Kroki

Question · Puppy

How do I get my puppy used to car rides?

The short answer

Start with the car parked and the engine off: let your puppy sit in its crate or harness spot, eat a few treats and get out again. Then add the engine running, then a drive round the block that ends somewhere fun. Keep trips short, always secure your puppy, and skip a big meal just before. If your puppy drools or is sick every time, ask 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. Set up a safe place first

    Decide where your puppy rides before the first trip: a crate fixed in the boot or on the back seat, or a car harness clipped to a seat belt. A puppy loose in the car, or on the front seat in front of an airbag, is not safe in a sudden stop.

  2. Play in the parked car

    With the engine off and the doors open, sit with your puppy in the car for a minute. Scatter a few treats in its spot or give a chew, then get out together. Repeat this on a few different days.

  3. Close the doors, start the engine

    Once the parked car is easy, close the doors and switch the engine on for a few seconds while your puppy gets treats. Switch it off and get out. Then let the engine run a little longer each time.

  4. Take a first mini-drive

    Drive to the end of the road and back, slowly and with gentle bends. If you can, let someone else drive so you can sit next to the crate. Stop before your puppy starts to whine, drool or pant.

  5. End the trip somewhere nice

    Let most early drives end with something your puppy likes: a quiet sniff walk, a friend’s garden, a short game. A car that only ever goes to the vet soon starts to mean the vet.

  6. Keep the tummy light and the air fresh

    Skip a big meal just before a drive, keep the car cool and let a little fresh air in. On longer trips, stop for a wee and water. Never leave your puppy alone in a parked car, even for a few minutes on a mild day.

Is your dog already grown?

A grown dog may already link the car with sickness, the vet or a long trip from a shelter, and may struggle to jump in if its joints are older. Then the work starts further back, sometimes at the car door, and a ramp can help. Our page for grown dogs explains that route.

What studies say about puppies and cars

Early experience seems to count. In an Italian survey of 907 dog owners, 76.2% of dogs always reacted well to car travel, while 23.8% showed or had shown problems. Dogs that had got used to car travel as puppies had problems far less often than the others: 6.3% compared with 24.1% (Mariti and colleagues 2012). The same survey found that dogs driven only to vet clinics reacted badly more often, so plan plenty of fun destinations.

Car sickness is common in young dogs. VCA Animal Hospitals explains that it is more frequent in puppies than in adults, probably because the parts of the inner ear that control balance are not fully developed yet, and that many puppies outgrow it by about one year. A first scary ride can also teach a puppy to dread the next one, so short, calm trips are worth it. Your vet can advise on anti-nausea medicine if your puppy is sick on every drive.

Restraint is a matter of safety and, in some places, the law. The UK Highway Code (rule 57) says dogs should be suitably restrained in a vehicle so they cannot distract the driver, and lists a seat belt harness, pet carrier, dog cage or dog guard as ways to do it. Rules differ between countries, but a secure spot protects your puppy in any case.

Signs your puppy feels unwell or uneasy in the car

  • Drooling, lip licking or lots of swallowing, often the first signs of nausea.
  • Yawning, whining or restless moving around in the crate.
  • Panting hard although the car is cool.
  • Being sick, sometimes only near the end of the trip. Next time, go back to shorter drives.

Common mistakes

  • Making the first long trip the second ride ever. Build up with many tiny drives first.
  • Feeding a full meal right before setting off.
  • Holding your puppy loose on a lap while the car moves.
  • Using the car only for vet visits and vaccinations, so it starts to mean something unpleasant.

When to see a professional

Some car trouble needs more than training. Get help if:

  • your puppy is sick or drools heavily on every trip, even short ones; ask about anti-nausea medicine and never give human travel tablets

    Have a vet take a look

  • your puppy pants hard, staggers or collapses after being in a warm car

    Emergency: get help now

  • your puppy panics, howls the whole way or tries to escape, even though you have gone back to tiny steps

    Get support from professionals

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

Frequently asked questions

Will my puppy grow out of car sickness?

Many puppies do, often by about one year of age, as their sense of balance matures. Short, calm trips help in the meantime, and your vet can advise if your puppy is sick every time.

Where should a puppy sit in the car?

A puppy should ride in a secured crate or in a car harness clipped to a seat belt, ideally in the back. Keep it away from front airbags.

Should I feed my puppy before a car journey?

It is best to skip a big meal right before a drive. A light meal a while earlier, and a few treats during practice, are usually fine.

Can my puppy sit on my lap during the drive home?

Only if you are a passenger and the puppy is held securely, and a crate is still safer. The driver should never hold a puppy.

How do I make the first drive home with my new puppy easier?

Bring a crate with a blanket that smells of the litter, a towel and some water. Ask someone to sit next to the crate, drive gently and plan short breaks on a long trip.

My puppy cries in the car. What should I do?

Shorten the trips and go back to the step your puppy found easy, such as sitting in the parked car. A chew in the crate helps some puppies settle.

How often should I stop on a long drive with a puppy?

Young puppies need a wee and water break often, many every hour or two. Stop in a safe, quiet place and keep your puppy on the lead when you get out.

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