Dogs and Car Journeys: Lava's Off-Key Musicals

Hi, I’m Dr. Maja! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my two crossbreed dogs, Lava and Hela.

Lava loves cars and car journeys. It doesn’t even matter if it’s my car or someone else’s. If the door or the boot is open and inviting, she will jump right in. And it’s all great until I start driving. This is when the chaos begins. Lava will be making a very annoying combination of noises, including whining, barking, grunting, and more, to express her impatience with the length of the journey, even if it only lasts a few minutes, as she can’t wait for us to reach our destination.

Lava’s Love of Cars

Since she was a puppy, Lava has loved being inside cars. Soon enough she made the connection that cars and driving lead to fun adventures, long walks, visits to friends and family, dog parks, hiking, or even proper road trips. Soon enough, though, she started strongly expressing her dissatisfaction with the length of the drive. It didn’t even matter whether we drove for 15 minutes or a few hours, she would seem equally impatient and persistent. The noise she would make would range in frequency and vary from whining and crying excitedly, to barking if she saw a dog or another animal outside, to grunting, groaning, and rarely, howling.

Nothing Helps

I tried everything to help her be more patient and calm during the drive, as it can be very distracting and annoying having a constant loud performance from the back seat that pierces the eardrums. I sat with her in the back with someone else driving, giving her treats and praising her short-lasting calm behaviors. It worked until she saw something too interesting to stay quiet. Distracting with food soon proved to be unsuccessful, despite the high value of the treats.

Journey or the Destination

Soon enough, it became clear that Lava certainly prefers the destination over the journey. However, the only time she appreciates the journey is on the drive back when she is tired from the adventure and grateful to snooze. But she seems to now understand how long a drive will take. If we get on the highway, driving fast makes her realize that the destination is not that close, and she will stop whining soon after. But if we drive around town or local villages at a lower speed, or if she recognizes where we are, and it certainly seems that she is able to recognize our common routes and destinations, it’s a whole different story. It sounds like a very bad out-of-tune musical that only keeps getting worse.

Long Haul Trips

Although Lava is a proper nightmare when it comes to shorter journeys, she did very well when we drove for more than 1,000 miles in one direction, doing Europe road trips on a few occasions. She realized the journey was long and the speed at which we drive is high, so she slept for most of the journey. We visited many places in France and Germany, went all the way to Wales in the United Kingdom, and road-tripped through Scotland and the Isle of Skye, but that’s a story for a different time. She’s joined me on ferry trips and crossed the English Channel through the Eurotunnel and would have many stamps in her passport if that was a thing. Although, in all honesty, I don’t think she cares. She lives in the moment.

It’s More Fun When There’s Company

Lava is very particular about sharing. She hates it, as she used to be the only “child” for a few years. Now she is forced to share. And she’s doing better than I could have hoped for. She and Hela now share the back seat, and Lava has even had some of her doggie friends drive with us on trips. Initially, it was safest if her friend would be in the boot or the front seat, rather than in the back seat with her, but this has now changed. She started accepting having dogs she knows well sit with her in the back, although, as you can imagine, most of them are not too pleased with Lava’s loud and continuous performances. But, we have all learned to tolerate it.