how do i stop lily from screaming in the car ? we take her regularly for little drives in the car, and yet she still won't get used to it. she cries loudly all the time and it's very distracting when im trying to drive. she's in the boot, with a duvet and blanket and her favourite toy - i'd rather go in the boot it's that comfy !

sarah
x

IT all depends *why* she's screaming........  Is it excitment or fear?  If it's excitment then don't move the car until she's quiet, and stop as soon as she starts......  If it's fear, she may feel happier travelling somewhere else (like in the foot well) , or in a crate that's been covered.  She may also get used to the car better if she's fed in a non moving car with no engine running for a few days, then feed her with the engine running but car not moving etc.  Build it up slowly tiny steps at a time...

we've tried having her in a crate, but she screams even more in that. she's quiet if u have her on a passenger knee, but she tries to climb all over the car (also this is impossible to do if there's no passenger to hold her !

:(

This could also be very dangerous for the dog and the passenger, if she travels ok on the seat you could buy a doggy seatbelt, this will make her feel more secure, she will be able to see out the window and also be safe :)

Like Jacki I was going to suggest a doggy harness/seatbelt too.
She may feel more relaxed if she can see you and whats going on around her ?? At least you can talk to her then as well.
Lesley

great minds think alike lel :D

would a harness work on a dog who tries to throw herself around a car ? i mean, is it possible to get twisted or tangled up ? do they come in different sizes ? she's quite teeny around the chest !

does anyone know of anywhere good online that i can get one from ?

my pup was like it....but she just grew out of it with frequent trips. in the beginning she pooed, every time! it took a few months, but i just carried on ignoring it. its also very important to not talk reassuringly it makes them worse.

No they are usually very short attachment from harness to seatbelt . Ours fits around Gus like a harness but clips into the seatbelt attachment. She wont be able to strangle herself

more importantly, can i get one for the house so i can tether her in one place ?? :D lol

hi, my puppy (GS) was the same first 4 or 5 trips in the car. And we took my husband' car, there is just too little space in the back seat, so she sat with me on my lap, and she cried, and she cried, and she cried, and nothing would stop her. But I took her in my SUV couple of times and she sat in the back seat, I think she liked it better. And of course when I take her to the beach she plays so much she gets so tired on the way back she just falls asleep and she cares less in whose car is traveling. My dad though says it is importnat for a dog to learn how to travel when they are young because my other GS (I had one when I lived with my parents when I was a teen) never liked to travel in the car, because the first time we took her for a trip was when she was almost 7 months and she never got used to the fact that something is moving her, not her legs. Just my observation. Of course all dogs are different!!! :) It took me two weeks to figure out what my dog llikes and dislikes.

i take her out about 4 or 5 times a week, and i got her in september ! i think she's a bit slow at getting used to things....