training near the car such as figure eights and just sits and stays with the door of the car open as you walk by.

Good luck!!

[poohbearsmom]

As Larry said, make sure there's no problem with your pup's hips. Although a car isn't as tall as a big van, there could be a physical reason your pup doesn't want to get in the car. Rule this out.
My dysplastic boy (now almost 2) refused to get in the van at your pup's age, it was painful for him during his rapid growth stage. Now he jumps in before I ask him....

Could be car rides make him nauseous.

Could be he's had a bad experience.

Could be he just wasn't exposed to this, and he thinks "hell no, I won't go."

Diddybopper's method is a sound one, once you've ruled out any physical causes for this behavior.

Good luck.

[wot_racing]

The first couple of months I had trouble getting Duke into the car, but now he jumps in and out on command... To get him in, I simply had Jessica sit in the back seat(He will do anything just to be touching her).. He would walk up to the door, and sniff, and then back away, and finally jumped up inside.. I gently laid the seat back, and climbed in, and we both petted on him until we could get him buckled in, and then we pulled out and drove to the park... For some reason it just clicked that if he got in the car, he got to do something fun, and now I just open the door, tell him to sit then get in.. he climbs right in, and lays down for me to buckle him in no problem..

[GUINNESS-CAN.]

My pups had 'issues' about wanting to go in the car, I started to feed him in the car with the door open (just like kennel training), now he's got no objections about getting in the car.

[TUindecisive]

Thanks for all the ideas guys and for the welcome. To answer a couple of the questions...he doesn't get car sick at all. He does drool some, but he tends to drool a lot when he's hot. He will stick his head out the window if it's open and we're not on the highway, other than that he just sits facing the back of the seat. I think his hips are fine; he can jump on the furniture (and swiftly off of it because I always catch him) and he hops around the backyard like a rabbit when he's having a good time. I'm going to treat this as an obedience issue and try to appease him with some meals in the car too. I have a lot to learn around here!

~Coley and Bailey

[samanthac]

Originally Posted by TUindecisive

and he hops around the backyard like a rabbit

This statement concerns me. I would have his hips checked right away. When dogs have issues with hip dysplaysia then often refer to the wayt hey run or move as a bunny hop. If your dog hops like a rabbit like you say then I'd get him in for hip x-rays just to be on the safe side. If he is positive for hip dysplaysia then you can start managing it now.

[sherri]

I also have a 7 month old male. He doesn't have a problem with the car, but if he did I would not make a big deal about it. Put a crate back there, lift him into the car and go. The bigger fuss that is made the more reason he has to worry.

Granted I might have tried some of the tips above, but the bottom line is that I run the show around here not the dogs. They do what they are told, when they are told. That's the way it is. When you comply there is a reward, when you don't comply there is NO reward. They learn pretty quickly what is expected of them and what gets them a reward. Now the reward can be a favorite treat or it can be an atta boy or it can be playing ball. But no compliance equals no reward. Get in the car, get a reward. Screw around, try to avoid the car, your still getting in but you aren't getting a reward.