can anyone offer any help or advice on how to stop our 6 month old springer pup barking his head off in the car, he is fine getting in the car & on a journey but should we stop at some point & get out the car on our return he barks & barks so much you cannot drive or concentrate on driving, we have tried talking to him & yelling at him to no avail, we need to nip this in the bud before his barking drives us mental, we are beginning to have permanent headaches,  this happens even if we have just been out the car to pop into shop for a second for a newspaper etc, we are about to start his show career next weekend & don't think we can face the travelling with his yapping on the way if we stop, he does go out to relieve himself so know it is not that, i guess its his way of greeting us on return but boy could do without it.
  any suggestions will be greatly received
      thanks
           shirley

An idea would be to take a kong with you filled with a few treats to distract him from barking to turn his attention elsewhere. Both my dogs love playing with kongs. Let me know how you get on. Fingers crossed.

thanks for your reply, sounds good to me
shirley

You are welcome. Good luck. x

my terriers used to do it...it suddenly started as we drove passed a dog...annd after that EVERY time we saw one they would start....I too talked nicely then yelled...nothing worked... till one time I stopped went to the back off the car.. and opened it and told them NO, how I would tell them off at home...I had to do this for a good few times..till eventually they knew i meant buisness....They had quickly realised that driving along I had no control...so stop and take back control, also, I used to have a grill in the car, but I changed it to a cage, they cant jump up or see so much out .Also dont drive off till they have stopped. ...good luck!!

Have you tried just putting him in the car with engine running for as few moments? and the perhaps building it up gardually to reversing off the drive and back and then round the block, etc, etc. This worked with one of the dog at my training club. It took time, but worked for them ;-), or perhaps a water spray, if you have a passenger with you of course! That may work

thanks for all your replies, sunny is driving us crackers...he was not so bad last night but back to normal again now, he is fine going in the car & driving along but the problem begins with his barking if we have to stop off for a toilet stop or a tea-break then that is when the barking begins when we re-enter the car as if he is greeting us, i shall try the water spray as this was something we had thought of also i appreciate all your replies & advice, it will take all that you have all said on board, & will let you know how we get on.
  we have a show on sunday but just local so dont expect the barking from him.
will be at manchester too so will have to see what we can do with him before then but he will have a travelling companion so may be better for him when he sees he is not alone
      thanks everyone
               shirley

Sounds like eh gets stressed when you leave him in the car and is telling you off for leaving him.  My Jozi does this to me if I leave someone else holding her lead while I pop to the loo or into a shop.

Off the top of my head I would practise not getting into the car until he stops.  approach the car and tell him quiet (assuming he knows what that means), do not get into the car or open the door until he stops for a moment.  If he starts again close the door or get back out.  Same principole as not letting a dog that barks with anticipation of arriving in the park, where it woudln't be let out until it was silent.

Silence equals you sitting in the car with him, barking mens you stay outside.

Also does he so this if one of you stays in the car with him.

As a short term measure it might be better for you to take turns with your toilet breaks if he is quiet when not left alone.

hi brainless thanks for your reply, sunny is as good as gold left in the car on his own if we have to go for a toilet break, its just when we get back into the car & yes if we take it in turns he still yaps on return so have tried that too, guess like you say he just is telling me off for leaving him
      maybe we should try taking him out for a longer leg stretch too when we stop, we usually do any way but when we stop, perhaps we should try this on return to car too
          will let you know how we go
                shirley

What I meant is that you need to set up the situation so that if he starts yappiing you get out of the car again until he stops.  Get in, yapping starts you get out again.  The penny should drop that you won't get in the car/stay in the car while he barks.

just an idea but when you stop - 1st on goes off, when they come back 2nd one goes and while they are away 1st gets dog out for HIS stretch and keeps him out of car till 2nd has returned then all get back into car and continue.
Chris