[dvash29]

My almost 6 month old Golden Retriever puppy is afraid of the car. Not just afraid but petified. It is not just the throwing up and drool but diareah in my car also. She is OK when sitting in the driveway with the car off and rewarding her with treats. So if I put food in her stomach with rewards won't I have a mess in my car? This is so hard because I can't take her anywhere. I need to get her to dog training but who wants to deal with the mess. I have tried the Rescue Remedy and pepcid before car rides. The Rescue Remedy I have used for months and no luck.

Please help. What category would this question be in? Thank you in advance for your help.

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[starbuck8]

Does she start shaking and getting nervous as soon as you start the car? Where do you put her in the car. Is she in a crate, or free in the back or front? Can you maybe explain how you go about putting her in, and when she starts to get nervous? It's obviously her nervousness that is causing her to get sick. She's not relaxed when she's in there.

[dvash29]

When I first put her in she was in a crate. She fit in the crate. The crate was in the back of my SUV Now she is to big for the crate. I put her in the back seat with a chewy and the windows open. I talk to her as we drive but then we have the drool massively and then poop. Presently I am walking her around my car and rewarding her for being curious and tail going. Today we got in the car. She was fine as long as she got treats. Then the tail goes down and we cry

[starbuck8]

I'm going to try my best to explain this so you can understand what I mean.

When you get ready for a car ride, how are you feeling? Am I right in assuming that you are tense and apprehensive,. and just thinking... oh no, she's going to make a big mess again, and this is going to be awful. You are probably thinking that beforehand right? Well the first thing you have to do is change that. Your energy passes right on to her. If you are nervous?. she is nervous.

Walking her around the SUV to get her interested is not a good idea, and neither are the treats. You have to start before you leave your house. Make sure she is calm and submissive. Don't get her excited at all. Don't try and excite her by thinking if you say... we're going for a car ride!. and making it seem fun, that it will be for her. All that will do is make her anxious before you leave the house.

Wait until she is completely calm and submissive. Then in an assertive manner, just matter of factly walk to the car. No walking around the vehicle to investigate, just straight to the back. Remember, you are her calm assertive packleader. If she gets nervous, check your energy, and wait for her to be calm again. Don't talk to her at all. Only give her commands, or hand signals. The other words only confuses them.

Then it's straight into the vehicle. Leave the hatch open, tell her to stay, and walk several feet away. If she jumps out, lead her right back, and just drop the leash and walk away again. You might have to do this many times, but keep yourself calm. Take deep breaths and relax your shoulders. Do it like you are leading a child who doesn't understand our language. The more repetitions you make, the easier the child will understand what you want her to do.

Once you've done that, go for a short ride. NO TALKING! Ignore your dog. You're not being mean, you are helping her to become less stressed, and you are being her packleader. You can praise her and give her treats later, when she has understood what is expected.

When you've done that, come back home and start all over again. Make sure you do this on a day when you have the morning or afternoon free. In between short rides, she can have play time and treats.

Also, I should have mentioned this at the beginning, because this is the most important! When you are going to take her in the car, get her out for good exercise first to drain her energy. Exercise is necessary to teach disipline. If you want her to obey you, a good walk is necessary!

I hope this was easy enough to understand. Keep us updated. It will be interesting to see how she does.