This is an excellent suggestion about what to do with a pup/dog who gets car sick. I hope many of you will read it and try it out if you ever have such an issue. :+) Joyce
Car Sickness
The first thing to realize when dealing with car sickness is that in 95 percent of cases it is stress related and not motion related. The most powerful memory imprint of any dog's brain is probably the car ride when it was taken away from all it ever new to be safe and secure, its litter mates and its mother. The most traumatic memory a young dog has is in relation to a ride in a car. So it's not surprising that subsequent rides in a car should evoke very strong mental and subsequent physical trauma.
How Can I Make My Dog Feel Better?
The solution is very simple. If the dog has been sick in a car then estimate how long it was in the car before it was sick, say 20 minutes? Find a park about 5-10 minutes from home, preferably one just around the corner, even one within walking distance that the dog has been to before.... but this time drive there. Ideally have someone else in the car too, to soothe the dog and distract him from the ride. Keep him happy all the way to the park. When at the park do all the enjoyable things that the dog loves, fetch the ball, chase the Frisbee, frolic with dad, etc. The stay at the park doesn't need to be that long.... just as enjoyable as possible. Then drive the dog home soothing him all the way again and when home make just as much fuss of the dog as you did at the park. Finish the session with his meal or a treat if time and conditions permit.
This exercise is repeated several times a day or daily if time is limited. Once the dog is enthusiastic to go in the car then the length of the trip is lengthened slightly to 10-15 minutes etc. Once you can drive with the dog for 30 minutes with no signs of stress or anxiety then you have the problem pretty much licked. Some dogs may take a little longer than others. The idea is for as many happy repetitions as possible to overwrite the initial mental imprint the dog has from its youth (or whatever other event caused the initial trauma).
I have had a (client's) dog that suffered from chronic carsickness totally 'cured' (if that is the right term) in 3 days. That was with five car trips per day over the three-day period. The owners were impressed (even if I say so myself) and I am still getting referrals from them as a result.
This method has always worked, but I have heard of one dog that was sick due to some kind of balance problems and this method didn't work for it. A trip to the vet after the method failed brought the problem to the surface. But if it only works for 95 percent of the dogs it's used on then I think it's quite successful!
Train with trust not fear.
Article written by:David the Dogman
Extracted with permission from David the Dogman's A-Z Guide to Dogs
www.thedogman.net
Terrific article, Joyce. Thanks for posting this. I had no idea that this condition was more often associative or emotional than physical! Makes such perfect sense, though. Albert gets the "drools" in the car, never sick, just ...wet. I will try this technique with him and see if we can help him with this. The girls will thank you, because he sits right between them, and often wants to rest his very drooly head right in their laps lol! They usually drive with towels at the ready so he can do that without soaking their clothes!
ReplyDeleteWhen Willis was young, she would drool something awful. I used kids large sized bibs on her and it worked awesome!
ReplyDeleteNow you can't keep her out of a vehicle - goes everywhere!
Great article. Felix has been doing better in the car lately as he has been going to the kid's soccer practice with me and we have been walking. Previously, he would slink away when it was time to get his seatbelt harness on and lay down instead of wanting to get in the truck. Now he actually wants to go when we are getting ready for soccer as he is loving the walking at the end of the short car ride and also the socialization with other people and dogs. He hasn't been sick in the car lately either. Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteLisa Spector is the producer of a wonderful set of CDs for various stress related dog problems, including riding in the car. The CDs can be found at
ReplyDeletehttp://www.throughadogsear.com
These CDs are being used by day care, vets, shelters, all kinds of places. Worth a try for a doggie that is stressed in the car! A CD is cheaper than the gallons of gas that would be used driving back and forth to the parks!
Thanks for that additional information! Much appreciated. :+)
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