Drooling in the Car

[Ariaditya]

For travelling in a vehicle with your dog, which one did u prefer..with crate or without ? I prefer without ..since it was unpleasant for my boy for being bouncing around in his crate like a marble in a can..
But I've got problems..since he sits next to the driver seat ( while I`m driving) he`s drooling all over the dashboard and the seat itself...Maybe I should put some seat cover ...but what about the dashboard and the side-window.. ?
I know that was the risk for taking my dog in a car without crate..and my relatives often complain about the smell and "sticky" seats because sometimes I really didn`t have time to clean up or vacuum my car after taking my dog with me .. are there any suggestion for this condition? since rottweiler (I know mine did) intend to drool more when they travel in a car...

[Anne]

Your dog is suffering nausea, that's why he's drooling. Give him a couple of ginger tablets or have the vet prescribe Maxalon to deal with the nausea. My Rotties don't suffer car sickness so there is no drooling.

Personally, I believe he is safer in the crate. I have to ask....why is the crate bouncing around? Are the roads really bad or is it the way you drive? LOL. Can you secure your crate in the car?

[poohbearsmom]

Yes, he is drooling because his tummy is upset. Don't feed him before riding, or you may end up with quite a mess. The ginger is a good idea, as well.

A crate is the safest way to drive him around. Secure the crate, and put a blanket or rubber backed rug in the bottom to keep him from sliding around.

Many pups get motion sickness and grow out of it once their growth slows down.

[NikitaChampagne]

Just like a child, and an adult wear a seat belt in the car, the dog needs to either be belted in, or in a crate when in the car.

Nikita drools in the car but isn't sick. She drools every time she is excited and it doesn't matter where she is at.

[Cherry Heart]

Arwen has the travelin' dog car harness. She is put in our back seat (NEVER in the front with an airbag) and doesn't drool anymore then usual (She only drips if there is pizza around). I was told you could give a dog a child dose of dramamine for car sickness and it would work well. You might ask your vet about it, and always keep your dog buckled up or in a crate.

When we went to puppy class with Arwen, it was a 2 hour drive each direction. I got her a car harness and am religious! about usuing it even just for a ride across town to my sisters. When we were about half way through arwens classes (she was maybe about 50lbs) we were sitting at a light about 2 miles from the class when we were hit by a teenage driver who was being.... pleasured by his girlfriend (seriously). While my husband and I had slight neck pains and a dented bumped, Arwe was perfect. My instinct was to grab her (I was sitting in the back seat next to her, she was behind my husband) but I didn't have to. The harness kept all 4 of her paws on the seat, and kept her from flying into the back of my husbands head. I thank god for that doggy seat belt and I brought it into class, showed it to everyone and told them how it might have saved my dog, and husbands lives.

[livertw]

Daisy rides in a harness attached to the seatbelt in the middle of the back seat. ($20 at PetsMart) She can move enough to put her front paws on the floor (she is very tall) and look through the opening between the front bucket seats. My car is a sedan, so I cannot put a crate in it. She drools if the car is too warm or stuffy. Our excursions are usually in the afternoon, so it is probably 6 or 8 hours since she ate. If we drive in the morning, I do not feed her. I usually open the sunroof about halfway so she has a breeze. She knows the harness means we are going somewhere (the park, a friend's house) and she is so happy and wiggly that it is sometimes a challenge to get all the clips and buckles closed! Try the harness, put an old blanket over the seat, and enjoy your drive with your furry friend.

[SABELLESMOM]

So, get an appropriate seatbelt harness (tested). And have the dog ride in the back. You may even wish to throw a blanket down.
www.fancypaws.com/vehrestrainh.html

[BostonRott]

Driving in a car with a loose dog is VERY DANGEROUS!

People have been involved in fatal accidents because of their dogs being loose and interfering with their driving.

As well, if you get in an accident, your dog is going to fly around the car and either kill himself or you or both. A 100lb flying object is DEADLY in an accident.

If that doesn't happen, there's a very good chance that he could get loose out of the car at the accident scene and be hit by other traffic.

With a crate, if he's contained, and he vomits, the vomit is then contained.

Do not feed him within 3 hrs of getting in the car. Use the ginger, as suggested above and do a search on here about car sickness and how to desensitize the dog to it.

[Ariaditya]

well I've got the harness.. and he keep chewing it during our trip, but that's okay..at least he was occupied and he didn't drool much anymore, about the crate..I think he's one of those "clastrophobic"-dog, he can't stand it..
thanks for the suggestions people ..

[Brooke&Ryan]

We prefer keeping Julius in a crate while he travels. He seems happy that way & much more comfortable. We are able to fit his crate into my boyfriend's Bronco, but I have a Toyota & so the crate doesn't work in there. Julius is secured in the back seat in a seatbelt harness in my car. I have a towel that I place on the floor in case he drools a bit...but that doesn't seem to happen anymore. I also have a blanket over the entire backseat to eliminate a bit of the dog hair (it doesn't get it all....believe me...).

But I agree, crates are the way to go, but if your car doesn't allow for them, a seat belt harness is great as well. I just like the crates because Julius doesn't seem to relax in a harness.

[NikitaChampagne]

Originally Posted by Ariaditya

well I've got the harness.. and he keep chewing it during our trip, but that's okay..at least he was occupied and he didn't drool much anymore, about the crate..I think he's one of those "clastrophobic"-dog, he can't stand it..
thanks for the suggestions people ..

Have you ever tried one to the crates that are all wire instead of one that has a hard shell? Nikita sleeps in her crate in the house at night and also in the house when I am not able to watch her. When I have to take her any where her crate folds up easily so I can take it out to the car and set it back up in the back for her.

As for the chewing on the harness, try spraying it with bitter apple (training aid). Most dogs hate the taste of this and will not chew on something that has been treated with the spray.

[Argosen]

The only drooling i've noticed from Brutus is on the back quarter panel of the car because he LOVE having his head out the window...and before i'm bomb-barded he does have a harness.

[Paulos]

Op,
He may not even be drooling. Is your car hot? Most cars are. He may be sweating. Blast the A/C on him. But as other poster said, a dog in the front seat is a bit of a risk.