# Whining in car



## jjk454ss (Mar 26, 2013)

My 1 yr old German Shepherd loves to go for rides, but he whines in the car and I can't get him to stop. I am sure it's not from being scared or nervous, he gets so excited. If we get near a place we walk or play at especially.

I'm typically in the car myself, so its hard to do anything about it. Any suggestions on keeping I'm from getting so excited when he gets to go for a ride?


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## Scarlettsmom (Jul 12, 2011)

Scarlett is 6 and does the SAME THING! When we approach the park, our house, the beach...she starts this high-pitched whining sound. It's nerve wracking. I know it's because she is really excited, but it is a little irritating.

All we have to do is SHOW her a bottle of bitter apple (or hair spray or windex or any bottle of liquid) and tell her to leave it. She generally stops or at least tones it down. She just can't seem to contain her excitement. 

I am SURE some of the other members can give you a better suggestion to control this behavior. Scarlett was already almost 2 when we rescued her and she has done this since then. She even did it when we brought her home the first time. It's like she knew. 

At least she isn't terrified of the car. :]


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## jjk454ss (Mar 26, 2013)

I've never thought of bitter apple spray. But I'm not really sure how I'd use it. Just spray his mouth anytime he starts to whine? Thanks or the help.




Scarlettsmom said:


> Scarlett is 6 and does the SAME THING! When we approach the park, our house, the beach...she starts this high-pitched whining sound. It's nerve wracking. I know it's because she is really excited, but it is a little irritating.
> 
> All we have to do is SHOW her a bottle of bitter apple (or hair spray or windex or any bottle of liquid) and tell her to leave it. She generally stops or at least tones it down. She just can't seem to contain her excitement.
> 
> ...


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## Cheyanna (Aug 18, 2012)

Fiona does this in the car too. I will give a tug on her collar and say quiet. Yes, I am driving and she is in the backseat. I have to reach back and find her leash. It works ever so slightly. Then it goes into high drive whining when I park. I will open her door and tell her to sit and quiet. If she does not, I close the door. Wait a few seconds, open the door and try again. Repeat until she sits and is quiet for 2 shakes of a lamb's tail.


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## jjk454ss (Mar 26, 2013)

Cheyanna said:


> Fiona does this in the car too. I will give a tug on her collar and say quiet. Yes, I am driving and she is in the backseat. I have to reach back and find her leash. It works ever so slightly. Then it goes into high drive whining when I park. I will open her door and tell her to sit and quiet. If she does not, I close the door. Wait a few seconds, open the door and try again. Repeat until she sits and is quiet for 2 shakes of a lamb's tail.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Thanks


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## Traveler's Mom (Sep 24, 2012)

Cheyanna said:


> Fiona does this in the car too. I will give a tug on her collar and say quiet. Yes, I am driving and she is in the backseat. I have to reach back and find her leash. It works ever so slightly. Then it goes into high drive whining when I park. I will open her door and tell her to sit and quiet. If she does not, I close the door. Wait a few seconds, open the door and try again. Repeat until she sits and is quiet for 2 shakes of a lamb's tail.


Like she said.

Mine also barks like a maniac at motorcycles. The whole vehicle rocks. It's deafening and embarrassing. :blush: Funny thing about the motorcycles is that when we are on a walk, he couldn't care less about them.


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## Shaolin (Jun 16, 2012)

Finn was a huge car crier, especially when we got our new truck where he could ride in a kennel instead of across the back seat. We started giving him 'busy treats' for rides where he had to be in his kennel for long periods of time; frozen peanut butter Kongs, super long Bully Sticks, pig ears, frozen Peanut Butter cubes. He also only gets Pig Ears or PB Cubes on car rides, so it's a super treat for him.

He looks forward to kenneled car rides now!


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## BigArn (Apr 23, 2009)

And I thought it was just Rocky that does this!!!


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Good Luck. Jax whines. She whined across 3/4 of PA to the Ohio line...the long length...until she wore herself out and went to sleep just in time for a rest stop


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## Bear GSD (Apr 12, 2012)

And here I thought I was the only one, lol! Bear only does his high pitched whining routine when he knows we're going to the park. It is soo annoying and I also am trying to figure out how to curb it :crazy:


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

Here's the real solution:









My girl also does this. It's excitement, not fear (at least in Pimg) and so no- I don't squash it. It's funny how some types would want their dog to ride quietly in the car, but then amp them up to 11 on the side-line watching their dog sport of choice. So my personal opinion is that if you are going to squash this excitement, you need to do it consistently, or not at all.

BTW- SOOOOOOO happy my puppy will ride almost silent in the car, and will silently (and intensely) watch agility from the sidelines.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Nikon doesn't whine until we get home, not when we get *there* when we get home he starts whining. Every time I say to him, have I EVER left you in the van and forgotten to let you out?

I find my dogs rarely whine after a while but "car rides" for us are more like 2.5+ hours each with all the travel we do for weekly training and tournaments. When we are going to local places they are so used to long rides they don't whine. I'm in my office right now and have three dogs out in my van at work....silence.


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## jjk454ss (Mar 26, 2013)

Thanks for the help and ideas, and for letting me know my dogs by the only crazy one. I've tried the treats, thought or sure that would do it, he totally ignores any treat, he is just too excited.


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## AngelaA6 (Jan 20, 2013)

Gunther whines at stop lights and stop signs. He's like, "We've stopped! Let me out so I can play!" We just tell him hush or no. A MkII Volkswagen Golf is much too small to have an overly excited GSD in haha.


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## rena (Nov 19, 2005)

*Need hearing plugs*

I watched caesar millan and saw that some dogs whined as soon as they got in the car because they thought they were going to go to the park. So I take him out even when he is not and that helped.
As for when he DOES go to the park, I just wind the windows up as he is SOOO loud and whiney everyone looks as we drive up. BUT when we stop he has to be quiet or I won't let him out. I have taught him calm down and shhh. I put my fingers to my lips and he shuts up. If I open the door and he starts up I close the door till he calms down. Its taken some time and patience but he is a lot calmer now .And when i open his door to let him out, he is silent and looks to me till I say okay and then he jumps out and then its go time.


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## tracylynnhare (May 14, 2013)

Harley doesn't whine, he barks... LOUD in the car, every time we pass a person, or a dog, or a motorcycle or a tree. {eyeroll}. Ok, not the tree. But he rides in the back seat and if there aren't any people out, he is fine, but if he sees a person, he goes NUTS. My husband RIDES a motorcycle. Doesn't bother him at all if Hubby gets the bike out and starts it up and leaves, but if one passes us in the car or if we are walking, he goes crazy. HELP!


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

I have dogs that do both.

Raven barks at every dog and person. Forget it with a motorcylce, she goes nuts. I can't fit a crate big enough for her in the car and she goes on high alert as soon as she gets it. Getting her used to a calming cap so she can wear that in the car. She has no issues with those things anywhere else and anyone can walk up to the car without a peep as long as we are stopped. Something about the movement sets her off. 

Kaiser does the excited whining. He gets so incredibly amped to go somewhere that he shakes when are getting his harness on. I just ignore it as much as I can despite how annoying it can be. I don't want to squash the excitement. On the way home, he's quiet because he's exhuasted from whatever fun thing we did. He does settle easier in a crate then just harnessed.


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## danny24 (Jan 26, 2013)

Someone told me that if your dog gets nervous in the car, you could feed them their meals in the car so they start to associate good things with the car. Started to do it with my 6 month old, I've only done it a few times but hes already made some improvement.


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