Car phobia

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Izzy1

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Hi
I have an eight month old standard poodle puppy. She is the most lovely temperament and we had her from a breeder when she was 16 weeks. Within 100 yards of the drive home from breeder she threw up and again and again with every subsequent journey!! I have read everything going and tried to solve this problem but despite my best efforts it all seems to be just getting worse.

I have walked around the car until she is happy to go up to it. I have played in the car, fed her in the car, sat in the car with engine off, started engine. Driven 100 yards, increased up to 7 minute drive to stables over 4 months. I take her a short journey in the car everyday. I have tried Johnsons traveleze and sealegs and homeopathic drops and even those dap diffusers. I have tried a crate, a harness on the seat and leaving her loose with a dog guard - nothing makes any difference. She shakes as she sees the car, she starts to drool and has now started pooing in the car. Am at wits end. Have taken it all so gently but nothing helps and the vet just says - keep going - she will grow out of it!!

She also had diarrhoea for the 1st 12 weeks after we got her and after lots of investigations we have discovered she is intolerant to rice and now her bowel has settled on a new diet. She doesn't throw up in the car anymore but drools like someone has turned a tap on and the pooing is just awful. She looks pitiful as the boot comes down and I feel so bad for her but am careful not to praise her too much whilst looking pitiful so not reinforcing the behaviour.

Does anyone have any ideas of where to go next - I am contemplating an animal behaviourist. Am desperate as poor dog having to stay in more when she could be having a fabulous time running over fields.

Thankyou
 
Bloody hell, she's a tough nut to crack! I did exactly as you have to cure my dog and it worked although it took ages. Is it possible she associates the car with a traumatic event? Perhaps a behaviourist is the way forward
 
My puppy was exactly the same, sick every journey and you knew when he was gonna be sick as he started licking his lips a lot. I did the short journeys etc to try & get him used to it, I also gave him a traveleze tablet but he was still sick.

And then about 3 months ago it all stopped. No sickness, no licking the lips. He is now 22 months. Maybe it's something they grow out of. The only thing I'm left with is awful wind now (him not me)!!
 
I think you could be right - I wonder if she did have a traumatic event as we got her at 16 weeks. We think the breeders were going to show her but didn't and wonder if it was to do with car sickness. My brother has a standard poodle who was terrible in the car but eased after 3 months but we've been going four and it's worse so I think it's deeper rooted than just feeling sick. WE've just taken her out now and she was quaking - it' s so horrible. I think I need a dog psychologist!! Or maybe one for me if it continues - certainly a new washing machine is on the agenda for the constant washing of towels for drool and poo.
 
Our labrador used to throw up on every car journey when we first got him (he was 4 months old). He hated the car completely. This may sound harsh but every time my hubby had to do a long journey in the car, sometimes for a few hours, he would take the dog with him. He faced his phobia and we never looked back, he loves the car now, may not work for every dog though!!
 
Perhaps his fear is that he knows he will feel violently ill and it's brought on the shaking, drooling and pooing. I got my dog when he was 3, he drooled in the car after 1 mile and was sick at 3 miles for months until I went back to basics and did just what you have been doing but it took about 8 months before I could go further than 3 miles.

Start again maybe but don't take him anywhere for a few weeks, just sit in the back seat and read a book, don't pay him any attention except a reassuring stroke but no speaking and no reacting to his drooling and then get out and give lots of praise. 2nd stage... then start the engine and sit for 5 minutes with no attention and lots of praise, 3rd stage....then go 100yds etc etc. It could take many more months but I'd suggest not moving on to the 2nd stage before he's stopped drooling in the 1st stage and so on so he gets the idea that the car won't make him sick.
 
Our old border collie was dreadful in the car, sick and shaking. eventually we asked an animal healer to "talk " to him and he said the sight of the cars rushing towards him made him scared they would hit the car.. She recommended ginger capsules and we tried them, after a while they worked and he coped ok.
(you slide them down the dog's throat)
he got used to doing a 300 mile trip every week but tolerated it rather than enjoyed it. he did travel so much better down in the footwell however, so have you tried that?
Sceptical though we were about the message the healer passed on, the dog did cope better on the floor!
 
Thankyou for all your comments. I am willing to try anything. Will try starting completely again and and defiinitely the footwell (although drool over my gear stick maybe hard to live with and may induce driver nausea). I will also look to see if there is a local dog whisperer who might be able to offer something. I always was smug that the kids don't have car sickness - pride always comes before a fall!!!
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Just a thought. Have you tried putting newspaper down instead of towels. Im not sure how it works, something to do with static electricity, but I know friends who swear by it for travel sick children. They sit on the paper and dont get sick.

Dont know if it would work for dogs though!
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But possibly worth a go!
 
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