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Riding in the car


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I think I can safely say that my dogs have more miles than most, Kate 5 yrs over half million, Molly 10 months only 100000. Both have been riding pretty much non stop since 12 wks.

It may depend on the vehicle more than you think, at first I thought how much they could see mattered but now I don't think so.

Reactions to different vehicles.

Semi--Kate mostly sleeps unless it's snowing then she is terrified. Molly plays and sleeps, likes to look out a lot more.

pickup in cab--Kate stands or sits and looks out windows. Molly just lays on the seat.

Wife's explorer or escape--Kate hates both, Molly seems to enjoy them.

big window van(before Molly)--Kate seemed to enjoy this one too.

 

The snow thing started last winter when snow and ice melting and breaking loose would make some kind of crashing noise. This year, even when the

truck is not moving, if it starts snowing she starts getting nervous. She generally stays on my seat when I'm not in it, if it starts snowing she will move to

the floor right in front of the seat. She doesn't seem to mind the rain unless I go through a big puddle that makes noise in the fender well, but settles right

back down. Melatonin does wonders for this. I assume that Molly will pick up on it soon.

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Yeah, I have to agree with the others - sounds like your dog is doing just fine. Personally, I don't want to hear a peep out of my dogs when we're travelling unless there's a problem. Not only can I then distinguish that there *is* a problem, but I seriously can't stand a lot of noise when I'm driving, unless you count my singing at the top of my lungs to the radio. I can't stand squeaking, barking, or even the sound of toenails scurrying in the crates (which is why they have beds in their crates).

 

I can tolerate the sound of them chewing on something, but I cannot stand to look up in the rear view mirror to see (for example) Ginger standing up in her crate. Matter of fact, the Turd got moved to the back of the bus for doing that - back where I can't see her anymore.

 

Weird much?

 

:rolleyes:

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It may depend on the vehicle more than you think, at first I thought how much they could see mattered but now I don't think so.

LOL! Scooter absolutely refused to ride in DH's beat up old Chevy S10. Smart dog! :rolleyes:

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When we brought Scooter home as a puppy, he drooled all the way home. The drooling stopped a long time ago (he turned four in December), but he still just tolerates riding in the car. He willingly gets in, then heads straight for the back seat where he stretches out and lies there, head down, not looking around. He doesn't appear to be in any distress, so I assume that's just him and ignore it. I figure if I make a big fuss about it, like trying to coax him to sit up, it will only make him anxious. Sometimes, when he feels the car making a turn, he'll pop his head up to see where we're going, but then it's back down again. :rolleyes: Goofy guy. It's funny though, like when going through the drive-thru at the bank, and he suddenly sits up and the teller is surprised to see that I have a dog with me! :D Then they send him a treat, which of course he turns his nose up at and wouldn't dream of eating. DoG forbid! :D

Hehehe, I've had that happen.

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Hello

 

We are new to BC boards. I posted a quick hello on the Boarder Collie Gallery. We have a now an almost 4 month old male BC, named Jake. Since the beginning of his life with us we have tried everything to get him to enjoy riding in the car. We started small, used treats, short drives down the driveway and little trips to the local pet store for puppy classes, shopping, drives to friends and sometimes just a spin for the heck of it. He hasn't become ill in the car. He just lays down and puts his head into the corner of his crate. Now, I've been told that BC's aren't good riders. Is this true? I can't think that it would be, or their wouldn't be 100's of BC owners traveling their pets for trials, agility, etc... Is this something he'll grow to love ? Any advice will be appreciated. Thank you!

Sara and Jake

 

 

Hi Sara,

 

Have you tried feeding Jake his meals in his crate in the car? I did this with one of my bc's that was initally very stressed about even getting in the car. I would feed him in his crate in the parked car and give him high value treats at other times. It didn't take long for him to start seeing the car as a not so scary place. Now he is always the first one to the door when he thinks we are going somewhere....Quite a change=)

 

Have fun with your baby~

 

Janet

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When we got our aussie, he rode in a crate in the car. He'd go in willingly and just lay there in the crate. He didn't develop his panting frantic excitability until he was older than 6 months. Now, if I put him in a crate in the car, he will lay down and be calm/quiet. If he's loose in the back seat or back, he looks around, pants, gets excited if he can tell where we're going etc. If the windows are down he will look out them. Maybe your pup just needs more time/maturity.

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From her first ride home as a little bitty puppy, to the present, Belle has ridden in a pet carrier on the back seat of my not yet paid off car. We started off with a cat/puppy sized one, then an intermediate sized, and finally a full sized, very roomy one that fits snuggly into the back seat with the opening on the driver's side. Since I wanted to protect the seat fabric, I first put down a very heavy duty back seat cover "pet hammock" I bought on Ebay. Luckily the front seats are back enough for my and Bob's long legs (we're tall).

 

Belle has a nice, faux sheepskin/denim bed inside the carrier to lay on, has a few toys in there to chew, but she spends most of her ride time looking out the plexiglass windows my fella cut and connected onto the sides of the carrier top (so I could see through and out the back window). She absolutely loves to hear "wanna go for a ride"? or "wanna go Bye-Bye"? and behaves really well in the car--seldom barks, doesn't get excited or car sick.

 

For Bob's pickup, we have one of those car/truck travel dog harnesses in the middle between us and she'll sit there like a good little trooper. We've traveled with her across the state to go camping and when she gets tired of looking out the windows, she just lays on the seat, or in my lap (I don't drive Bob's truck as I'm not so good with the manual transmission-I'm somewhat of a gear grinder).

 

Ruth used to just sit in the back seat of my car, but she was older and slowing down. I've read a few stories here about BC's chewing up seat belts and such, so for now (and until my car is paid off), I think we'll keep the everything as it is.

 

Here's a picture of the carrier in the back seat of my car:

 

DogCarrier9Dec07009.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

I have completely stopped taking Phoenix in the car. he chases the wipers across the dash, runs aback and forth in the backseat, whines, barks at every car. We even bought him a seatbelt to keep him put He just moves around so much he gets tangled and we have to pull over to untangle him because it looks so painful!

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I have completely stopped taking Phoenix in the car. he chases the wipers across the dash, runs aback and forth in the backseat, whines, barks at every car. We even bought him a seatbelt to keep him put He just moves around so much he gets tangled and we have to pull over to untangle him because it looks so painful!

 

 

Any chance of putting a crate in the car? ISTM that if dogs are intensely motion sensitive, they just can't cope with the over-stimulation they get in a car. By putting the dog in the crate, with a cover over it to start with, you've removed that over-stimulation.

 

My dogs would complain to the SPCA if they didn't get to go in the car :rolleyes: . They ride in collapsible wire crates, and usually just settle down to go to sleep. I don't need to cover their crates, as they've been riding this way since they were tiny pups.

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I have two that are pretty opposite each other when it comes to riding in the car. My Sheltie, Yoshi, tends to lay down and be VERY quiet while riding. He almost acts scared, and if I did not know him any better I would say he was.. but he's not, its just his act. He just likes to be left alone when hes riding in the car. Foxy, however, wants to be standing up and wants to see everything and stick her nose out the window if I let her... Both dogs were taken a lot as pups and had the same amount of work done (actually Yoshi went even MORE places probably, and he still goes more due to him doing all the agility more)

 

I kinda like the quite riders... LOL

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