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We have a very large dog who is about 100 pounds. Adopted him when he was about 40 pounds at 14 weeks of age and discovered he was petrified of riding in a car. Back then I'd lift him into the back seat and get in back myself. Pup was frozen with fear. I have no notion how he got so afraid of cars but he's also afraid of any height and never jumps up on anything ever.
At this point we've been in the country about 10 months and. as retirees, seldom go to town or have taken our dog in the car since he was much smaller. In October he is due for his yearly shots at the vet and I am certain I'll have a time trying to get our boy in the car. He's much too heavy for me to lift more than just his front end so any suggestions gratefully recieved.
I've thought about preparing him a few weeks in advance by waiting until the car isn't hot in the evening and leading him to the car on a leash and then just climbing in myself and having a real treat such as chicken with me which he'd have to claim by getting into the car himself. Thought it might take a few nights but might work. Incidentially, he was petrified of steps and used to refuse to go up or down them until I nailed rubber treds on them.
I've heard of mobile vets who visit your home. Maybe you can research that to find a good one. However, if you really like your vet, you may wish to stick with him/her, and using food as motivation may help as you said. Do they have stairs at the vet? Can someone help you when you get there?
With horses, we'll feed them in the trailer so that they'll associate it with food and good things before we ever need to trailer them somewhere. It would probably work for the dog too. Maybe feed him his dinner in the car for awhile. Dinner could probably have a good stinky treat in it to make it extra special. Then maybe a drive to the pet store or tim hortons to get a treat. My dogs love plain timbits. Then go to the vets office a few times, go in, give him treats, and go home. That way he won't associate the car only with a trip to the vets for shots.
Cesar has done a few shows helping dogs get over their fears of being in a car. The one I do remember was a Masfit that was so bad getting in and then traveling in a car, the dog would pee and poop in the car. This dog had a extreme fear. But Cesar being the master packleader was able to rehabilitate the dog.
I will try to get you the episode title.
I have only worked with two dogs that were fearful about getting into a car. One of the owners alway picked up the dog, because she thought the dog was too small to get in by itself. After a few minutes of working with that dog, that was not the case. I also worked with the same dog to use the steps the owner had for the dog to get on the bed. Following Cesar method I was successful with both.
First, before you work with your dog you need to take your dog on a long walk (At least 45 minutes) This will help drain the dogs excited/anxiety energy. This is always recommended by Cesar.
If prior to working with Oreo, you are thinking about how frighten he is of the car, or doubting your ability to get him to follow you, or even show hesitation in the process, your dog will view that as weakness. Dogs don't lie...they can read exactly what kind of energy you are projecting. One thing dogs won't do is follow "weak" energy.
These are things that Cesar talks about both in his books and on his show.
So, examine your frame of mind before you start working with Oreo, and what kind of energy you are bring with you? Is it a calm and assertive packleader which is what you need to be to help Oreo get over his fear of the car.
If a dog has "shut down" because of extreme fear, the likely hood of food to motivate that dog is very slim. I have seen dogs myself "shut down" and they had no interest in food.
You need to see yourself as a calm and assertive packleader projecting that kind of energy to Oreo, getting him to trust what you are asking of him. Then using that same energy help Oreo to move forward with you.
I don't want to make this response too long, but let me quote Cesar from his book "Be the Packleader" concerning working with a Great Dane that was afraid to walk on shiny floors;
"I also happen to believe - and have seen from hundreds of experiences with dogs - that many animals can overcome phobias by facing their own fears. That's the way that I helped Kane the Great Dane in season one of Dog Whisper overcome his fear of shiny floors. By using Kane's own momentum to bring him onto the shiny floor no power of man or beast had been able to get him on for a year, I simple waited with calm-assertive energy as Kane became accustomed to this situation. With me providing a feeling of leadership he could trust, his common sense was able to kick in, saying to him :Hey, there's nothing to be afraid of here! In less than fifteen minutes, Kane was freed of an unnecessary phobia that had been causing him and his owners extreme stress for over a year.Today, four years later, he's still 100 percent phobia free."
I hope this helps in some way. Of course visual is so much better.
Y'know, I've had many dogs in the past and have never encountered the fear of riding in a car before. I'm certain it would help to know where it (the phobia) started but we'll never know many things about the dogs in our lives unless we've had them from the moment of birth. Perhaps, during an early trip to the vet with his breeder, the driver slammed on the brakes and Orry went flying. Inside the car Orry would wrap his forelegs tightly around my neck and hide his face against my neck. I'd sing Rockabye Baby while letting him do this and within ten miles or so he'd be lying on the seat asleep with his head in my lap. Next trip he would not want to go into the car and it would be the same scene all over again. For several weeks we lived in a motel waiting for our house to be finished and if we went out the puppy HAD to go with us. Usually we just made the 50 mile round trip from motel to house and back and no vet. But Orry remained phobic. So I think the phobia had to do with cars themselves rather than a destination.
I appreciate all the help and support of everyone on this list and will attempt to put your suggestion into play. Many thanks.
Hi!
One of the things Cesar always says is; the beauty of dogs is that they "live in the moment" and that they "move on" quicker then humans.
With saying that, the one of the most important suggestion I can say to you... is stop thinking about Oreo in the past concerning the fear of cars. I can't stress this enough, that as long as you keep thinking about the "cause," you can't help your dog to move on from this fear. Oreo needs to move forward, but can't as long as you stay in the past. (Concentrating too much on the cause and affect)
My major concern is allowing Oreo to wrap his foreleg tighty around your neck while you are trying to drive. That is just DANGEROUS. Not only to you, Oreo, and whoever else is in the car with you, but to other drivers on the road.
I know you are trying to comfort him by allowing Oreo to do that, (Even singing to him is sweet) but believe me giving a dog affection when they are in that state of mind is not helping them. It just reinforces their anxiety.
I am sure you have yourself heard Cesar stress this all the time with dog owners?
Without intending to, you are keeping Oreo in a weak, unbalance state of mind concerning his anxiety towards cars. The fact that you are requesting help from others in this group, says how much you care about Oreo and want to help him. You get kudos from me for that!
My question to you is are you walking Oreo on a daily basis? How long? One of the first things Cesar talks about concerning dogs that have any kind of anxiety, is EXCERISE. Walking Oreo not only helps to drain unbalance energy, but it helps establish you as his packleader. Remember Cesar formular; EXERCISE, DISCIPLINE (leadership) and than AFFECTION. This is a winning formular
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