Kroki

Question · Dog

How do I get my dog used to the car?

The short answer

Find out which part is hard for your dog: walking up to the car, getting in, the engine, the motion or where the trip ends. Start just before that point. Feed meals next to the parked car, make getting in easy with a ramp if needed, then add the engine and short drives that end somewhere your dog loves. Drooling and sickness on every trip are a reason to see your vet. Kroki, a reward-based training app for puppies and dogs, has a step on relaxed car rides.

How to do it, step by step

  1. Work out which part is hard

    Watch your dog at each stage: near the car, at the open door, inside with the engine off, with the engine on, and while moving. Yawning, lip licking, a tucked tail or a stiff body show where it gets too much. Your practice starts one stage earlier.

  2. Turn the parked car into a picnic spot

    Feed a few meals or a lick mat next to the car, then at the open boot, then inside with the doors open. Get out again while your dog is still relaxed. The car becomes a place where good food happens and nothing else.

  3. Make getting in easy

    Big, older or stiff dogs often dislike the jump. Teach a ramp or a step on flat ground first, rewarding each paw on it, then lean it against the car. If you lift your dog, support the chest and the back end at the same time, and only if it stays relaxed.

  4. Practise the restraint indoors

    If your dog will ride in a crate, make that crate a cosy rest spot at home first. For a seat-belt harness, practise putting it on in the living room. Then move the crate or harness into the parked car.

  5. Add the engine, then tiny drives

    Start the engine for a few seconds while your dog eats, then switch it off. Next, roll to the end of the driveway, then round the block. Stop before your dog drools, pants or tries to stand up.

  6. Change what the car predicts

    For a while, let almost every drive end at a favourite walk or with a friend your dog likes. If vet visits can’t wait, mix them between many happy trips, so the car stops meaning only the vet.

Is it a young puppy?

A puppy usually starts with a clean slate, so the parked car and the first mini-drives often go faster. Car sickness is more common at that age and many puppies outgrow it. Our puppy page covers the first drive home and travel breaks for a young puppy.

Why grown dogs struggle with the car, and why it is worth working on

Car trouble is common and often goes untreated. In an Italian survey of 907 owners, 23.8% of dogs showed or had shown problems with car travel. Dogs driven only to vet clinics reacted badly more often than the others (46.4% compared with 22.7%). Among owners of dogs with problems, 96.3% had given no treatment or other substances and 48.7% had not asked anyone for advice (Mariti and colleagues 2012). So if your dog struggles, you are far from alone, and help exists.

Sickness and worry often go together. VCA Animal Hospitals explains that a dog that rarely rides in the car may link it with a stressful experience such as a vet visit, and that this anxiety can lead to vomiting and diarrhoea. Anti-nausea medicine helps with motion sickness but not with fear, and some anti-anxiety medicines need to start days or weeks before a trip, so talk to your vet before you plan a long journey.

A grown dog loose in the car is a risk for everyone. The UK Highway Code (rule 57) says dogs should be suitably restrained so they cannot distract the driver, naming a seat belt harness, pet carrier, dog cage or dog guard. Pushing a frightened dog in and driving off rests on stress, and a review found that aversive methods can harm dogs’ physical and mental health without working better than rewards (Ziv 2017). Small, rewarded steps are the kinder route.

Sickness, fear or excitement?

  • Drooling, swallowing and being sick, often worse on bendy roads, point to nausea: talk to your vet.
  • Trembling, hiding in the footwell, a tucked tail or refusing to get in point to fear.
  • Barking, whining and spinning, especially near the destination, often mean excitement about the walk ahead.
  • Many dogs show a mix. Calm short drives help with all three, while medicine is only for the vet to decide.

Common mistakes

  • Lifting a worried dog into the car and driving off, which makes the next trip harder.
  • Testing progress with a long holiday drive instead of many short ones.
  • Letting a dog ride loose or with its head out of the window.
  • Giving human travel tablets or calming products without asking your vet first.

When to see a professional

Some car trouble is not a training question. Get help if:

The help pages list services in Germany, Austria and Switzerland only. Elsewhere, ask your vet practice who they recommend near you.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my dog suddenly hate the car?

A sudden change often follows a bad trip, a stressful destination or a bout of sickness. If getting in seems hard, pain in the hips, back or legs is possible, so a vet check comes first.

Can my vet give my dog something for car sickness?

Yes, vets can prescribe anti-nausea medicine for dogs. It eases motion sickness but not fear, so combine it with small, calm practice drives.

My dog won’t jump into the car any more. What can I do?

Have your vet check for pain first, especially in an older dog. Then teach a ramp or step with treats on flat ground before you use it at the car.

Is it safe for my dog to hang its head out of the car window?

It is not safe. Dust, insects and sudden braking can hurt your dog, and an unrestrained dog can distract the driver or be thrown forward.

Why does my dog bark the whole way in the car?

Most dogs bark from excitement about the walk ahead or from worry about the ride. Make drives boring and frequent, cover the crate if passing things set it off, and reward quiet moments.

Is a crate or a seat belt harness better for a grown dog?

Both can work if they are secured and your dog is used to them. A crate fixed in the boot suits many larger dogs, while a car harness clipped to a seat belt suits others.

How do I prepare a rescue dog for a long car journey?

If you can, practise short drives before the long one and ask your vet about sickness or calming support in good time. On the day, pack water, a lead and a familiar blanket.

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