| Ask The Vet -
Q&A |
Question
Our 6 month old Jack Russell bitch is not very good at
car travel. Any suggestions or remedies?
Pam Mills - Powys, UK |
Answering questions:
Susie Samuel MA VetMB MRCVS from
Vet
Help Direct |
| Answer |
Hi
Pam,
It
is often difficult to get dogs used to travelling in the car. Some
dogs are actually sick or nauseous whilst others just get very distressed.
Even where dogs are actually being sick it is generally thought
that stress plays a part and that if you can get your dog more relaxed
about travelling in the car, this should help.
As
a first step you need to get your bitch to feel confident about
being in a stationary car. You could play with a favourite toy in
the parked car whilst giving her lots of reassurance and some treats.
Try to act unconcerned and relaxed and if she looks nervous try
to distract her. For very nervous dogs I sometimes recommend giving
them their meals in the car until they feel really at home in the
vehicle. Once your bitch is happy with this get her used to how
she will be travelling, either by having her dog harness on or by
being in the back of the car with the dog guard up. Dogs should
never travel loose in the car.
When
your bitch is happy and relaxed in the travelling position in the
stationary car you can start taking her on short trips. The journey
should be no more than 5 minutes initially and should be to somewhere
that she loves going, for example, a nearby park or friend’s
house. On the journey you can talk soothingly to her or take a friend
in the car to give her lots of praise and reassurance when she is
behaving well. If she begins to look nervous or to whine the best
thing your friend can do is to ignore her and then give her lots
of fuss and attention when she settles down again. You can gradually
build up the length of the journey over a period of weeks.
If
you are still having problems after this you could consider taking
your bitch to the vets for a check up and to discuss possible medication
for long journeys etc. In my experience most problems can be solved
with the behavioural techniques described above.
Kind regards,
Susie Samuel MA VetMB MRCVS www.vethelpdirect.com
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