|
Car Wash- any experiences? Last night was so scary!! My Fiancé & I were headed to the VW dealership for him to get a new car. He was trading in his current car, and spur of the moment decided to run it through a $5 car wash real quick on the way. Eva was with us in the car. As soon as the water started coming down- she FREAKED OUT. She was shaking so uncontrollably & breathing so heavy it sounded like a train!! I was terrified for her.. and she did this for the whole 20 minutes to the dealership. Once we got there, I calmed her down outside, got her a treat & water, etc and she was fine while we were there for a while. Once we went to go home in the new car, she started the shaking & breathing heavy again. It was such a sin- I was honestly terrified she was going to have a heart attack. I hope I did not scar her for life in the car- she actually liked the car before this!! Has anyone else had a traumatizing experience with their dogs in the car wash???? |
Oh my goodness! Bless her heart! :( I've never experienced this but I do recall reading someone had a similar experience a few months ago. I'm going to remember this and steer clear of car washes when my pups are in the car. |
Something like that will often panic a dog. I've heard of it happening to several dogs. If your next car trip finds her remembering those last two trips and panic sets in again, start to desensitize her to the new car. Just open the doors to the car on both sides so it's all open and not closed and scary and toss one of her toys or a treat in it and let her get it out and jump right back out. If she won't, just pick her up and go sit in the car for a second and get right back out and then treat her and play with her and then grab her up, sit back in the car for another second, out to play and treats. Keep sitting in the car with her followed by a payoff she likes and after the first day or two, sit there a little longer with her and she will begin to see that being in the new car is just short and sweet and nothing bad is happening and she gets treats and playing afterward. After a while, she should retrieve treats or toys of her out of it on her own. In time, she should accept the new car and you can take a very short trip around the block and after a few of those, she should no longer remember just that scary episode in the old car. |
Quote:
|
I did the same thing.....went to wash my car, not thinking it would bother my yorkies....WRONG! They freaked out so bad, too! I have never done it again! My car doesn't get washed very often because they are always with me. When I take it in to get serviced, they wash it for free & without my pups! :) |
Quote:
|
She probably is tramatized but after you put her in the car a couple times and she realizes shes not going back to that scary place she will be fine. For future reference yorkies can be scared by change and loud noises. You may find she doesnt do well during fireworks or thunder |
Quote:
|
One thing you could do is drive her to Sonic in the new car and order something that smells really good. Let her see that food coming in the window of the car and scent all that odor of french fries and corny dogs, etc. Maybe she can get a bite of the bread only from the bun or something. Than all the way home in the new car with the food smelling so good should get her keen on the idea of a car ride being okay. It ought to change her association in the car from fear to good food and anticipation! :icecream::beermug::cupcake3::2pizza::2popkorn: |
Haha I LOVE this idea!! They actually JUST opened a sonic about 15 minutes from us!! :D:) I should tell Hubs that's where we need to take Eva this weekend to break in his new car! |
Maybe a few trips to order good food and have it come in the car window and ride all the way home with her will have her like the car again soon. Overpowering smell of food can flood a dog with good sensations. |
Quote:
|
Quote:
The place where I go to wash my car, has car washing bays and they also have a dog washing area. ZoE gets bathed in the tub at home :p But, she's been through the DIY car wash around 100 times (I like to keep my ride purty ;)) |
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Aww. Poor Eva. Sam's only been through one car wash experience. It didn't faze him. He tried to lick the soap off the windows from the inside. |
Deb - you were who I was recalling, also. I just couldn't remember who it was that posted it. So glad you saw this. |
Quote:
|
Lola loves the car wash, she barks and tries to get to the scrubbers. Each time she has become more at ease with it, but I held her at first and then when she realize it could not get her, she tries to get it! |
Sophie Kate has been to the car wash, she challenges the brushes and the water sititng in her Snoozer snarling like a wild dog. It is kind of funny but I usually take her outside and let the car go thru without us. I try not to encourage her bad habits (and there are a lot). |
My last dog actually liked storms and fireworks and thought normal behavior in a storm was to go outside and look up (because that is what Jeff and I do), so when I got Huey, I was determined that he would like storms, too. Dh & I LOVE LOVE LOVE big hairy thunderstorms withs lots of lightening, so from the day we got the Hughster, every time it stormed outside, out we went. We walked around in the lightning and wind and told Huey how much fun it was and how pretty it was, so he had never had an issue with storms. This appears to have carried over to car washes, too, because he has ridden through several with absolutely no change in demeanor whatsoever, like he doesn't even hear it, except he stands up in his carrier to watch the water hit the car. I don't know if this info will help with an adult dog, but I strongly feel that the dog senses what you feel, and if human is scared of storms, dog will be doubly so. I highly recommend desensitation as a tiny puppy, but I think it will only work if human also loves (or at least is not nervous during) storms. Them something mundane as a car wash? Hey, no problem! :D |
Quote:
|
Happy to report that Eva went out shopping with my mom & I and she was totally fine in the car again, thank God :) |
The noise probably helped scare her. Poor little baby. Hope she gets over being scared of the car. |
Quote:
|
| All times are GMT -8. The time now is 11:55 AM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright ©2003 - 2018 YorkieTalk.com
Privacy Policy - Terms of Use