Puppy travel sickness - advise please

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_Samantha_

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Evening again,

I could really do with some tips/suggestions from you on how to introduce my pup to travelling in the car.

We have had to take her out in the car a few times since having her last week and each time she is very sick. it doesn't seem to make a difference how long before travel she ate either.

Is there anything I can do to make the experience better for her? I have to carry her in to the car as she won't go near it out of choice. I'm worried that I could be doing more harm than good? Or will this get better with time and age?

I'm open to suggestions if you think it will help her. Thanks :-D
 
Get a carrier for her, place a teddy in and a nice blankey, take her on very short journeys then get her out and take her for a little walk, as a positive associator, place her on newspaper or cardboard, travel her very frequently, dont be put off, the more she travels the easier it will become, ginger and peppermint are a natural anti sickness.

Even better let her sit stationary in the car with a treat, piggy ear, something similar and simply get her out repeat without even going anywhere, a few times, so she begins to associate car with a positive, are u crate trainig her indoors?
 
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What Cayla says: very short journeys and eventually she should stop being sick. I think being confined was what upset my pups: the minute they were allowed to be just in the boot and look out, they were fine.
 
Thanks for the replies. I will give that a go. We had only been going about 2 miles in the car. She seems OK other than a little stressed, lots of dribble then just as we arrive is sick. I haven't taken her out in the car for last day or so and won't be for next few days as my partner is away with the car but when he gets back I'll get straight on it.

We have a saloon car so I'd been sitting in the back with her to try and comfort her but this doesn't seem to make a difference and as you suggest had been thinking of getting a carrier (we are in the process of changing our car to a grand scenic).

She hasn't been crate trained but has been pretty good in the house at night, only sometimes doing a wee on a puppy mat, but have given serious thought to crate training. Only thing that put me off was the guy in the pet store who said don't bother if she's not dirty. but I have friends who's dogs are crate trained and its so useful at other times not just at night. Just don't know where to start?? I've looked online at some crates and thought a large would be big enough but when I saw one in a shop it looked smaller than I had expected. What size would a lab x weimeraner need? I'd feel happier getting her one bigger than she needs but don't know if I'm thinking along the right lines?
 
Bridget always used to be sick in my car but not in my mum's car. She grew out of it though.

I've heard a few people suggest giving them a couple of gingernut biscuits before a journey - the ginger is supposed to calm the tummy. I don't know if it actually works though
 
Well it could be worth a try. I know they say ginger is supposed to help during pregnancy to ease heart burn but didn't work for me, though I didn't stop eating them either :-P hopefully they'll work better for Penny's travel sickness :-) thanks
 
Mine has suffered from car sickness and doesent bounce with joy at car rides, but has stopped being sick.
I started with encouraging him to get in voluntarily and rewarding with chicken etc whenever we went past the car. Then sitting in the car with engine running, chicken and getting out without going anywhere. Then literally round the block (2 min drive), then a walk or playing in the garden.
If any lip smacking or dribbling started I would stop and let him out for 5-10 minutes. The back seat of the car is where he travels best, on a rather grand arrangement of cushions! I did try a carrier, but no joy even though he is crate trained.
I always make sure he has had a wee and poo before we go, and if its a journey of longer than 40 mins (seems to be the cut off point), then enough of a walk to make him tired so generally he'll sleep on the way.
He did improve when we travelled him with another dog friend that loves being in the car. Roundabouts and twisty lanes used to set him off, he was always fine on motorways. I do have one or two permanent stains in the back of the car but he has managed a 6 hour trip to Cornwall so I'm sure yours will be fine!
 
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