My 1 year old chocolate lab goes absolutely nuts whenever we leave him alone in the car. He used to love car rides, but now he cries and cries and barks his head off any time the car slows down. Even if we're planning on letting him out (at the park or the pet store), he practically screams when he hears the doors unlock. Has anyone else had this problem? I've been avoiding taking him places in the car where he won't be getting out, but sometimes it's inevitable. Any advice is greatly appreciated! It sounds like someone is murdering him whenever the car stops!!

Could be one of two things.

1/ He associates the car with something nasty and want to get out!

2/ He associates the car with something nice and wants to get out!

My guess is that if there is always something nice at the end like you are saying then he just can't wait to get out and start walking or playing. I would do more journeys just around the block and back home rather than "Nice" journeys juts to show that the car does not always lead to walks.

Regards, John

Screaming like in pain or like in excitement?
If it's excitement, is he able to see out of the car windows? and if so....
Perhaps a crate so he can't see where he's going and more rides where he doesn't get out may help? :)

Hi. One of my GSD's barks the whole way in the car until we get to the park. I am not sure if it is excitement or if he doesn't like being in the boot with our other GSD who is rather dominant and as we had him first he thinks it is his car and sometimes has a bit of a snap and growl at him. The barking drives me mad as he has also started to do it on the way home but not sure how to try and stop it!

It's more of screaming in anxiety. He'll start whimpering, then crying, then barking, then practically howling when I get out of the car. He has the entire backseat of the car to himself, so he can see out of every window.

Have you tried to give him something to 'do' when you leave? It needs to be something so wonderful to occupy his attn and that he doesn't recieve at home. I used to give mine bouda bones to chew on, just before I left the car. You could also try a stuffed kong or a puzzle box... something that distracts from the anxiety.

As Chienne got older, during the increasingly rarer times she would pitch a fit... I would return to the car and tell her very sternly through the open window, "NO! Quiet! Eat your treat" and then just walk away. It still works quite well :rolleyes: But the "distract and delay method" worked better when she was younger than the 'telling-off' :)
good luck,
toodles

Sounds a bit like a friends dog who started off low pitch and built up to an unholy crescendo!!
It didn't seem to bother her, my ear drums were made of softer stuff though ;)
When the said dog was put in a crate and not able to see out, the peace & quiet was heavenly. However, she thought it cruel and didn't continue with the solution. I was of the mind that it was more cruel to let the dog get so worked up, it's also very distracting unless you're able to switch off.
You can only try it and see. Do you have a crate, or one that you could borrow off a friend, maybe?

No crate in the car, but it's something to think about. I've never seen him so agitated as when we're in the car. What I can't figure out is that he used to LOVE car rides. I started taking him for rides when he was just 2 months old, but when he was around eight or nine months, he started howling every time we approached a place with stores!

It sounds as if he learned to 'anticipate' that you would leave him alone. Soothing or telling off definitely doesn't work in this case... because either way, you're feeding his stress to encourage more. Ignoring, would be best neutral way..but it doesn't quite work over the long run either.

Chienne does the same wind up as you said your dog does, but my dogs are hooked to the seatbelts, so I know exactly where they are. She gets so bad, that it causes Samma to start whining. Then each one feeds off one another

I borrowed something from a behavioralist, I can't remember who... but I first started doing this at traffic lights...
I'd reach around and put my arm on her shoulder and press at the same time I'd tell her to lie down. First couple of times, it was like a Jack-in-the-Box. She'd pop back up to moan loudly again (usually in my ear). Then she learned that everytime she moaned, she'd have to lie down where she couldn't see out.

So now, she'll start moaning, but automatically lie down to do so. (hey, it's much quieter now) .. then when we get going again, she'll sit back up to quietly look out the window. Occasionally, she'll grumble, but she's stopped the panicked wind-up :rolleyes:
Basically, she doesn't like traffic lights, nor parking lots. Too much doggy stress. It's out of her 'pattern' and she doesn't know what's going on, perhaps. I"m taking a wild guess and trying to figure out her thinking.
(We won't mention how wierd it was to stop at a light and have people waiting for the tram standing right next to our car. Not Normal and they SPOKE to her!! -- oh, nooooo puppy stress!!!!!! ;) )

Highways and autobahns and continual driving....that's wonderful. :rolleyes: They sleep or watch out the window. Neurotic, ain't she?? And she knows the difference between packing for a long road trip by what goes into the car.... absolutely no moaning at all, then. Even when we pull in for a quick stop at a burger place :rolleyes: :) Dogs!!!!!
regards,
toodles