Sudden odd behaviour in car

CorvusCorax

CorvusCorax

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Hiya.
One thing we have never had to worry about with our dogs has been car travel, they have all been brilliant travellers with some going as far as jumping into other people's parked cars because they wanted to go for a spin
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B last Sunday started digging in the boot of my car. He was even worse this Sunday.
The set up is a blanket, then a sheet stretched over the boot floor and back seat, then a towel laid down, with a lead, water bowl, empty and a ball on a rope in the boot with him.

He ignores any shouting or loud noises I do from the front seat when he is digging.
Where safe I have been stopping, ticking him off (if I catch him in the act) removing him from boot and rearranging sheets and towels.
However then he refuses to get back in the car and I had to lift him (ouch) three times today.
On each occasion he was offered a drink or time to pee, but declined, he just wanted to get away from the car.
Mum says he has been spooky about getting into her car too. This is unusual and sudden and he is normally a very confident dog.
He does not get fed for at least 90 minutes before or after car travel, or an hour when it is a half ration.

Any ideas? It is a long, low saloon, not an estate, no guard and I cannot afford a trailer, box or crate, we have a crate but it will not fit in my car.
He has been fine up until last Sunday with me and this week for Mum.
I have told her to feed him in the car while I am away this week, to make him realise that it is a nice place to be.

Thanks for reading, sorry it was long.
 
Think back and see if you have had to brake sharply or swerved. Maybe something has upset him. Feeding him in the car is a good idea.
 
Well neither me or Mum could be described as, er, quiet drivers
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nothing is springing to mind from me personally, I will ask Mum.

I hope it clears up quickly....he usually responds very well to any sort of corrective training. Dogs, bikes, fast cars coming up behind him etc.
 
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Has anything been spilit in the car that might smell strongly to him? Petrol from a can, oil, antifreeze etc.?

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No - but it was wet - I left the boot open when I was doing a bit of agility with him and a downpour came on - that might have been it?
Oh - and I had incense in there last week because the same thing happened, rained heavily, the upholstery got wet and it stank so I lit some up - that might have seemed noxious to him.

ETA - he was not in the car at the same time as the incense - that was after he was in the car last Sunday and he hasn't been in it since today.

I need a van
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Bet you it was that! Never ceases to amaze me how sensitive they are to smell. You'll have to sprinkle some gravy granules around there to mask it!!
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How old is he? Just a thought but Chloe hated the car between about 5 and a half and 6 and a half months, but now shes fine again. It might just be a phase! xxx
 
I read the title and wondered why your car had suddenly started behaving oddly
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Not sure what to suggest really, it does seem like he has had something which has really put him off and a strong smell would seem most likely
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Possibly Cavecanem - association can be surprisingly strong. Is there anything that is carried around for him from car to car - blanket or something, which could have retained the smell?
 
Evie has an issue with cars too! She has never ever been travel sick, and always travels watching what is going on . When she was young I always lifted her in the car, once she reached about 9 months I tried to encourage her to jump in on her own which she did reluctantly. Then one day when I was taking her out she lay flat and refused to get in. She appeared petrified, and i had to lift her in, she then travelled fine. To cut it short this continue so I started feeding her in the car, she was soon jumping in happily. However without food she is still reluctant to jump in, and often tries to dive out as I shut the tailgate (wire tailgate on order which should solve this). Like you CC I cannot think of anything that has happened to cause this behaviour. The other dogs love the car and will sit in it all day if the boot is open, but she will never choose to jump in. Maybe it is just Shepherds always trying to give us something else to puzzle about
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Thanks guys - he is two and this has come on really suddenly.
Nothing transferred from car to car, my car is my car and her car is hers.

I am so unsettled about it tonight - we had a fab day, he behaved brilliantly, did so well at heelwork in a crowd, which he has never done before, didn't look anywhere near another dog all day, I got two more bookings to handle at a championship show next month, I should be delighted, but all I can see is the look of horror on his face at being asked to get into the boot
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It is so unlike him. I hope I haven't put him off for life.

Fingers crossed we can fix it, thanks again for your comments x
 
Puppy, I hadn't thought of that either, I get shocks off cars all the time.

Camilla, will try that too, once I find someone willing to let Dogzilla anywhere near the car....maybe at training next week, if I can get him there
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