I have a six year old doxie. She has always ridden in the car with me from the time she was born. She has a soft carrier that she goes every where in. Just recently she has started panting heavily just as we get started like she is very hot but it is snowing outside. She is also shaking like she is cold at the same time. It will take her about thirty minutes before she settles down. If she is offered a drink she refuses. If you cover her she pants harder. She still wants to go with us. If we roll the window down because she likes to look out she then stops panting. Not sure what to make of this. Any idea!

I can't say that this is what's going on with your little girl, but it sounds an awful lot like a typical fear response (the shaking, the panting). Does she ever do this other than in the car? If not, I'm thinking fear (though I wonder why would be so recent then).

It sounds like anxiety to me. Has she had a recent experience where she has been frightened by something while in the car? Or a place that you may have gone, such as the vet or other place where she had something happen that may have frightened her? Another possibility is, do you get her excited when getting ready to go for a ride?

You may have to do some desensitizing by putting her into the car ahead of time. No excitement, and no words. I know it's hard, but calmly take her from the house to the car, without any anticipation of her panting or getting anxious. She will feel that from you if you do, and you will just pass it right onto her.

Then take her carrier out of the car, and back to the house, again with no words or nervousness. Repeat this ritual several times, and resist the urge to praise her or talk to her, if she starts to get to get anxious while doing this. Your anxiety will only increase hers, so try not to think about it and just do it matter of factly.

Once you've done this, leave the house the same way, and go for a few short rides. Once you see that she is no longer panting and getting anxious, praise her like crazy!

This should work if it's done right. Remember that your feelings transfer right to her, so the key is to be calm and assertive.

Good luck!

Edit: I should have also said, don't just put her in the car and take her right back out again. I meant let her sit in the car for a small amount of time. (maybe 5 or 10 minutes.) and then back to the house for about the same amount of time.