Lillybelle shakes and pants too. She gets really, really excited if we say, you want to go for a ride, go shopping, go to petco! and runs around and around in little circles by the door, and she runs to jump in the car. I put her on her pink pilllow, she's totally happy and excited-Once we start going for about 20min she pants and shakes, then she settles down...I just attributed it to a combination of total excitement and total nervousness all bundled together.

I know mine is afraid of the air conditioner or heater noise. She doesn't like sound when the air/heat is coming out.. She will shake up a storm.. Maybe something IN the car scares her..

[QUOTE=nvnvgirl]he starts shaking as soon as he gets into the car. He's fine once you get to where you're going...and he's fine on the way back..which is kind of odd.




Like Max, Siu Pao shakes once we get in to the car and stops if I talk to him soothingly and reassuring him. Sometimes, hubby stops to buy something at the grocery store and leave Siu Pao and I in the car and he shakes badly too eventhough I am in the car with him! He shakes when I am about to drop eardrops in to his ears or just before I go out. He never shake when we got him but it started this week and he is just reached 6 months old.

I don't think in Max's case, that it's something INSIDE the car...we don't use the heater much and we happened to be in a rental car which is much bigger than our cars (which Max also shakes in) and the heater made no noise whatsoever. I think it's more road noise and he hates it when the big trucks go by...I think having things flying by him that are bigger than him scares him. I noticed that he was really freaked out when it got dark and all the headlights making shadows really scared him.
I believe the first time we took him on a long trip, he was so mellow (which we were not only pleased by, but shocked at) b/c he was so young that he didnt' know any different and was in the lots-of-sleeping stage. Now he's more aware and tuned into what's happening. It doesn't help at all for me to try to talk soothingly to him; it makes no difference most of the time. It seems like a lot of people have very similar problems with their Yorkie and I think they're just very sensitive to so much loud noise and stimulus. I'm hoping I can find something that will be safe and effective for him, b/c I hate to fly, a lot of airlines won't allow pets in the cabin any longer and it's just such a hassle to fly anymore, so going back to see friends and family is always going to be a long trip most likely. The thought of leaving him home though seems even worse, since he's used to being with me almost all the time.

Rosi does the same, restless, panting like crazy...and i've had her in my Truck since she was 8 weeks old. When i was working i drove 30 miles one way... every day, she likes to go but her nervousness is driving me nuts, i feel soo bad for her....

I would be interested in what other people think about this situation. Of course, the obvious solution is to leave them at home. But I know in Max's case, he hates for me to be gone from him, which is the main reason I take him with me. I can't even imagine leaving him for more than several hours, like when we go away for a week (which is rare)...even when we go somewhere and we stop to go to the restroom or something, if I leave Max with my dh, Max starts whining and shaking, so the thought of leaving him with anyone doesn't appeal to me. Along with the fact, that almost everytime I've left any of my animals in someone else's care, something (bad) happens, and I'm just not really very willing to take anymore chances esp. with Max. But that's just MY story. I know Max does not even enjoy going to Petco or Petsmart...he hates being in the basket even in his carrier and whines and tries to climb out and onto me when we go there, so I have stopped taking him with me there.
Do you think it's harmful to them to be taking them in the car when they seem so scared or anxious? You would think that if you took them places freqently that they'd get used to it, but that doesn't seem to be working for us. Do you think it's a manipulative behavior, ie: "if I do this and she sees me so miserable, she won't take me anymore"? I only mention that possibility b/c I KNOW my one parrot was like that. I really would like to know what other people think and/or what they've done to accustom their Yorkies to the car (besides a carseat...that doesn't work either, and in fact, it seems to make Max even worse when he can really see what's going on). I want to do what's best for us all, but I also want to try not to make Max into a spoiled rotten little beast who is afraid of everything, you know what I mean? I'm just afraid if we don't expose him to the outside world that he'll be ill equipped to deal with any stress at all and I don't want to do that to any animal.

Scampers does the same thing. He starts shaking really bad and panting heavily. He will never be able to ride in cars without doing this. I took him time and time again with me, I actually took him in the car with me everytime I went somewhere. It didn't matter, he didn't get used to it and he never will. All my other dogs love riding in the car and are happy to go for a car ride. It is a shame Scampers won't ever be able to do this. With some dogs, no matter what you do, they won't ever get used to it.

So, are all your other dogs Yorkies also? And do you leave Scampers at home now when you go out in the car? Or do you take him along even though he shakes?


Sorry..I see now that they aren't all Yorkies, LOL..I should look before I type!

I have two yorkies, a yorkie poo, two maltese, and a cocker spaniel. All of them, even the maltese who are 12 weeks old have no problems in the car. They will lay down and go right to sleep the entire time. Just not Scampers.

I have been taking Scampers with me in the car since he was 12 weeks old, he is a year old now and has not gotten over his fear of riding in cars, I don't think he ever will. I do leave him at home more often but I still take him with me. Not nearly as often as I use to but every now and then I take him with me. I try to take him on shorter trips at the time so he isn't stressed out for so long. I just feel so bad that he is like this. He loves meeting new people and he is fine once the car is stopped. Pretty soon I might have to give him a tranqulizer for traveling long distances. Being stressed out for a long car ride is not good for their little bodies.

I really hope you have better lucky with yours than I do with Scampers. I guess some dogs will just never get used to riding in cars.:(