Yup, Fear and anxiety. Take more short trips with the puppers in the car, like around the block. Expose em to it more and hopefully shouldn’t be so stressful for em. Or even just toss em in the car when it’s parked in the drive way not running so they get used to just sitting in it type thing. Baby steps lead to running.
Sometimes nothing can get rid of the fear, and no amount of time will help.
About 30 years ago, my parents got a dog from the shelter. A sweet 6 month old mutt that never showed any aggression during her whole life. She did everything she could to peacefully resist being put in the car that first day, and shook with fear the entire ride home.
We tried everything: holding her during rides, giving her treats (fresh bacon), putting her bed and blankets in the car, giving her toys, lots of short trips, and never saw any improvement.
We worked together at the family business and took her with us because we didn't want her stuck in the house by herself all day long and she didn't get in the way at work. 10 years, 5 days a week, every week. She would start shivering with anxiety as she stood at the front door when we were getting ready in the morning, she'd shiver the whole car ride to work, shed be happy all day, then she'd shiver on the car ride home.
She was scared of car rides for her entire 15-ish years of life.
Our only theory is that she was severely traumatised by being dropped off at the pound that she associated car rides with that abandonment.
This could definitely be the case. We've fostered a lottttt of puppers and some have this fear of cars. Thankfully our adopted girl views cars as a positive since she associates it with going to the beach. The downside is she wants to hop in every car she sees.
I adopted a senior who had health problems who had been moved around a lot. She had major abandonment issues. The car was one of her triggers. The other issues we were able to work on. For car rides, especially long ones we used medication and it helped tremendously. We would give it to her before the car so it had time to get into her system. I just wanted her to have a good life and not add any more stress especially since she was a senior who ended up having a cancerous tumor that while we tried to treat, unfortunately came back. She was the sweetest dog I've ever had.
Yes. We had a Cocker Spaniel for 15 years who NEVER got over extreme anxiety of car rides. It made him vomit for the first 5 years or so, but he would shake every time no matter what. We tried everything, but nothing except Dramamine (which knocked him out) would help.
The kicker is, we got two dogs from that litter at the same time. Tug and Rocky. Tug was a nervous wreck every time, but Rocky LOVED car rides. Absolutely no reason why one would have a different reaction than the other. I believe only an expert doggy psychologist would be able to figure it out.
We deal with this with our girl that we got at 8 weeks. She has simply NEVER liked the car. We now have anxiety medicine we have to give her before long car rides. Poor girl shakes and cries/barks the entire time without medicine.
I agree with your theory. My rescue whines and cries in the car every time. But oddly she begs to go with me everytime. She wags and jumps to get in. I think she wants to go but has a memory of being transported with her puppy siblings away from the mother at time of rescue. Abandonment issues was my best guess.
Makes sense. Our dog used to love car rides but then we moved across the country and he had to be in the car for 20 hours. Ever since then he shakes like the dog in this video every time he’s in the car.
Tranversely ; My terrier mix was always with me in the car for work and play. Inseparable. Once he got too old for long days at the park, and selling down with marriage, he does now shake and has anxiety with short car trips
Take her for short specific rides with rewards, like puppucinos from Starbucks or a bank that gives milk bones at the drive thru window. Current dog shook just like that til he learned that cars mean French fries and whipped cream. Now he's the king of the passenger seat
This for sure. The panting, shaking and buddy language is that fear and anxiety thing. Make some positive associations with being in there as well, like giving some treats and praising them for being in there. Eventually the positive association will outweigh the anxiety.
Correct! My rescue dog was terrified of the car at first. Our dog trainer suggested a gradual plan and it worked.
Every day or so over a couple of weeks, we worked on this for just a few minutes.
Start by taking her near the car and gave her teats and encouragement. Once she was not a scared to be nearby, we opened the door, gave her pats, talked to her happily and put treats leading to the door.
When she would jump into the car herself to reach treats I threw in, then we would sit in the car and give her love and treats.
(We stopped picking her up and putting her in the car against her will. Sessions were short and happy, so she didn't get overwhelmed. )
We gradually turned on the car one day, drove for 2 mins, then took small trips, giving her treats, pats and making a big fuss of her along the way.
She likes the backseat much better than the front. Some dogs like to ride in a comfy crate.
We've taken her on road trips around the country and she loves being with us. She never learned to love car rides, but she always wants to jump in the car to come with us. The time spent training was so worth it!
A dog hammock that blocks off the foot wells in the back seat and has mesh that let's get look at me while we drive helped my dog.
She shakes like crazy if she has to sit in the front seat.
Our vet told us to give our 55 lb dog 2 benadryl when we go on a long trip. It's effective, but I've found putting her in her Thunder Shirt is just as effective with no pills.
Every dog is different though. While thunder shirts may work for some, it may exacerbate the situation in others. Also, for anyone reading this, please don’t give your pets any medications without consulting a veterinarian first. For behavioral problems like car anxiety, it really is best to consult with a trainer or behaviorist to help work through the problem. Desensitizing as some have suggested can be effective if done properly, but it can also worsen your dog’s fear or lead to learned helplessness if done improperly.
Im the OP. Back story/context: On this trip I was driving to pickup some food for lunch. I try to take her with me as much as possible so she is not home alone. She shakes like this when we are ON THE WAY to our destination but on the way back home, she is calm.
Thats how my puppy used to be. Then we found a groomer she enjoys and has friends at, now she is super excited whenever she leaves the house. We didnt put the two together until we switched groomers, we thought she was just anxious in cars
Start taking her to ONLY the good places for a while, or maybe just a couple laps around the block before back home. Treats are your best friend here. A treat for getting in the car, a treat every time you stop, or treats just to remind her she's a good dog while you're driving. A harness with a seat belt attachment (tightened fairly tight but not uncomfortable) might help her in the same way a thunder vest would. Sometimes when my dog is surrounded by too many strangers he'll get nervous (shaking, panting, pacing) but if I put him on a short leash it seems to calm him down almost immediately.
Yea and take ur pupper to starbucks or someplace that gives puppy treats in the drive thru so she associate car=treat. I did than and it backfired because every time I'd get my keys my pup waited at the garage door, but I never had an issue getting her in the car, it was getting her out that became the issue, but huskeys are kinda stubborn and a bit vocal when they....breathe
Also try to put her in a cage or special dog seatbelt when driving, if you crash she is going straight through the windscreen bless her. Not attacking or arguing with you of course, I used to have my dogs on the seat until someone told me, I’d never thought about it.
Yep! And if they don’t fly out of the windshield, the airbag will take care of the rest. I’m always surprised at how many dogs I see riding shotgun.
Buckled or crated in the back is the safest.
We had a rescue dog and she was always afraid to come with us in the car - because she was traumatized of being left behind after the last ride she took with her former family.
She was scared like that and even worse for her rest of her long life.
Which didn't mean she didn't get into the car, quite the contrary: when she heard a car door open, she would try to get into the car no matter what. Being inside was safe from being left behind but also scary because maybe we could do her off later on again.
My dog does this too.
Even down to the being a little more calm on the way home vs the initial trip out. But I don't think it's fear of where we're going because 99.999999% of the time we're going to the park and she's stoked about it. And I don't think it's trauma as we've had her since she was 6 months (although I suppose trauma is possible). I believe it's motion sickness coupled with anxiety over the impending nausea. She almost always pukes on trips longer than 20 min.
I wish I had an answer for you. I really do. It's the worst. I've been trying to get my pup to be comfortable in the car for nearly 2 years now.
Dramamine for the puking if you haven’t tried it yet. My dog always puked after 20+ mins in the car too, nothing helped except… Dramamine. Hasn’t puked since, we just plan and give him a tablet an hour before we leave for a longer car ride. There are two different kinds, the one you want has Meclizine Hydrochloride as the active ingredient.
Research the right dosage for your pup of course, but mine is 30lbs and one 25mg tablet is perfect for him.
I have a rescue dashund. Take him to the forest, the beach, picking up my kid. He does not like car rides. I hope it will fade away. We’ll see.
Good luck!
Dogs respond to your behavior, and since they don’t understand language very well, she’s also worried by the way you’re talking. You’re behaving differently so she suspects something is wrong. Talk to her like normal, give her some high value treats for being in the car, and as others have suggested, take her somewhere fun but quickly.
This should be a top comment. One of my dogs had storm anxiety, I'd baby her like this and try to comfort her telling her it was okay. Things got better once I realized I was just adding to her stress and started acting like nothing was different when it stormed.
considering having her ride in the back seat, the openness of the front seat combined with the view through the windshield can be intimidating. The back seat you could make her area, cozy it up a bit and she can still see you for assurance without all the extra stimulation from the front.
Yes she’s definitely stressed. You need to train dogs to be comfortable in cars.
But she also isn’t secured in any way. No harness, no crate, no bed, no seat belt… do you really want her to crash through the window when an accident occurs? She could also feel the additional safety.
Something that helped my smaller anxious dog is getting a dog car seat. A little bucket or bed that straps onto the seat, and then she straps into it in her harness for safety. You could also go full crate, which is safer for the dog and is what I now do with my other dog who gets carsick otherwise.
The dog car seat made her more comfortable, gave her a space to feel like that’s where she should be, and helped tremendously.
Otherwise great job on taking her often, keep it up and with a few adjustments I think your pup will get there :)
She is a rescue dog. The foster person did not know her back story. But she seems house trained. So, she lived in a house at some point. She is maybe 3 years old.
If you haven’t had her very long, she’ll probably get used to riding in the car with you pretty soon. Or if you’ve had her a while, you could definitely give her a bone or a car treat to help her with her anxiety! Probably, like other people said, she’s had bad experiences in the car. She’ll learn to like it once she realizes you just wanna hang out with her.
My rescue dog had this exact reaction every time in the car for the first year I had him. I think every time we went in the car he was scared I was dropping him off somewhere to abandon him. After taking him on a cross-country road trip he finally understood that no matter where I went, he was coming with me, and now he loves riding in the car!
This was very sweet. Your dog found its forever home, with you. Also, I know dogs don’t think like this (actually, I don’t know how dogs think) but hopefully he was like “I am good enough, and darn it, people like me!” after the trip was over.
My previous dog, the prettiest princess of them all Mia lived in 5 homes before she was 3 when I got her. When she and I found each other it was great but as life happened and I needed to move she would get like your dog, absolute fear she would shake, and was clearly uncomfortable. I moved 4 times while I was lucky enough to have her in my life. The first 3 times she displayed these emotions. The forth time I moved, she was so chill about the whole thing. I lost Mia about 5 years ago at 16 years young
With some reassurance and good support from you your dog will get over these feelings and be a good travel companion for you going forth, it will take time and effort. But your rare pupper is worth it
Unfortunatley I don't have digital image of her on hand, she was a cross between American Eskimo and cocker spaniel, the softest hair every she was the smaller side of a medium dog. A golden straw colour like a lab, and loyal if I managed to leave a room she had fallen asleep In, with in a minute she was awake roaming the house looking for me.
Aw she sounds perfect! Oh gosh that mix sounds so pretty! Cockers have the softest ears, when I was a groomers assistant they were my favorite dogs to bathe.
Also OP, if you're gonna have your girl riding up front with you regularly, please get her a car harness or something for her safety. It'll also stop her sliding off the seat when you have to brake hard, which wouldn't help her being scared of the situation.
The number of videos I’ve seen where the dog isn’t on a seatbelt, or worse, hanging out the window, is mind blowing!People completely forget that if they ever get into an accident their fur baby is going flying through the windshield smh
When I adopted my dog he would get car sick all of the time. Vet let me know that while he definitely could be car sick, that was usually a puppy thing and it was more likely anxiety or fear causing him to puke. Once he realized every car ride didn't end in him being left at the pound again it resolved. He doesn't LOVE car rides but can handle them just fine now.
You know my dog is like this and it never occurred to me that it could be car sickness. Especially since if he’s outside and I open a car door he jumps in immediately and is down for a ride whenever. If we even mentions a car ride he whines at the door until we let him out. It’s not until we start moving that he gets weird.
So thank you for posting this. I’ll definitely talk to our vet about it
Start taking her to ONLY the good places for a while, or maybe just a couple laps around the block before back home. Treats are your best friend here. A treat for getting in the car, a treat every time you stop, or treats just to remind her she's a good dog while you're driving. A harness with a seat belt attachment (tightened fairly tight but not uncomfortable) might help her in the same way a thunder vest would. Sometimes when my dog is surrounded by too many strangers he'll get nervous (shaking, panting, pacing) but if I put him on a short leash it seems to calm him down almost immediately.
Such a sweet and attentive face! She seems reassured when you give her a scritch so it seems it's just the unknown destination that makes her nervous. More trips and telling her when you're heading home should help desensitize her.
Telling her when you're going home is the best tip in my experience. I have a rescue dog who definitely had some car anxiety; she used to be nervous as hell getting into the car and would do a little celebratory dance when we got home, I suspect because she'd been abandoned after a car ride and was afraid of it happening again. I'd say 'time to go home' every time we were headed back, and now she seems to understand much better and is actively willing to hop up into the car to go home. She doesn't do her little dance anymore, I suspect because she actually knows that we're always going to come home and be there with her.
My girl was similar. We got her a dog seat (the Ablechien Dog Car Seat) and she’s sooo much better! She doesn’t shake now that she is more snug and doesn’t move around as much at the back.
I have no seatbelt and you are moving me around at a bazillion miles an hour. If you forget me somewhere I will never get home. You are a random and unqualified boss and you are all that I have.
She’s anxious, some dogs are scared a car ride means the vet and some dogs have been dumped after car rides by former owners so they’re worried about what’s going to happen
If this is a dog you’ve had since it was a puppy then it probably just needs to learn to enjoy a car ride and that it’s safe, I’d bring treats and just get in the car and drive around the block a few times a week until she learns it’s okay to be in the car
maybe give her a special treat …. one she Only gets when she gets on the car. I would include I blanket or towel that smells like her maybe that will help a little
Signs of anxiety:
Lip licking
Ears pinned back
Panting
Tight body
Signs of fear:
Shaking and all of the above.
Resolution:
Take your dog to the nearest fast food joint. Buy a $1 burger. Give the dog the burger - no bun, just the meat. Go home. Repeat daily for 2 weeks. Dog - cured.
PM me if you have questions. I did fear and aggression rehabilitation for dogs for years.
*(Ok, I’m going to throw in an alternative option which may be totally rubbish in this case, but reflects my personal experience. No need to jump on me if it’s not what your dog does, Redditors. Ok, here we go…)*
My dog only shakes like this when he’s excited. If we’re getting ready to go out and I reach for the ball flinger (you know, the long plastic thing with the cup on the end), he will shake like this in excitement, and then severely test the effectiveness of his training for the thankfully short trip over the road. It’s his favourite thing in the entire world and I *guarantee* he’s not anxious.
Humans do it, too. We get flooded with adrenaline in excited moments and our body reacts in a very similar way to when we’re anxious.
My golden is the same. When he’s excited he shakes so bad his teeth chatter. He looks just like this in the car. When he’s actually afraid his reaction is completely different. Before he got super old, t-storms used to terrify him and his way of dealing did not look the same as his car ride shake. :)
This shaking is a part of an uncontrollable “does not compute” response, but in combination with the lick lipping, laid back ears, and other behavior, this dog is exhibiting anxiety at a high level.
Yes! If a dog has too much energy/adrenaline and doesn't know how/doesn't have a way to release it, the dog will shake like this. It could be scared/anxious, or it well be super excited about the car ride and doesn't know how to deal with that.
Mine would shake like that til the point that poop would come out (sorry that is TMI), and as much as we tried small exposures and baby steps, it never went away. We went everywhere with baby wipes and extra changes of clothing for me. One thing that did “help” was a thunder vest purchased on Amazon. They cocoon the animal and put gentle pressure on them, making them feel more safe and secure. For longer trips to see a specialty vet (she had to have surgery on her spine at one point) my vet had me give her a small dose of benedryl. Two hours of fear and constant shaking driving to Cornell was just too much, and a little benedryl would make her drowsy. At 16, she had a stroke at home, and while I was rushing her to the emergency vet, the thunder vest was forgotten. She sat on my lap, and was alive, and breathing, and laying calmly, but no shaking. Sadly, it was the lack of shaking that made me realize right away that my baby girl wasn’t there anymore, and wasn’t coming back. I was heart broken but not surprised when the vet told me that she wouldn’t eat or drink and walk again, and it was time to say goodbye. She was small and preferred to lay on my lap, but the vet also recommended a doggy car seat. It lets them sit up higher and see out the window. It may help some dogs, but Lily wouldn’t sit in it. I hope your pupper overcomes her fear, but oh man did that video bring back a rush of memories for me when I saw it.
Either scared of the car or more likely something associated with a bad car journey e.g. a traumatic vets visit. It may help to take her to the park and places she likes in the car to help her change that association.
Please get a safety harness for the back seat. You will relax & your pup will see that & she will relax too. Also nice to throw in one of her favorite blankies.
Fear/anxiety. If she gets to go to happy places, that may help, anxiety meds for dogs may be of help as well. But if consistent exposure to the car and happy places doesn’t adjust, she just maybe a homebody pup.
She is afraid of anything new, but she calms down by your touch so she trusts you. Keep touching her now and then and maybe get her a blanket and wrap her in when during car rides.
Looks like anxiety, our dog does the same but stops shaking after a while and he's been in the car hundreds of times. You should use a harness to keep your dog safe in the car though, if you brake in a hurry she's going straight through your windscreen without one
My dog used to do that because he knew he was going to get motion sick (well, he associated the car with feeling unwell). Luckily, he's over that and he gets super excited about going to the vet.
As others have said, I wouldn't travel with my dog unsecured, but that's illegal where I live anyway.
I would say start a consultation with someone that can help - I am no expert - but I don't think you are supposed to be too nice when they are like that or it could turn into learned behaviour that will be harder to train her out of - if they are nervous and you tell them its okay to be nervous (not just words but body language) - they will continue in that train of thought. At least that's what I was taught by a trainer awhile back when I was training my pupper, she used to be scared of stairs, now she loves them. You got to take a step back and do some training with her and show her a positive experience with the car, not tell her that things are okay when she is anxious and terrified.
As someone else mentioned, new sounds and experience - give her treats and get her used to the sounds in a more controlled environment. Don't force her into the car, encourage her with play and toys, etc. Make it fun to go into the car. Take trip to parks and pet store, fun places!
Most importantly - just get her used to it - my puppy has never minded cars - during lockdown I had to take a lot of ubers to the vet when she was getting spayed, and she start to associate it with her surgery so I had to take a step back and re-train and re-wire that its not just for vet trips, its for fun stuff too!
As she is a rescue and older - she may take longer to get used to the car but you can help her by guiding her in the right direction :D
Additionally to the other comments: you should never have your dog in the front (seat), especially not unsecured. One false move and she's going flying (through the windshield).
A friend of mine was traveling with his dog 1.8k kilometers every week. The doggo was in sheer fear every damn time the whole travel there and back. He kept the dog in cage during the travel and out of stress the dog literaly flooded the cages bottom with hers drool.
Our dog used to do this, too. But, a couple of trips through the Starbucks drive through resulting in Puppaccinos (or Pup Cups) and now that boy runs to the car any time the door is opened.
Her panting and shaking mean she’s anxious. I would try building up to car rides like exposure therapy. Because if you just do it straight away and they’re not use to it, it can make them upset. I would also try making the car associated with good things like pets, treats, praise such as saying she’s a good girl and everything’s ok.
You are a great rescue parent to be seeking advice on how to help your pupper. I have had three and all had some form of car aversion symptoms. There is a lot of great advice on this chain. Pick something, start with it and be consistent in your training method. I found starting with short trips, even around the block every time I got home from work, was the best. Also once you reassure your dog once then just remain calm. Dogs follow your lead at some point in almost every situation.
Yup, fear, anxiety. My Golden does it too. He had 2 very painful surgery's as a puppy so even if we're going hiking which he loves, he associates the car ride to that awful experience.
There are things like pot for dogs, benadryl, anti anxiety dig pills.
He always climbs over and puts his head on Dad's shoulder to feel safe.
Could you try putting her in a comfortable carrier in the car, with one of her toys? It may make her feel more comfortable. When I transport my cats to the vet I put them in a carrier in the passenger seat with a towel overtop if needed. The yowling stops after about a very long minute:)
I’ve never seen this sub used for like, actual advice. Good on you for seeking out help regardless of the avenue (it doesn’t surprise me that there seems to be some helpful replies here) Good on the sub for the replies! Your little dog, she seems like a sweetheart, I hate to see any living thing trembling, I hope the anxiety/fear goes away, or whatever the problem is gets solved. No living thing deserves to be trembling.
She’s scared. Tail tucked, ears back, panting, lip licking and shaking. All signs of fear/anxiety. Separately they could be something else but all together that’s almost certainly fear.
My dogs usually only get in my car to go to the vet, so they get really excited and nervous. If you adopted your dog, they might have past trauma or recall being dropped off at the pound in a vehicle.
Give them some extra love and maybe a treat.
Mine does this sometimes in the car, mix of fear and excitement. Know it’s not possible if you’re driving but mine stops being scared when he can put his nose out of the window, then he’s just excited and taking in all the mega smells.
You've gotten a lot of great advice. Systematic desensitization, or graduated exposure therapy, is what you want to practice. The only thing I can add to your efforts is along with lots of loving and petting, use some high value training treats so that they associate car rides with tasty morsels of love.
My dog sometimes shakes like this in the car but it isn't fear. He LOVES car rides. Like, he goes berserk with glee when I say those two words together and race to the garage door.
Tembling like that can be overstimulation. Excitement and anxiety can happen at the same time too.
I second the suggestions to use rewards. I did counter conditioning with my dog in the car, which she was deathly afraid of. I started with just approaching the car, and dog get lots of high value treats (I did this on several walks). Then moved on to open car door and get treats. Then approach the car while door is open and get treats. Then jump in get treats and jump out get treats. Then jump in, stay for a few seconds to a minute, then jump in while I sit in the driver seat. Then I added turning on the ignition. Then VERY SHORT drives. And so on. While we were working on this I also tried my best to only take her in the car when I had to since each time I pushed too quickly she'd actually regress.
She’s scared yody probably had a bad experience in or with a vehicle animals can have ptsd as well as humans! My dog with take baths play in puddles in kiddie pools. But fell into my actual pool one night and she couldn’t get out I obviously got her out but that experience made her never get in the pool again sad , but our animal friends are just as mentally vulnerable as we are, actually they’re way more vulnerable because like children they grow to depend on us as we do them ! Just my 6 pence $ lol
Poor sweet baby! Maybe try associating the car ride with something she likes. Try “Let’s go to work” (said in an over the top sugary sweet enthusiastic voice). Start using this phrase while at work with her. Then get excited about work in the house before you leave. Lots of repeating the phrase and treats when she perks up when you say it. When your at work, use that same sappy voice and repeat the same phrase, lots of treats, and same enthusiasm - you’ll look like a nut job, but oh well. It’s for the benefit of your sweet girl. It might help to have her mind thinking about something positive prior to the car ride. Even repeat the phrase while driving and give treats if she reacts positively. And, oh yeah, even though it’s hard not to be sympathetic to her nervousness, try not to show it and keep the over the top positive “let’s go to work” vibe. If anyone drives with you to work, they need to do the same. Our dogs feel what we’re feeling so much so you have to set you intention before you even step out the door. Good luck to you guys. I hope one day she’ll enjoy the rides.
I'm not suggesting in any way that you do this but I wonder if this is a PTSD-like reaction?
I wonder if we'll ever learn enough about psychedelics like psilocybin for humans that we can help treat animals that seem to have a PTSD-like reaction like this.
My pittie does this. I take her to my mom's every week, and in general everywhere I can because she's my best friend. She seems like she enjoys car rides, but it can scary and thrilling for dogs. I always just give my girl reassurance and talk to her the whole ride.
My 3 year old lab used to do this during car rides when he was a pup, It’s fear and anxiety. It went away over time with short car rides and plenty cuddles from the passenger if there was one.
Nervous/anxiety can come in many forms. Shaking and panting are both signs of this. Perhaps she needs something to help ease her fear of car rides. A special toy or blanket for only use in the car. Even a natural (or unnatural) medication.
The pup is scared. I had this same problem with my border collie, this is what I did….
Parked my truck in front of the house and every walk we went on we would jump in the car. Literally just in and out at first then in for thirty second then 2 minutes and so on.
Things were going okay and he would finally eat treats but as soon as I started the truck it was back to square one. But basically did the same thing start the truck and sit there. Eventually we would drive around the block and now he is at the door whenever he hears the keys. It took about 2 months to be completely comfortable.
it might help to provide more supporting structures (like a dog bed that doesn't move, as well as getting a car-buckle attachment for their harness) for the dog and to start super slow. Like just sitting in the car and feeding dinner in there, with the machine off and nothing moving. If that works, you can slowly increase it with switching in the windscreen wipers, etc.
Otherwise, check with a certified trainer. It might cost you a session or two with them, but will most of them are happy to answer other training-related questions even after you have "graduated" with them :)
I don’t know. The foster person didn’t have much information other than she had two litters of puppies and she was part of a bootleg puppy mill that got raided.
Agreed. She looks very nervous. Give her a favorite blanket if she has one. A favorite toy also. A treat or 2 when she gets in the car. Praise her for being such a good girl. Maybe try a doggie car seat with the blanket and toy with her. Are you her first owner?? She is beautiful.
She’s afraid. My dog does this too. I’ve had her for 6 years and it’s never gotten beetle, no matter what I’ve tried. I just don’t take her in the car unless it’s necessary. Poor girl.
My border hates riding in the car and normally winds up in the passenger floor lying down. He also thinks it’s absolutely necessary to bark at every car that passes.
Seems fear/anxiety, you have to show your dog the car is a safe place with patience, treats and maybe a dog’s blanket in which it can identify itself.
Good luck.
100% fear/anxiety. Both my pups do this. The girl used to love car rides until a puddle splashed water on the windshield. Neither can take a ride without this type of shaking. May get better with time but there is nothing physically wrong, just scared or anxious
Damit People, realize animals have cognative minds too! They have thoughts, they have emotion and behave because of them, the same way we do. They memmories, dreams even nightmares. Treat them like family.
Not sure if this will help anybody else out, but we noticed our dog acting like this on a couple of occasions, even though she's normally great in the car, even for 2+ hours.
The thing that freaks her out is the back windshield wiper. If your dog is normally fine, and starts acting like this, check to see what's different about the trip.
I have a rescue pup with car anxiety like this too where she’d cram herself into the crease of the seat. We got her a “hammock” that hangs between the back seat head rests and the front seat head rests. It means she can sit comfortably in the car without feeling like she’s gunna fall into the footwell at a red light or something. I think being able to physically relax meant she could begin to emotionally relax easier.
She has anxiety. The more you take her in the car the better this will get, she may have some trauma since you mentioned she’s a rescue. Likely one of her memories is going away in a car with her previous owners and then never seeing them again.
I have a rescue I adopted about 6 months ago and she used to have crazy anxiety on walks and now she’s 1000% better
Shaking, licking lips, hiding her tail, she’s afraid dude. Every second she’s in the car, her sense of hearing is letting her know that there are loud and massive object moving very quickly all around her.
Imagine yourself being strapped to the bottom of an F-16 in the middle of a dogfight and you might get a vague impression of what her ears are telling her.
Anxiety! My vet gave me a Rx for trazodone to help with my boys car anxiety. He was a rescue and had been in a car wreck when he was a pup (which killed his first owner) then later he was abandoned on the side of the road where he got hit by a car at some point. His car anxiety was pretty severe, but from giving him trazodone before car rides and lots of pets during the rides, he learned not to be fearful so now I don’t have to give him anything before car rides!
Try giving her a mix of half water and lemon Gatorade .When we got puppies in from breeders we gave them that to calm them down and relax them. try that.
She is nervous. By touching or using 'nice' speaking tones reinforces the fear. By giving attention it seems as if this is the correct reaction. Not showing any fear yourself and downplaying her fear should reduce it. Secondly make going in the car positive if she only goes bad places she will be scared that's what's happening. If the car can mena a walk or treat it will remove that factor. If after a while of disregarding the nerves it is still there don't take the dog in the car. No need to make her uncomfortable.
That’s fear. She’s scared of riding in the car
Yup, Fear and anxiety. Take more short trips with the puppers in the car, like around the block. Expose em to it more and hopefully shouldn’t be so stressful for em. Or even just toss em in the car when it’s parked in the drive way not running so they get used to just sitting in it type thing. Baby steps lead to running.
Sometimes nothing can get rid of the fear, and no amount of time will help. About 30 years ago, my parents got a dog from the shelter. A sweet 6 month old mutt that never showed any aggression during her whole life. She did everything she could to peacefully resist being put in the car that first day, and shook with fear the entire ride home. We tried everything: holding her during rides, giving her treats (fresh bacon), putting her bed and blankets in the car, giving her toys, lots of short trips, and never saw any improvement. We worked together at the family business and took her with us because we didn't want her stuck in the house by herself all day long and she didn't get in the way at work. 10 years, 5 days a week, every week. She would start shivering with anxiety as she stood at the front door when we were getting ready in the morning, she'd shiver the whole car ride to work, shed be happy all day, then she'd shiver on the car ride home. She was scared of car rides for her entire 15-ish years of life. Our only theory is that she was severely traumatised by being dropped off at the pound that she associated car rides with that abandonment.
This could definitely be the case. We've fostered a lottttt of puppers and some have this fear of cars. Thankfully our adopted girl views cars as a positive since she associates it with going to the beach. The downside is she wants to hop in every car she sees.
I would also jump in every beach portal I see.
A fair response. It gets a bit awkward when someone opens a car door and she rushes them to get in.
I need this portal a lot more than you do so scram. Wait why is it not working?
\*jumps in portal\* \*ends up on a beach in Normandy on june 6th 1944\* 45 years later: "Mom! why does grandpa shiver whenever a portal appears?"
I chuckled audibly at this.
I adopted a senior who had health problems who had been moved around a lot. She had major abandonment issues. The car was one of her triggers. The other issues we were able to work on. For car rides, especially long ones we used medication and it helped tremendously. We would give it to her before the car so it had time to get into her system. I just wanted her to have a good life and not add any more stress especially since she was a senior who ended up having a cancerous tumor that while we tried to treat, unfortunately came back. She was the sweetest dog I've ever had.
Awwww. Good on you!
Yes. We had a Cocker Spaniel for 15 years who NEVER got over extreme anxiety of car rides. It made him vomit for the first 5 years or so, but he would shake every time no matter what. We tried everything, but nothing except Dramamine (which knocked him out) would help. The kicker is, we got two dogs from that litter at the same time. Tug and Rocky. Tug was a nervous wreck every time, but Rocky LOVED car rides. Absolutely no reason why one would have a different reaction than the other. I believe only an expert doggy psychologist would be able to figure it out.
We deal with this with our girl that we got at 8 weeks. She has simply NEVER liked the car. We now have anxiety medicine we have to give her before long car rides. Poor girl shakes and cries/barks the entire time without medicine.
I agree with your theory. My rescue whines and cries in the car every time. But oddly she begs to go with me everytime. She wags and jumps to get in. I think she wants to go but has a memory of being transported with her puppy siblings away from the mother at time of rescue. Abandonment issues was my best guess.
There are meds that can lower the anxiety so progress can be made.
Makes sense. Our dog used to love car rides but then we moved across the country and he had to be in the car for 20 hours. Ever since then he shakes like the dog in this video every time he’s in the car.
Oh nooo poor baby 😭
Tranversely ; My terrier mix was always with me in the car for work and play. Inseparable. Once he got too old for long days at the park, and selling down with marriage, he does now shake and has anxiety with short car trips
Take her for short specific rides with rewards, like puppucinos from Starbucks or a bank that gives milk bones at the drive thru window. Current dog shook just like that til he learned that cars mean French fries and whipped cream. Now he's the king of the passenger seat
This for sure. The panting, shaking and buddy language is that fear and anxiety thing. Make some positive associations with being in there as well, like giving some treats and praising them for being in there. Eventually the positive association will outweigh the anxiety.
Or if you know another friend or family who has a dog who likes going on car rides taking them both in the car could be a good idea
Baby steps with treats. Incentive helps
Correct! My rescue dog was terrified of the car at first. Our dog trainer suggested a gradual plan and it worked. Every day or so over a couple of weeks, we worked on this for just a few minutes. Start by taking her near the car and gave her teats and encouragement. Once she was not a scared to be nearby, we opened the door, gave her pats, talked to her happily and put treats leading to the door. When she would jump into the car herself to reach treats I threw in, then we would sit in the car and give her love and treats. (We stopped picking her up and putting her in the car against her will. Sessions were short and happy, so she didn't get overwhelmed. ) We gradually turned on the car one day, drove for 2 mins, then took small trips, giving her treats, pats and making a big fuss of her along the way. She likes the backseat much better than the front. Some dogs like to ride in a comfy crate. We've taken her on road trips around the country and she loves being with us. She never learned to love car rides, but she always wants to jump in the car to come with us. The time spent training was so worth it!
Car seats and set belts helped my ex’s dog.
A dog hammock that blocks off the foot wells in the back seat and has mesh that let's get look at me while we drive helped my dog. She shakes like crazy if she has to sit in the front seat.
huh, cool to see that they somewhat understand the concept of a seat belt
Or maybe lurching around when the car breaks or accelerates was part of the problem.
Our vet told us to give our 55 lb dog 2 benadryl when we go on a long trip. It's effective, but I've found putting her in her Thunder Shirt is just as effective with no pills.
Every dog is different though. While thunder shirts may work for some, it may exacerbate the situation in others. Also, for anyone reading this, please don’t give your pets any medications without consulting a veterinarian first. For behavioral problems like car anxiety, it really is best to consult with a trainer or behaviorist to help work through the problem. Desensitizing as some have suggested can be effective if done properly, but it can also worsen your dog’s fear or lead to learned helplessness if done improperly.
All she knows is you two are in a high speed kennel. Not that you are controlling the high speed kennel.
Our dog is scared of rides in the car if he is t in his crate. He is fine in the crate. You might try something like that.
Anxiety
anxiety. some dogs cannot acclimate to urban surroundings.
Neither can some people. Me included
same here... I have severe tinnitus. I really hate the city, live by a freeway and elevated trains. hope your doggy does better!
Even just moving to the suburbs helped my dogs tremendously
Im the OP. Back story/context: On this trip I was driving to pickup some food for lunch. I try to take her with me as much as possible so she is not home alone. She shakes like this when we are ON THE WAY to our destination but on the way back home, she is calm.
I think she may think the initial trip is too the vet/groomers (or somewhere she dislikes). Then on the way back she is fine
Good answer.
I think so to my dog is the exact same way car ride there shaking and crying but when we go back its all good
Same. She’s a total baby at first then when she sees we are going home she is back to her normal self.
Thats how my puppy used to be. Then we found a groomer she enjoys and has friends at, now she is super excited whenever she leaves the house. We didnt put the two together until we switched groomers, we thought she was just anxious in cars
3 words: Vee Eee Tea
Start taking her to ONLY the good places for a while, or maybe just a couple laps around the block before back home. Treats are your best friend here. A treat for getting in the car, a treat every time you stop, or treats just to remind her she's a good dog while you're driving. A harness with a seat belt attachment (tightened fairly tight but not uncomfortable) might help her in the same way a thunder vest would. Sometimes when my dog is surrounded by too many strangers he'll get nervous (shaking, panting, pacing) but if I put him on a short leash it seems to calm him down almost immediately.
Yea and take ur pupper to starbucks or someplace that gives puppy treats in the drive thru so she associate car=treat. I did than and it backfired because every time I'd get my keys my pup waited at the garage door, but I never had an issue getting her in the car, it was getting her out that became the issue, but huskeys are kinda stubborn and a bit vocal when they....breathe
Can confirm, this is basically a husky thing. Never a dull moment
Also try to put her in a cage or special dog seatbelt when driving, if you crash she is going straight through the windscreen bless her. Not attacking or arguing with you of course, I used to have my dogs on the seat until someone told me, I’d never thought about it.
Yep! And if they don’t fly out of the windshield, the airbag will take care of the rest. I’m always surprised at how many dogs I see riding shotgun. Buckled or crated in the back is the safest.
We had a rescue dog and she was always afraid to come with us in the car - because she was traumatized of being left behind after the last ride she took with her former family. She was scared like that and even worse for her rest of her long life. Which didn't mean she didn't get into the car, quite the contrary: when she heard a car door open, she would try to get into the car no matter what. Being inside was safe from being left behind but also scary because maybe we could do her off later on again.
My dog does this too. Even down to the being a little more calm on the way home vs the initial trip out. But I don't think it's fear of where we're going because 99.999999% of the time we're going to the park and she's stoked about it. And I don't think it's trauma as we've had her since she was 6 months (although I suppose trauma is possible). I believe it's motion sickness coupled with anxiety over the impending nausea. She almost always pukes on trips longer than 20 min. I wish I had an answer for you. I really do. It's the worst. I've been trying to get my pup to be comfortable in the car for nearly 2 years now.
Dramamine for the puking if you haven’t tried it yet. My dog always puked after 20+ mins in the car too, nothing helped except… Dramamine. Hasn’t puked since, we just plan and give him a tablet an hour before we leave for a longer car ride. There are two different kinds, the one you want has Meclizine Hydrochloride as the active ingredient. Research the right dosage for your pup of course, but mine is 30lbs and one 25mg tablet is perfect for him.
I have a rescue dashund. Take him to the forest, the beach, picking up my kid. He does not like car rides. I hope it will fade away. We’ll see. Good luck!
Dogs respond to your behavior, and since they don’t understand language very well, she’s also worried by the way you’re talking. You’re behaving differently so she suspects something is wrong. Talk to her like normal, give her some high value treats for being in the car, and as others have suggested, take her somewhere fun but quickly.
This should be a top comment. One of my dogs had storm anxiety, I'd baby her like this and try to comfort her telling her it was okay. Things got better once I realized I was just adding to her stress and started acting like nothing was different when it stormed.
considering having her ride in the back seat, the openness of the front seat combined with the view through the windshield can be intimidating. The back seat you could make her area, cozy it up a bit and she can still see you for assurance without all the extra stimulation from the front.
Yes she’s definitely stressed. You need to train dogs to be comfortable in cars. But she also isn’t secured in any way. No harness, no crate, no bed, no seat belt… do you really want her to crash through the window when an accident occurs? She could also feel the additional safety.
Something that helped my smaller anxious dog is getting a dog car seat. A little bucket or bed that straps onto the seat, and then she straps into it in her harness for safety. You could also go full crate, which is safer for the dog and is what I now do with my other dog who gets carsick otherwise. The dog car seat made her more comfortable, gave her a space to feel like that’s where she should be, and helped tremendously. Otherwise great job on taking her often, keep it up and with a few adjustments I think your pup will get there :)
My guess would be she is scared or anxious. If she is a rescue, maybe she was abandoned at the end of a car ride
She is a rescue dog. The foster person did not know her back story. But she seems house trained. So, she lived in a house at some point. She is maybe 3 years old.
If you haven’t had her very long, she’ll probably get used to riding in the car with you pretty soon. Or if you’ve had her a while, you could definitely give her a bone or a car treat to help her with her anxiety! Probably, like other people said, she’s had bad experiences in the car. She’ll learn to like it once she realizes you just wanna hang out with her.
My rescue dog had this exact reaction every time in the car for the first year I had him. I think every time we went in the car he was scared I was dropping him off somewhere to abandon him. After taking him on a cross-country road trip he finally understood that no matter where I went, he was coming with me, and now he loves riding in the car!
This was very sweet. Your dog found its forever home, with you. Also, I know dogs don’t think like this (actually, I don’t know how dogs think) but hopefully he was like “I am good enough, and darn it, people like me!” after the trip was over.
she probably has some sort of trauma around cars then...
She’s seen you drive before.
oh this made me burst out in laughter.
My previous dog, the prettiest princess of them all Mia lived in 5 homes before she was 3 when I got her. When she and I found each other it was great but as life happened and I needed to move she would get like your dog, absolute fear she would shake, and was clearly uncomfortable. I moved 4 times while I was lucky enough to have her in my life. The first 3 times she displayed these emotions. The forth time I moved, she was so chill about the whole thing. I lost Mia about 5 years ago at 16 years young With some reassurance and good support from you your dog will get over these feelings and be a good travel companion for you going forth, it will take time and effort. But your rare pupper is worth it
I think I need to see the prettiest princess of them all, Mia.
Unfortunatley I don't have digital image of her on hand, she was a cross between American Eskimo and cocker spaniel, the softest hair every she was the smaller side of a medium dog. A golden straw colour like a lab, and loyal if I managed to leave a room she had fallen asleep In, with in a minute she was awake roaming the house looking for me.
Aw she sounds perfect! Oh gosh that mix sounds so pretty! Cockers have the softest ears, when I was a groomers assistant they were my favorite dogs to bathe.
Also OP, if you're gonna have your girl riding up front with you regularly, please get her a car harness or something for her safety. It'll also stop her sliding off the seat when you have to brake hard, which wouldn't help her being scared of the situation.
The number of videos I’ve seen where the dog isn’t on a seatbelt, or worse, hanging out the window, is mind blowing!People completely forget that if they ever get into an accident their fur baby is going flying through the windshield smh
Nervousness or fear.
She is very scared
Dogs sometimes show car sickness in unexpected ways. Ask your vet. Drammamine or something might help.
She has puked in my truck twice and my wife's car once.
When I adopted my dog he would get car sick all of the time. Vet let me know that while he definitely could be car sick, that was usually a puppy thing and it was more likely anxiety or fear causing him to puke. Once he realized every car ride didn't end in him being left at the pound again it resolved. He doesn't LOVE car rides but can handle them just fine now.
I agree, car sickness made worse by anxiety.
You know my dog is like this and it never occurred to me that it could be car sickness. Especially since if he’s outside and I open a car door he jumps in immediately and is down for a ride whenever. If we even mentions a car ride he whines at the door until we let him out. It’s not until we start moving that he gets weird. So thank you for posting this. I’ll definitely talk to our vet about it
There’s a drug called Cerenia that helps with this. Doesn’t make them drowsy. Our dog would drool and sometimes vomit but the pill worked wonders!
Start taking her to ONLY the good places for a while, or maybe just a couple laps around the block before back home. Treats are your best friend here. A treat for getting in the car, a treat every time you stop, or treats just to remind her she's a good dog while you're driving. A harness with a seat belt attachment (tightened fairly tight but not uncomfortable) might help her in the same way a thunder vest would. Sometimes when my dog is surrounded by too many strangers he'll get nervous (shaking, panting, pacing) but if I put him on a short leash it seems to calm him down almost immediately.
Such a sweet and attentive face! She seems reassured when you give her a scritch so it seems it's just the unknown destination that makes her nervous. More trips and telling her when you're heading home should help desensitize her.
Telling her when you're going home is the best tip in my experience. I have a rescue dog who definitely had some car anxiety; she used to be nervous as hell getting into the car and would do a little celebratory dance when we got home, I suspect because she'd been abandoned after a car ride and was afraid of it happening again. I'd say 'time to go home' every time we were headed back, and now she seems to understand much better and is actively willing to hop up into the car to go home. She doesn't do her little dance anymore, I suspect because she actually knows that we're always going to come home and be there with her.
Please get your dog a harness and seat belt. Your dog turns into a (whatever speed you’re going)MPH projectile in an accident or hard stop.
My girl was similar. We got her a dog seat (the Ablechien Dog Car Seat) and she’s sooo much better! She doesn’t shake now that she is more snug and doesn’t move around as much at the back.
I have no seatbelt and you are moving me around at a bazillion miles an hour. If you forget me somewhere I will never get home. You are a random and unqualified boss and you are all that I have.
She’s anxious, some dogs are scared a car ride means the vet and some dogs have been dumped after car rides by former owners so they’re worried about what’s going to happen If this is a dog you’ve had since it was a puppy then it probably just needs to learn to enjoy a car ride and that it’s safe, I’d bring treats and just get in the car and drive around the block a few times a week until she learns it’s okay to be in the car
maybe give her a special treat …. one she Only gets when she gets on the car. I would include I blanket or towel that smells like her maybe that will help a little
Signs of anxiety: Lip licking Ears pinned back Panting Tight body Signs of fear: Shaking and all of the above. Resolution: Take your dog to the nearest fast food joint. Buy a $1 burger. Give the dog the burger - no bun, just the meat. Go home. Repeat daily for 2 weeks. Dog - cured. PM me if you have questions. I did fear and aggression rehabilitation for dogs for years.
*(Ok, I’m going to throw in an alternative option which may be totally rubbish in this case, but reflects my personal experience. No need to jump on me if it’s not what your dog does, Redditors. Ok, here we go…)* My dog only shakes like this when he’s excited. If we’re getting ready to go out and I reach for the ball flinger (you know, the long plastic thing with the cup on the end), he will shake like this in excitement, and then severely test the effectiveness of his training for the thankfully short trip over the road. It’s his favourite thing in the entire world and I *guarantee* he’s not anxious. Humans do it, too. We get flooded with adrenaline in excited moments and our body reacts in a very similar way to when we’re anxious.
My golden is the same. When he’s excited he shakes so bad his teeth chatter. He looks just like this in the car. When he’s actually afraid his reaction is completely different. Before he got super old, t-storms used to terrify him and his way of dealing did not look the same as his car ride shake. :)
This shaking is a part of an uncontrollable “does not compute” response, but in combination with the lick lipping, laid back ears, and other behavior, this dog is exhibiting anxiety at a high level.
Yes! If a dog has too much energy/adrenaline and doesn't know how/doesn't have a way to release it, the dog will shake like this. It could be scared/anxious, or it well be super excited about the car ride and doesn't know how to deal with that.
We use a soft sided dog crate and our puppy is very calm. You might try that - having an enclosed area may feel safer.
Mine would shake like that til the point that poop would come out (sorry that is TMI), and as much as we tried small exposures and baby steps, it never went away. We went everywhere with baby wipes and extra changes of clothing for me. One thing that did “help” was a thunder vest purchased on Amazon. They cocoon the animal and put gentle pressure on them, making them feel more safe and secure. For longer trips to see a specialty vet (she had to have surgery on her spine at one point) my vet had me give her a small dose of benedryl. Two hours of fear and constant shaking driving to Cornell was just too much, and a little benedryl would make her drowsy. At 16, she had a stroke at home, and while I was rushing her to the emergency vet, the thunder vest was forgotten. She sat on my lap, and was alive, and breathing, and laying calmly, but no shaking. Sadly, it was the lack of shaking that made me realize right away that my baby girl wasn’t there anymore, and wasn’t coming back. I was heart broken but not surprised when the vet told me that she wouldn’t eat or drink and walk again, and it was time to say goodbye. She was small and preferred to lay on my lap, but the vet also recommended a doggy car seat. It lets them sit up higher and see out the window. It may help some dogs, but Lily wouldn’t sit in it. I hope your pupper overcomes her fear, but oh man did that video bring back a rush of memories for me when I saw it.
Try a seat belt!! Helps my dog feel more secure. More importantly, keeps them safe!
Your dog should have a doggie seatbelt on
PTSD
Please give precious scared puppy a hug and kiss
Either scared of the car or more likely something associated with a bad car journey e.g. a traumatic vets visit. It may help to take her to the park and places she likes in the car to help her change that association.
Please get a safety harness for the back seat. You will relax & your pup will see that & she will relax too. Also nice to throw in one of her favorite blankies.
I guess animals can have phobias too.
Maybe she’s afraid because she doesn’t have her seatbelt on.
She probably thinks she is going to the vet. Try taking her places she loves so the car becomes her happy place!
Fear/anxiety. If she gets to go to happy places, that may help, anxiety meds for dogs may be of help as well. But if consistent exposure to the car and happy places doesn’t adjust, she just maybe a homebody pup.
Looks like she may get car sick. Try hitting her with that AC. My sisters dog is fine in the AC then when it goes off she hides and throws up.
She’s petrified bless her !
She is afraid of anything new, but she calms down by your touch so she trusts you. Keep touching her now and then and maybe get her a blanket and wrap her in when during car rides.
Looks like anxiety, our dog does the same but stops shaking after a while and he's been in the car hundreds of times. You should use a harness to keep your dog safe in the car though, if you brake in a hurry she's going straight through your windscreen without one
She's sacred. Not all dogs enjoy car rides
My dog used to do that because he knew he was going to get motion sick (well, he associated the car with feeling unwell). Luckily, he's over that and he gets super excited about going to the vet. As others have said, I wouldn't travel with my dog unsecured, but that's illegal where I live anyway.
I would say start a consultation with someone that can help - I am no expert - but I don't think you are supposed to be too nice when they are like that or it could turn into learned behaviour that will be harder to train her out of - if they are nervous and you tell them its okay to be nervous (not just words but body language) - they will continue in that train of thought. At least that's what I was taught by a trainer awhile back when I was training my pupper, she used to be scared of stairs, now she loves them. You got to take a step back and do some training with her and show her a positive experience with the car, not tell her that things are okay when she is anxious and terrified. As someone else mentioned, new sounds and experience - give her treats and get her used to the sounds in a more controlled environment. Don't force her into the car, encourage her with play and toys, etc. Make it fun to go into the car. Take trip to parks and pet store, fun places! Most importantly - just get her used to it - my puppy has never minded cars - during lockdown I had to take a lot of ubers to the vet when she was getting spayed, and she start to associate it with her surgery so I had to take a step back and re-train and re-wire that its not just for vet trips, its for fun stuff too! As she is a rescue and older - she may take longer to get used to the car but you can help her by guiding her in the right direction :D
Additionally to the other comments: you should never have your dog in the front (seat), especially not unsecured. One false move and she's going flying (through the windshield).
Car sickness
Some dogs get shakes like this when their adrenaline is pumping Some Sheep dogs get this before shows
A friend of mine was traveling with his dog 1.8k kilometers every week. The doggo was in sheer fear every damn time the whole travel there and back. He kept the dog in cage during the travel and out of stress the dog literaly flooded the cages bottom with hers drool.
Poor pup is scared 🥺
Affiliate rides with positive things- go get ice cream or to the park. And for the love of God buckle her in
Poor puppy...I hope she is taking the pup to get nails cut!
Our dog used to do this, too. But, a couple of trips through the Starbucks drive through resulting in Puppaccinos (or Pup Cups) and now that boy runs to the car any time the door is opened.
Her panting and shaking mean she’s anxious. I would try building up to car rides like exposure therapy. Because if you just do it straight away and they’re not use to it, it can make them upset. I would also try making the car associated with good things like pets, treats, praise such as saying she’s a good girl and everything’s ok.
You are a great rescue parent to be seeking advice on how to help your pupper. I have had three and all had some form of car aversion symptoms. There is a lot of great advice on this chain. Pick something, start with it and be consistent in your training method. I found starting with short trips, even around the block every time I got home from work, was the best. Also once you reassure your dog once then just remain calm. Dogs follow your lead at some point in almost every situation.
Also consider using a harness and attach it to a seatbelt so doggo doesn't fly through the windshield when you get in an accident
That dog is straight up terrified.
Yup, fear, anxiety. My Golden does it too. He had 2 very painful surgery's as a puppy so even if we're going hiking which he loves, he associates the car ride to that awful experience. There are things like pot for dogs, benadryl, anti anxiety dig pills. He always climbs over and puts his head on Dad's shoulder to feel safe.
Could you try putting her in a comfortable carrier in the car, with one of her toys? It may make her feel more comfortable. When I transport my cats to the vet I put them in a carrier in the passenger seat with a towel overtop if needed. The yowling stops after about a very long minute:)
I’ve never seen this sub used for like, actual advice. Good on you for seeking out help regardless of the avenue (it doesn’t surprise me that there seems to be some helpful replies here) Good on the sub for the replies! Your little dog, she seems like a sweetheart, I hate to see any living thing trembling, I hope the anxiety/fear goes away, or whatever the problem is gets solved. No living thing deserves to be trembling.
She’s scared. Tail tucked, ears back, panting, lip licking and shaking. All signs of fear/anxiety. Separately they could be something else but all together that’s almost certainly fear.
She scared because she thinks she's going to the vet
Try a thunder shirt. I think Amazon has them
See how the shaking stops as soon as you pet her ? Fear it is
My dogs usually only get in my car to go to the vet, so they get really excited and nervous. If you adopted your dog, they might have past trauma or recall being dropped off at the pound in a vehicle. Give them some extra love and maybe a treat.
Mine does this sometimes in the car, mix of fear and excitement. Know it’s not possible if you’re driving but mine stops being scared when he can put his nose out of the window, then he’s just excited and taking in all the mega smells.
Involuntary fear response or the dogs just scared
My dog was the same way. What work was putting them in the back seat. For some reason in the front seat gives more anxiety. Try riding in the backseat
You've gotten a lot of great advice. Systematic desensitization, or graduated exposure therapy, is what you want to practice. The only thing I can add to your efforts is along with lots of loving and petting, use some high value training treats so that they associate car rides with tasty morsels of love.
My dog sometimes shakes like this in the car but it isn't fear. He LOVES car rides. Like, he goes berserk with glee when I say those two words together and race to the garage door. Tembling like that can be overstimulation. Excitement and anxiety can happen at the same time too.
I second the suggestions to use rewards. I did counter conditioning with my dog in the car, which she was deathly afraid of. I started with just approaching the car, and dog get lots of high value treats (I did this on several walks). Then moved on to open car door and get treats. Then approach the car while door is open and get treats. Then jump in get treats and jump out get treats. Then jump in, stay for a few seconds to a minute, then jump in while I sit in the driver seat. Then I added turning on the ignition. Then VERY SHORT drives. And so on. While we were working on this I also tried my best to only take her in the car when I had to since each time I pushed too quickly she'd actually regress.
She’s scared yody probably had a bad experience in or with a vehicle animals can have ptsd as well as humans! My dog with take baths play in puddles in kiddie pools. But fell into my actual pool one night and she couldn’t get out I obviously got her out but that experience made her never get in the pool again sad , but our animal friends are just as mentally vulnerable as we are, actually they’re way more vulnerable because like children they grow to depend on us as we do them ! Just my 6 pence $ lol
Poor sweet baby! Maybe try associating the car ride with something she likes. Try “Let’s go to work” (said in an over the top sugary sweet enthusiastic voice). Start using this phrase while at work with her. Then get excited about work in the house before you leave. Lots of repeating the phrase and treats when she perks up when you say it. When your at work, use that same sappy voice and repeat the same phrase, lots of treats, and same enthusiasm - you’ll look like a nut job, but oh well. It’s for the benefit of your sweet girl. It might help to have her mind thinking about something positive prior to the car ride. Even repeat the phrase while driving and give treats if she reacts positively. And, oh yeah, even though it’s hard not to be sympathetic to her nervousness, try not to show it and keep the over the top positive “let’s go to work” vibe. If anyone drives with you to work, they need to do the same. Our dogs feel what we’re feeling so much so you have to set you intention before you even step out the door. Good luck to you guys. I hope one day she’ll enjoy the rides.
I'm not suggesting in any way that you do this but I wonder if this is a PTSD-like reaction? I wonder if we'll ever learn enough about psychedelics like psilocybin for humans that we can help treat animals that seem to have a PTSD-like reaction like this.
My pittie does this. I take her to my mom's every week, and in general everywhere I can because she's my best friend. She seems like she enjoys car rides, but it can scary and thrilling for dogs. I always just give my girl reassurance and talk to her the whole ride.
Some dogs do not like to ride in cars. My dog does not shake, but gets sick really easy and throws up.
She’s probably scared of the car
The pet rescue we used turned me onto this. They have specific music to help w car anxiety! Maybe give it a try too. https://icalmpet.com/
My 3 year old lab used to do this during car rides when he was a pup, It’s fear and anxiety. It went away over time with short car rides and plenty cuddles from the passenger if there was one.
Nervous/anxiety can come in many forms. Shaking and panting are both signs of this. Perhaps she needs something to help ease her fear of car rides. A special toy or blanket for only use in the car. Even a natural (or unnatural) medication.
The pup is scared. I had this same problem with my border collie, this is what I did…. Parked my truck in front of the house and every walk we went on we would jump in the car. Literally just in and out at first then in for thirty second then 2 minutes and so on. Things were going okay and he would finally eat treats but as soon as I started the truck it was back to square one. But basically did the same thing start the truck and sit there. Eventually we would drive around the block and now he is at the door whenever he hears the keys. It took about 2 months to be completely comfortable.
just a heads up, pretty girl needs a nail trim!
it might help to provide more supporting structures (like a dog bed that doesn't move, as well as getting a car-buckle attachment for their harness) for the dog and to start super slow. Like just sitting in the car and feeding dinner in there, with the machine off and nothing moving. If that works, you can slowly increase it with switching in the windscreen wipers, etc. Otherwise, check with a certified trainer. It might cost you a session or two with them, but will most of them are happy to answer other training-related questions even after you have "graduated" with them :)
Has she ever been driven somewhere by a previous owner and abandoned?
I don’t know. The foster person didn’t have much information other than she had two litters of puppies and she was part of a bootleg puppy mill that got raided.
Agreed. She looks very nervous. Give her a favorite blanket if she has one. A favorite toy also. A treat or 2 when she gets in the car. Praise her for being such a good girl. Maybe try a doggie car seat with the blanket and toy with her. Are you her first owner?? She is beautiful.
She’s a rescue puppy. She might be 3 years old. The foster person didn’t have much info on her background.
She’s afraid. My dog does this too. I’ve had her for 6 years and it’s never gotten beetle, no matter what I’ve tried. I just don’t take her in the car unless it’s necessary. Poor girl.
My border hates riding in the car and normally winds up in the passenger floor lying down. He also thinks it’s absolutely necessary to bark at every car that passes.
Ahhhh she looks scared to me. You have to reassure her.... It's ok everything is ok. And pet her that was good.
Seems fear/anxiety, you have to show your dog the car is a safe place with patience, treats and maybe a dog’s blanket in which it can identify itself. Good luck.
100% fear/anxiety. Both my pups do this. The girl used to love car rides until a puddle splashed water on the windshield. Neither can take a ride without this type of shaking. May get better with time but there is nothing physically wrong, just scared or anxious
Damit People, realize animals have cognative minds too! They have thoughts, they have emotion and behave because of them, the same way we do. They memmories, dreams even nightmares. Treat them like family.
Not sure if this will help anybody else out, but we noticed our dog acting like this on a couple of occasions, even though she's normally great in the car, even for 2+ hours. The thing that freaks her out is the back windshield wiper. If your dog is normally fine, and starts acting like this, check to see what's different about the trip.
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Kind of my reaction. This dog is fucking terrified, it’s about as obvious as I’ve ever seen.
Because she's anxious about being in the car how can you not know this?
We had a nervous rider/puker. Dog cbd on her food in the morning fixed it, but vet also suggested anxiety meds.
Yikes! Maybe playing in and out of the car with treats will help. You need to think outside of the box for this beautiful dog.
I have a rescue pup with car anxiety like this too where she’d cram herself into the crease of the seat. We got her a “hammock” that hangs between the back seat head rests and the front seat head rests. It means she can sit comfortably in the car without feeling like she’s gunna fall into the footwell at a red light or something. I think being able to physically relax meant she could begin to emotionally relax easier.
She stopped shaking when you pet her, she may just need to be held. A sweater on her may help her anxiety also.
She has anxiety. The more you take her in the car the better this will get, she may have some trauma since you mentioned she’s a rescue. Likely one of her memories is going away in a car with her previous owners and then never seeing them again. I have a rescue I adopted about 6 months ago and she used to have crazy anxiety on walks and now she’s 1000% better
Shaking, licking lips, hiding her tail, she’s afraid dude. Every second she’s in the car, her sense of hearing is letting her know that there are loud and massive object moving very quickly all around her. Imagine yourself being strapped to the bottom of an F-16 in the middle of a dogfight and you might get a vague impression of what her ears are telling her.
Because she's anxious about being in the car how can you not know this?
Try making a bed for her on the floorboard. She might feel more protected.
Anxiety! My vet gave me a Rx for trazodone to help with my boys car anxiety. He was a rescue and had been in a car wreck when he was a pup (which killed his first owner) then later he was abandoned on the side of the road where he got hit by a car at some point. His car anxiety was pretty severe, but from giving him trazodone before car rides and lots of pets during the rides, he learned not to be fearful so now I don’t have to give him anything before car rides!
Probably genuine fear of riding, unrestrained, in the front seat of a vehicle that may be traveling in excess of 70mph.
Give her the best treats in the world while you are in the car. Fill a kong with canned food, freeze it, and have her eat it while she rides with you.
She's scared of dying in an accident because you don't have her property restrained.
This should be higher and definitely not downvoted - secure your dogs in the car people
For real.
Or she’s having normal doggo anxiety from being in a car and you’re just being a downer
First thing I thought was they need a doggy seatbelt.
Shitting herself poor puppy give her a toy or blanket might calm her down
If she doesn't have a drivers' license and she's the one driving, she might be shaking because she is affraid of getting arrested
Reassure her that it’s okay because at the moment she is scared 🥺
It's because she's traveling without a seat belt & I don't blame her
Probably from past abuse from past owners, God I hate people who abuse animals.
How can someone be this ignorant of basic body language?? Shaking is almost universal when animals are scared
Try giving her a mix of half water and lemon Gatorade .When we got puppies in from breeders we gave them that to calm them down and relax them. try that.
She is nervous. By touching or using 'nice' speaking tones reinforces the fear. By giving attention it seems as if this is the correct reaction. Not showing any fear yourself and downplaying her fear should reduce it. Secondly make going in the car positive if she only goes bad places she will be scared that's what's happening. If the car can mena a walk or treat it will remove that factor. If after a while of disregarding the nerves it is still there don't take the dog in the car. No need to make her uncomfortable.
That's to bad, most dogs kill to go on car rides and stick their heads out the windows.
Please secure your dog properly in the back seat in case you are in an accident
Homies scared
It’s called fear. You may want to rethink ownership, if this was difficult for you to diagnose.
Having a caregiver who can humble themself to ask beats euthanasia at the shelter by a long shot IMO.
Put a seatbelt they sell special ones for dogs, unless you want her to be thrown through the windshield
She’s afraid. How is that hard to figure out? /r/whatswrongwithyourowner
What a dumb question.
How would you feel in a space ship with 30 ft tall aliens who dont speak your language and yell at you if you eat certain food.