Growling at Lights in the Car?
 

Sydney, who will be 2 in June, would sleep in the car and was so easy to travel with until a couple days ago. Now she growls and snarls non stop at the overhead lights and objects inside the car. We went to the beach as normal for a walk with my dad driving. Going to the beach, no problem. Sydney was buckled in her bag next to me in the backseat. My parent's dog Ginger rides in her bag in the front seat. This is all normal. Usually after she walks, she sleeps. This time, however, it's as if she suddenly realized there were objects on the ceiling of the car and started growling and snarling non stop. Going to the beach, no problem. We even went to a family reunion with 7 hours in the car, no problem. Now, big problem. We have another family reunion that we will be going to 7 hours away and I am really worried. I tried holding her up to the light so she could sniff it, but as soon as I set her back on the seat she would growl. I tried covering her with a blanket every time she growled, but she would only start back up once I removed the blanket. She is so wound up she won't listen to me or take treats. The walk at the beach was normal. Nothing happened. The girls went swimming a played as normal. We went to the park yesterday and she growled non stop both ways in the car. Any thoughts why the overhead lights all of a sudden bother her?

Are they the lights the come on and go off when the door is opened and closed? She either just noticed them or saw them on and then go off. I would say a firm 'No' when she does it. Maybe practice with the door (making the lights blink) open and closing. Treat her with chicken bits or something she can't refuse when she ignores them.

Thank you for the reply. I did click the light just over her bag on and she would stare at it, but she did stop growling. I will ask my dad today to turn the lights on next to the rear view mirror and see how she does with it. I could zip her shut inside her bag, but that's too long to be riding in the car for the family reunion like that. Poor dear gets so upset now. It hurts to see her like this.

Aww, Alice sometimes starts barking and growling at really random things, including things that she's seen many times. i'm honestly not sure what this is all about, but usually if I take her right to the object, she sees that it's fine and stops. I know you said you did that, but it could be too like kjc said, maybe it was something to do with the light coming off and on.

how about - put her in the car and let her walk all around it getting a chance to sniff everything on her own. Of course she can't "check out" the ceiling, but maybe if she has a chance to "inspect" the whole car she'll be more relaxed.

That's a good idea. I will try that out. I might also put her thundershirt on to try to help with some of her anxiety.

So my mom came with us today on our beach walk. She held Sydney in the front seat so she could look at and smell things. Again, while looking up, she growled and shook. (She was tethered to my mom with her harness and leash, but no longer in her bag). I had Ginger buckled in her bag in the backseat with me. My mom was able to distract Sydney with letting her stick her head out the window and also with treats, but as soon as my mom would stop, it was back to growling at objects on the ceiling. If my mom held her up to the objects, she was anxious, but only sniffed and stopped growling. We will do it again tomorrow.