# How do you get a new puppy used to riding in a car?



## jprice103 (Feb 16, 2011)

We've had our puppy for just over 2 weeks now. She is STILL petrified of the car and needs to be held. Any tips for getting a pup acclimated to car rides? Also, any tips for car rides with only a driver? Do you put them in the front seat? Back seat? There may be some times that I have to take her to the vet and won't have someone available to go with me...and I obviously can't have her on my lap while I'm driving!


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## GSDBESTK9 (Mar 26, 2002)

Put her in the car without going anywhere, just play with her in the car, give her lots of treats, make it an awesome experience. When you feel she feels confortable in it, turn the car on (without going anywhere). Do the same thing, play with her, giver her tons of treats. Once she is confortable with that as well, drive it for a very short distance, give her treats, make it fun. Keep increasing the distance as she get more confortable. Puppies should always ride in crates, even adults. Too many bad things can happen with dogs loose inside a car. I have a friend who's Lab flew out the front windshield when she slammed on her brakes to avoid an accident. Dog died instantly. 
If you can't fit a crate in your car, buy a dog seatbelt.
My parents also knew a couple that got into and accident and died because their GSD was throwing up in the back seat and they were trying to help/clean up.


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## JKlatsky (Apr 21, 2007)

I'm a big fan of crates for puppies in the car. They feel more secure in the crate and it keeps the puppy safe in case there's an accident, it also keeps YOU safer because you know that the puppy is safe and you are less likely to be focusing on the furball and focusing on the road instead. Additionally if you're lucky enough to have a pup that gets car sick, or maybe has an accident in the car everything is contained and not on your upholstry. 

Carolina's desensitization plan is also good for helping the pup get over fear of the car.


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## bruiser (Feb 14, 2011)

*Spring Break Trip*

This is our first trip with our new pup and our lab who is used to being in the car. I will use a crate for the pup and then make the usual bed in the back for our lab. Bruiser tends to get car sick so I will limit his food to a little bit throughout the day and long walks at night and in the morning before we get back in the car. If he settles down a little bit and has no car sickness I might try and let him out of the crate to relax with our lab in the bed I make up. The bed is in the back seat with a couple of sleeping bags (I own an element). I just can't have the dogs playing and whining while I'm driving.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

My pup started out scared to death. She would crawl into the passenger footwell. I made it a point to pay no mind other than to occasionally say something soothing. My solution was to take her to the park 2 miles away at least once a day. Over time her head came up and it took about 2 weeks for her to be 'unscared' if not comfortable. Within a month she had her head out the window. I let her solve it at her own pace.


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## jprice103 (Feb 16, 2011)

Thanks everyone! I really want to be able to take her to parks and on hikes that will require driving to...so I can't wait until she adjusts. A lot of great advice on acclimating her! For the car crate, should i get one that will be big enough for her when she is full grown...or just buy another one when she outgrows the smaller one?


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## Franksmom (Oct 13, 2010)

My crate that i use in the car is also the crate that I used in the house when the dogs were puppies that way it's home away from home when we travel, it's also big enough for them as adults, it was a pain carring it in and out of the house when they were pups, but after my first dog road so well I decided I would do the same for all my pups and it's really paid off.


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## jprice103 (Feb 16, 2011)

I guess my biggest concern with a crate/kennel in the car, is if it is going to fit! I don't have a very large car! So how obsessed with my puppy am I that I'm about ready to go trade my car in for an SUV! And this is only after 2 weeks! God knows what I'll do for her after 6 mos! Yes, I'm that much in love with her!! :wub:

I was looking at the Zip Lines/Harnesses on the web. Is this a suitable option, or should I just figure out how to get a crate to fit?


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## UofIowaGSD (Jun 2, 2010)

I started Charlie riding in the car from day 1. I'm also a stay at home mom that drives a million miles a day dropping and taking kids to school and activities. He's always in the car with me. The first week he was scared but everytime I left the house he was with me so he would get used to it. I have a harness that allows the seatbelt to go through it. Yesterday he rode in the crate in the back of my SUV. My crate is 42" and I only have one so it is way too big to lug in and out of the house on a regular basis. Plus I have a very large SUV and the crate takes the entire cargo area! I would get a harness for the time being. I do work with Charlie inside the car and make him wait before I have him jump out. That way he's not rushing out of the car either.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

jprice103 said:


> I guess my biggest concern with a crate/kennel in the car, is if it is going to fit! I don't have a very large car! So how obsessed with my puppy am I that I'm about ready to go trade my car in for an SUV! And this is only after 2 weeks! God knows what I'll do for her after 6 mos! Yes, I'm that much in love with her!! :wub:
> 
> I was looking at the Zip Lines/Harnesses on the web. Is this a suitable option, or should I just figure out how to get a crate to fit?


Getting a harness is a good option too. And even safer than a crate. In my experience the only solution is FREQUENT short trips and don't make a big deal out of it. Stay calm and quiet and the pup will come around.


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## BlackPuppy (Mar 29, 2007)

PaddyD said:


> My pup started out scared to death. She would crawl into the passenger footwell.


Balto would crawl under the brake pedal. I finally got him to stand between the two front seats. He's 3 years old and will finally lay down behind the front seats in the van.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

BlackPuppy said:


> Balto would crawl under the brake pedal. I finally got him to stand between the two front seats. He's 3 years old and will finally lay down behind the front seats in the van.


YIKES! Abby tried that but I aimed her at the passenger side. It was fun watching her head come up a little higher every couple days. She was regular goofy-head-out-the-window-with-lolling-tongue within a couple months.


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## jprice103 (Feb 16, 2011)

PaddyD said:


> She was regular goofy-head-out-the-window-with-lolling-tongue within a couple months.


VERY much looking forward to that day!!


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## EJQ (May 13, 2003)

GSDBESTK9 said:


> Put her in the car without going anywhere, just play with her in the car, give her lots of treats, make it an awesome experience. When you feel she feels confortable in it, turn the car on (without going anywhere). Do the same thing, play with her, giver her tons of treats. Once she is confortable with that as well, drive it for a very short distance, give her treats, make it fun. Keep increasing the distance as she get more confortable. Puppies should always ride in crates, even adults. Too many bad things can happen with dogs loose inside a car. I have a friend who's Lab flew out the front windshield when she slammed on her brakes to avoid an accident. Dog died instantly.
> If you can't fit a crate in your car, buy a dog seatbelt.
> My parents also knew a couple that got into and accident and died because their GSD was throwing up in the back seat and they were trying to help/clean up.





JKlatsky said:


> I'm a big fan of crates for puppies in the car. They feel more secure in the crate and it keeps the puppy safe in case there's an accident, it also keeps YOU safer because you know that the puppy is safe and you are less likely to be focusing on the furball and focusing on the road instead. Additionally if you're lucky enough to have a pup that gets car sick, or maybe has an accident in the car everything is contained and not on your upholstry.
> 
> Carolina's desensitization plan is also good for helping the pup get over fear of the car.


That's pretty much it!


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## HeyJude (Feb 2, 2011)

I'm having sort of the same problem, cept my guy throws up in the car! Even on the shortest rides he looses his belly. I have him with a harness that gets attached to the seat belt, I'm thinking a plastic crate would be better? Do I get him one that fits him now, or buy him one he will grow into? Thanks for your input, this is a good thread for us newbies.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I crate. 

When I had my neon, I had a crate in my back seat. 

Use a small enough crate to fit in the car and hope the pup does not grow out of it too soon. 

Try to make car rides matter of fact. Mine LOVE to ride in the car, but my first GSD barfed every time he got in one until he was about 2. That was fun. I had a camaro then. No crate would fit Frodo in the back seat of a camaro. 

But whatever. Crates keep our dogs safe. Letting the dog run loose in the car is dangerous in the event of an accident. And one of my few tickets happened, when I had my dog belted in my back seat, and was behind a pick up truck at a stop sign, SAW the police car at the stop sign to my right, was petting the dog in the back seat, and followed that pick up truck right through the intersection when he started to go. 

Duh! 

The cop put "flagrantly" on my ticket. Well I guess it was. 

But I am just safer with the mangies in their crates.


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## southforsunshine (Mar 8, 2011)

jprice103 said:


> I guess my biggest concern with a crate/kennel in the car, is if it is going to fit! I don't have a very large car! So how obsessed with my puppy am I that I'm about ready to go trade my car in for an SUV! And this is only after 2 weeks! God knows what I'll do for her after 6 mos! Yes, I'm that much in love with her!! :wub:
> 
> I was looking at the Zip Lines/Harnesses on the web. Is this a suitable option, or should I just figure out how to get a crate to fit?


I can fit a big metal crate in the back seat of my Jetta (and Sentra, before). The crate is wayyyy bigger than the door opening.. Here is the key:

Put the front seats as far forward as they can go (slide and tilt)

Slide the folded crate into the back door vertically, with the "hinge" facing down. You want it to start unfolding like a V, not a ^. As it V's out, the front seats should give it enough room to fully pop open (might require some maneuvering) Finish putting the crate together, slide the seats back, and voila! A very snug fit.


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## jprice103 (Feb 16, 2011)

southforsunshine said:


> I can fit a big metal crate in the back seat of my Jetta (and Sentra, before). The crate is wayyyy bigger than the door opening.. Here is the key:
> 
> Put the front seats as far forward as they can go (slide and tilt)
> 
> Slide the folded crate into the back door vertically, with the "hinge" facing down. You want it to start unfolding like a V, not a ^. As it V's out, the front seats should give it enough room to fully pop open (might require some maneuvering) Finish putting the crate together, slide the seats back, and voila! A very snug fit.


Thanks! I'll have to try that! I have a VW CC, and I was more concerned with the height of the crate than the width. The CC is a very low car. But if you can get it in a Jetta, I should be able to get it in the CC! I'll have to give it a try!! Thanks again!!


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

That's what I did, popped him in the car for a few minutes, gave some treats, let him sniff around. Once he outgrew the crate that fit in the back he had to learn to behave in the backseat without it. I'd give him short rides up to the mailbox and to put the car in the garage. What worked the best was taking him lots of fun places so he wanted to get in.


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## jprice103 (Feb 16, 2011)

Stosh said:


> That's what I did, popped him in the car for a few minutes, gave some treats, let him sniff around. Once he outgrew the crate that fit in the back he had to learn to behave in the backseat without it. I'd give him short rides up to the mailbox and to put the car in the garage. What worked the best was taking him lots of fun places so he wanted to get in.


That is what I'll have to start doing. I really do want to be able to take her everywhere with me...and have her enjoy it!

Thanks for the advice!


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

I have to say I just love your avatar picture-- that face, those ears, the coloring!! And that confident expression- just adorable


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## derekscriv2008 (Jan 30, 2011)

make sure to give them their "own" space in the car, a place where he or she can feel safe.


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## rustilldown (Mar 9, 2011)

I treated it and am still treating it like crate training. I have a scion tc so it works now with her being a puppy being in the hatch back trunk with the seats as a barrier. It is almost like her crate but a little bigger. She is about 10 weeks old. She cries a little at first but she learns that gets her nowhere and she lays down and is good. The longest ride has been about 15 minutes but she is getting the idea. She has also been left in there by herself for 10 or 15 minutes in addition to the ride. I figure the earlier she learns the easier it will be. I am scared about her going potty in the back but o well. 

As she gets bigger hopefully she will fit with the seats down. If not, Emma will be strictly in my wife's car.


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## jprice103 (Feb 16, 2011)

Stosh said:


> I have to say I just love your avatar picture-- that face, those ears, the coloring!! And that confident expression- just adorable


Thanks! This was the first picture I could get where she was sitting still and looking at me! Both ears had just gone up!


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## jprice103 (Feb 16, 2011)

Cheyenne and I are going to have a 5-10 minute "play time" in the car today...without going anywhere. Baby steps....


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