# Get in the car



## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

I've been having a lot of trouble getting my 8 month old Tesla to get in the car. Once in a while he will just climb right in, but most of the time he stops and balks. I've tried firmly leading him in next to me. I've tried getting inside and calling/cajoling him. I've tried getting in and acting like I'm having so much fun in the car without him. I've tried luring with treats or toys or placing/tossing them inside. Sometimes with treats he will put his front paws up but then he won't climb in fully, and backs out again.
We have a minivan so the step in is a bit higher than a normal car, but it's not high enough that he should have trouble with it. 
I'm wondering if this is the same issue as his refusal to climb up stairs sometimes. I think he is in a "fear period" so that may be related too.
I'm not sure what else to try!


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## Debanneball (Aug 28, 2014)

When Fritz was young, I could pick him up, and put him in back of SRX. Now that he is bigger, I can't lift him. I tap the back, if he puts his paws up, I lift the rear. He gets out on his own.. When he refused to put his paws up, or fooled around I took him back inside, and left by myself. This happened maybe a couple of times.. Now, whenever I go to the garage, he comes and lies by the car, just waiting.


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

Patricia McConnell had a whole protocol for this. It involved leaving both doors open and tossing treats so that the dog could jump in, get the treat and get back out again. Then, once they were comfortable with that game, you closed the other side door and tossed the treats. Then short rides with treats, etc. until the dog is comfortable. 

I guess the only thing I would be concerned with is whether he is in some pain and that's why he's balking.


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## Pax8 (Apr 8, 2014)

Haha, Debanne, I did the same thing with Kaiju. My roommate walked out with me, I asked Kaiju to get in the car. He looked at the car and backed up, so I handed the leash to my roommate, hopped in the car and drove away. Now Kaiju will get in every time without question!

On a more serious note, give it time, be patient. Check out McConnell's protocol. I had one dog in one of my classes that was terrified of cars so once we got her approaching them, we started acclimating her to them just by sitting on the far side of the back seat while she sat just outside the door. I hung out and read a book, occasionally talked to her or set a treat on the seat next to me. Maybe a chapter or two in, she finally crawled up and sat down next to me. She got faster and faster each time and was jumping in happily about a week later.


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## Mary Beth (Apr 17, 2010)

My Sting did that at about the same age. Yes, I agree with you it is a fear period. I was firm with him. When he balked , I circled him around the vehicle on his leash - got to the open door and said "kennel in now" I pushed his big rump - he was so startled he jumped in - then I praised him and gave him a treat. So my advice is to be calm, firm, and matter of fact. That behavior from you actually calms him because he sees that you are in charge. So nothing bad can happen to him. Same with the stairs. Cajoling and coaxing don't work - they only increase his fear. I know my Sting also was bad about stairs for the longest time. Finally I put his leash on - went up the 2 steps into the house - said to him "go up" and when he backed, I tugged - he balked - i tugged - he went up the steps. The next time he went up real easy. I do find the leash helped to guide him. Off topic, on this thread - but I have read your older ones. For fetch - I had success with 2 balls - throw one - he runs after it - start playing with the other - he drops his ball and comes up to get yours - toss that one. Sting also prefers balls that have a rope on - so I can tug that. For tug - put the tug on a rope - work it like a flit pole but again use 2 tugs - he will be more interested to chase and bite after a moving object especially when you can scoot it out of his reach.


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## Mary Beth (Apr 17, 2010)

Just wanted to add, yawning works well as a calming signal during these fear periods. Also even 5 minutes to do the Sitting on the Dog exercise - where the dog is on the down/stay while you sit and read. I had to sit on the leash at first as Sting kept getting up and down - but I just insisted he go back down. I had Sting from 8 weeks on, so some of the problems you have now, you may well have had anyway even if you had gotten a pup. At least with an older pup, one can do more. I think Tesla will be a great companion once he settles down and adjusts. He has gone thru a major change and now he has his first winter


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

Thanks! I have tried tugging or acting very firm but it just made him try to back up more, and if I try to actually pull or lift him into the car, he will struggle and/or try to back away even more. He's too big for me to actually lift into the car but I've tried putting his back end in when he has his front legs up already.
It's funny because sometimes he will jump right in after me with no problem, but other times he backs away.


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## Debanneball (Aug 28, 2014)

This may work.. Sometimes when Fritz and I have finished walking/playing, he will lie by the front door, doesn't want to come inside.. I prop open the door, show him his favorite toy, toss it inside.. He goes for it.


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## Waffle Iron (Apr 3, 2012)

I like the treat idea. That's a unfortunate situation. My guys go bonkers if I say "car ride?" and want nothing more than to fly into the backseat.


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