Afrait to get in the car
 

My little Winnie refuses to get in the car. I dont know what the problem is. When DH and I want to bring her somewhere we casually walk out the apartment towards the car and as soon as she realizes where we are going, about 4 or 5 feet away, she sits her little bum down and refuses to move. We have tried luering (is that how you spell it) her with treats with my DH getting in on one side and calling her in from the other side but nothing, she wont go anywhere near it. Once she is in the car she is fine. All dogs i've ever had or seen are so excited to go in the car and just jump right in. I dont know what to do.

Any ideas??

I don't know how old she is, but a lot of these little one's go through a period where they are fearful of a number of things. It's just part of puppyhood.:) It passes and I'm sure the same will happen with your little one. Keep taking her and perhaps carry her to the car for awhile to see if she reacts any differently.

Bella is good at getting in the car when we first start out. But usually when it's time to head home she balks like that also. She's 3. Good thing they're are small. We can pick them up and go anyway.

After 5 years I still have to carry to the car. Once she's in she's fine.

Little Bit is scared to death of the car, all I have to do is say go for a ride and he runs to get on Daddy's lap so he does not have to go, However, the other 4 in the pack are to the car before I finish saying it lol

Maggie loves it. It is one of the few times she will bark for anything besides to warn us of something outside that she doesn't think should be there. She jumps and follows me, nudging at my ankles and giving excited yips and barks, saying "come on lest go lets go!" When I get out her special walk water bottle (for long walks when we drive to the park) she will start getting very excited and when I say "car" it's all over!

Do most of your car trips involve fun things for Winnie or just the vet? Are they long or short? Maybe try taking short trips to fun places like a hike in the woods or to the pet store (if she likes those things, and if they are short.) Does she have a place to sit where she can see out and feel secure?

[QUOTE=maggiefromnj;3865953

Do most of your car trips involve fun things for Winnie or just the vet? Are they long or short? Maybe try taking short trips to fun places like a hike in the woods or to the pet store (if she likes those things, and if they are short.) Does she have a place to sit where she can see out and feel secure?[/QUOTE]

Oh we've done more fun things then not fun things. Going to petsmart, puppy classes, the dog park, a birthday party.... still she hates it lol

Maybe it makes her mildly car sick, not to the point of throwing up just to the point of feeling icky?

You want to change her attitude toward the act of getting into the car and associating it with something good instead of what she now fears should work if you are patient and persistent and willing to put in the time.

With some just-cooked and delicious-smelling boiled chicken I would wait until she is good and hungry and lure her nearer and nearer the open door car for a few days until she is desensitized to being near it to get her chicken with praise and a bite every time she will take even a half-step closer. Then return her to the house.
Then use that same method to encourage her to put her paws up on the edge of the car floor but do not try to lure her into the car yet. Just to touch it with her paws - over and over a few times and then back into the house - training done.

Eventually you should be able to slowly change her association of fear of the car to that of wanting to get her chicken and approving of the car so that she will even jump into the car to get her bites on one of the occasions she is placing her feet on the edge of the car. Love and praise when she does and try it a time or two more and then back in house - session over. Repeat it until she is jumping in for regular treats or a squeaky toy and eventually just jumping in on command.

This slow process of desensitization over time by repetitive replacing the fear association with that of happily getting choice food has worked to help fearful dogs I have dealt with. Use of regular treats will not usually overcome great fear so it usually takes a high-value treat and some of your time and patience. If she can't eat boiled chicken, find something else that she absolutely drools for, wait until she is good and hungry and lure her with that. Keep each desensitization episode very short but as frequent as at least once a day - twice or more if you can.

When she can jump in without a lure, you have probably won this one but look for it to come back occasionally if she is a very fearful dog. If it does, try repeating your original desensitization training. Good luck.

that's what the problem was with mine, he never felt great in car rides, he threw up a few times but not all the time. I would give him a tiny piece of dramamine when I knew we would be in it for over an hour, that seemed to help. However he still was never excited to get in, anytime we walked past a car, he would pull on his leash to get away. As someone else said it's good they are light, just pick the dog up and get him quickly in the car, also make sure he has air and perhaps a car seat where he had access to looking out the window would help, they always say that helps people with the same problem.