New car issue...

[hmeadq]

This has been building for a while, but now it may mean we will skip the next obedience class.

Doc does not want to get in my car, or any vehical I am trying to get him in. I really don't know what was the trigger, but maybe it was when I got out once and he jumped out before I grabbed the leash and it caught on the seat and the leash went really tight for a minute until I stoped it. Maybe it was when I brought him home from getting stitches and he was groggy. Or maybe it was one time when the wind blew the door shut when he was tring to jump in the door. These events have occured over the past year, not all at once.

He used to be fine most of the time, only balked once in a while, and then a walk around the car to the other door and he would jump in. But recently it has been more and more of a hassle. To the point where I can hardly get him in the car and I have to basically PUT him in the car. Not easy with a 90 pound Rott who has planted his butt at the end of the leash... I am sure this has made the problem worse...

I've tried having him get in and out with lots of treats, no luck. I have tried opening both doors so he will run through. I have tried to get other people to load him (and he will jump right in ) so that is not a solution. My new idea was feed him dinner in my car. He won't go to the car to eat even if I show him I set the food dish on my seat. He will stay as far away as he can, ears down, not looking at me.

Next class starts next week. I think we will skip this 8 weeks, so I can get this settled. There have been a couple times I was almost ready to call my DF to come get us!

Any ideas on how to get him to jump in my car. When we are moving he seems fine, he will look out the window, lay his head on my lap, ect...

Ideas PLEASE...

[groupieindenial]

Yikes. Where is it that you usually go in the car? Just ob classes? How often did he have car rides in the past before him refusing to get in? My dog love's car rides, because he knows it takes him someplace, usually more fun than home. The puppy, runs away from me when its time to go in the car. I think she hates lying around in the crate, loves stayin home to play with the big guy.

So, what I'm sayin, is maybe its not the car per se, maybe its where you take him he doesn't care for. If he goes in when other people ask him, then he thinks maybe he's going someplace different than where you take him?

[hmeadq]

I am the one who always takes him to the vet and to training. He always wags his tail at the vet and I think he likes trianing. I also take him to the park for hikes and to the petstore. I also am the one to bring him to Daycare (once a month). He always seems happy to be everywhere and is VERY soical. DF takes him mainly for "drives" or in the morning for calls, and Doc just maily sleeps and looks out the window, he seldom "takes" him anywhere.

My car is little (a ZX2 (ford escort)). My DF just got a 4 door F150. Maybe part of it is Doc prefering the bigger car. My seats are small and he cannot lay in the front seat, needs to be in the back to stretch out. Maybe he was feeling a vibration in my car (I just had to repace all 4 tires, get 1 new strut, new tie rod ends, and an alignment.

But that still does not explain why he will not jump into the TRUCK if I try to get him in, or why he will jump in my car if DF puts him in.

He has been taking lots of rides since he was a puppy. This has gotten really bad in the past month and is escallated. Before then it was a little balking on and off, but nothing like this.

I really am confused. He trusts me most of the time, and seems happy to work for me, and be with me. But he HATES my car. We live in the country and training is 45 min away so I cannot really make DF take us...

[groupieindenial]

Its not like he doesn't want to get in alltogether, only refuses for you. Maybe he's doing it, just cuz he can? Just possibly testing you cuz this is the only place where you cannot physically overpower him to do it. Maybe he sees this as his edge over you, that he has the upper hand or control in one tiny little aspect of your ralationship, and he's holding on to that.

(Maybe he just doesn't like your drivinig? All that tailgating, and cutting off people, jerky driving! LOL)

Well, I would stick with the new idea you mentioned, feed his dinners in the car. If he refuses to get in, no dinner. Next time, same thing...he'll get hungry enough that he'll have to go for it.

[hmeadq]

Originally Posted by groupieindenial

Its not like he doesn't want to get in alltogether, only refuses for you. Maybe he's doing it, just cuz he can? Just possibly testing you cuz this is the only place where you cannot physically overpower him to do it. Maybe he sees this as his edge over you, that he has the upper hand or control in one tiny little aspect of your ralationship, and he's holding on to that..

Maybe. I have PULLED him into the car before. And he will jump in when he gets close enough. But really it is next to impossible and last ditch measure, since I nearly choked him doing it!

Originally Posted by groupieindenial

(Maybe he just doesn't like your drivinig? All that tailgating, and cutting off people, jerky driving! LOL)

My DF says Doc does not like "Mr Toad's Wild Ride!" But really I drive pretty well...

Originally Posted by groupieindenial

Well, I would stick with the new idea you mentioned, feed his dinners in the car. If he refuses to get in, no dinner. Next time, same thing...he'll get hungry enough that he'll have to go for it.

I feel so bad when I don't feed him dinner. I mean he only gets 1 cup of food and a handful of green beans twice a day as it is... But I guess he'll live...

[groupieindenial]

Originally Posted by hmeadq

My DF says Doc does not like "Mr Toad's Wild Ride!" But really I drive pretty well...

I feel so bad when I don't feed him dinner. I mean he only gets 1 cup of food and a handful of green beans twice a day as it is... But I guess he'll live...

Ha ha, knew it, your a crazy driver! lol I wouldn't doubt that maybe you had a few close calls, you know when you slam your brakes for whatever reason, and maybe he's like "I had enough! I'm not getting in the car with her anymore!"

Well, anyways he won't starve. He's been in the car MANY times before, and he'll see the food. Its up to him if he wants to eat. Not you. Dogs systems can go days without food, they are scavengers. He may not go for it for several days though, if he's that adament about not getting in.

[hmeadq]

Do you think just doing it with dinner is OK?

Typically I leave home at 6:15 and my dear puppy is still in the bedroom with my DF. No reason to for the lazy creature to wake up THAT EARLY...

I bet he'll still be pretty hungry come dinner time... How long should I give him to decide do you think? I park outside, and it's winter in Ohio...

I have to stand outside in the cold to long, I may break before Doc does!

[groupieindenial]

You only feed one cup per day anyways, right? Feed that entire cup in the car. I dunno, give him some time maybe 5 minutes or so. I wouldn't stand out there till he eats, or any extended period of time. Do you have him in a sit and release before eating? Do that if you normally do that. It shoold be a small window of opportunity, not a stand off. If he refuses, he loses. Simple. Its a win-win situation. If he likes to eat, he should go in there NP especially if he's hungry. He knows its not going to "hurt" him. Obtaining his food is the reward for goin in. You could sweeten the deal and have another treat ready to hand him after he's eaten, so that you can use that later as reward for going in when you no longer need to feed his dinner in there.

[SABELLESMOM]

Has your dog ever been carsick? Nauseated? Stressing and drooling on rides?

Raven used to get car sick. For the longest time I've ever known ANY dog to do so, at well over a year. Dramimine worked for us. I thought the car sickness was over. And for short trips, it was.

Last summer, we drove 45 min to agility class. She would balk at getting in the car to come home! (of all things) I put some high value treats on the seat. I got behind her and lifted her front feet in. And eventually, I had to boost her backside in.

Now, I began to think again about the dramamine. Once I started giving it to her before class...she was fine, again! (In winter we have classes at a vets barn...much closer to my home) Happily jumping into the car again!

And if by some small chance carsickness is the answer... best not feed dinner in the car.

[groupieindenial]

You don't have to go for a car-ride. This is just to get her to GET IN the car by feeding her meals in there.

You could sweeten the deal and have another treat ready to hand him after he's eaten, so that you can use that later as reward for going in when you no longer need to feed his dinner in there.

[SonnyRott]

I would leave dinnertime alone and let him enjoy this time of his day in peace.

My first inclination is to think it hurts him to get in and out of the vehicle. Enduring the ride may not make him feel good either. The more you force, the worse it will get.

Make a small ramp and see if this helps.

[groupieindenial]

Originally Posted by SonnyRott

My first inclination is to think it hurts him to get in and out of the vehicle. Enduring the ride may not make him feel good either. The more you force, the worse it will get.

THe OP made it clear that he has no problem hopping in when SOMEONE else asks him to. This seems to be a mental block between them for some reason. I do agree that she should not force him into the car ever.

Hey! Got an idea, maybe you can "pretend" to leave w/o him. Get in the car, start it leave the door open so he can hop in. Could work?

My dog used to play the "lift my butt in for me please". He'd hop in halfway, chest and front legs only, and look back at me waiting for me to lift his rear end in. He was big enough, and healthy enough to hop in on his own. We just got to this game, because I'd be inpatient give in, and lift his rear end in cuz we had to get going. I saw this was becoming a bad habit for both of us, and made it so we left extra early so that I had time to "butt heads" and wait for him to life his own arse into the car. I'd get in, start the engine as if to say "I'm leaving" and he hurriedly got in like "OMG, don't LEAVE ME!"

[SonnyRott]

Originally Posted by groupieindenial

THe OP made it clear that he has no problem hopping in when SOMEONE else asks him to. This seems to be a mental block between them for some reason. I do agree that she should not force him into the car ever.....

Hmmm........if there is NO pain involved then I would simply be straight forward about it and not coax him in (since that doesn't seem to be working).

I would walk briskly to the car, open the door, say "get in", place his two front feet on the seat, then lift his hind legs in. Do this quickly and don't give him time to think about it.

Even a very petite person can get a very big dog into a vehicle this way. No muss, no fuss.

I had to do this for my dog after his hip surgery. Sometimes, when he doesn't feel like jumping in, I still load him this way.

Hope this helps.

[Bucky's Mom]

Originally Posted by SonnyRott

My first inclination is to think it hurts him to get in and out of the vehicle. Enduring the ride may not make him feel good either. The more you force, the worse it will get.

Make a small ramp and see if this helps.

I understand that this idea has been discounted - but I wonder if discomfort isn't involved.

I would try a ramp and see if it makes any difference.

[hmeadq]

The ramp is a good idea, but he will happily jump into a tall truck for my DF, but not my car down by the ground. He has been car sick only once, in my car. Occassionally he drools, but not much. It may be discomfort involved in sitting in my car? He is due for xrays this spring...

Last night I did feed him in the car, and he jumped right in when I put his dish on the seat. Dinner is higher value then being scared of my car. So maybe I found a magical trick! I'll bring his food dish and some food with me"?

The problem with just putting his feet in is that he balks WAY before we get to the door. As soon as he decides we're leaving, he'll throw his butt down and I'll have to DRAG him to the car choking all the way!

Thanks for everyone's advice. Hopefully the food dish will continue to do it, becuase just treats (even good ones) stoped working...