Stop Motion Sickness: Helping Your Puppy or Dog Love the Car #75

Car sickness in a dog or puppy can be heartbreaking. My puppy has been getting car sick, and I’ve been documenting what I’ve been doing to help her. If your puppy or dog is drooling in the car, refusing to get in the car, hates car rides, throwing up or foaming at the mouth when travelling, or showing any other sign of motion sickness, you are not alone.
In the episode you'll hear:
• The signs of car sickness in puppies and dogs.
• How I helped my puppy This! initially and what happened after lockdown.
• What motion sickness does to puppies and dogs.
• Why some puppies outgrow car sickness, but others do not.
• The importance of counter conditioning our dogs for travelling.
• How the sight of a car can bring on sickness for a puppy.
• About changing our dog’s emotional response to the car.
• What I have been doing with my puppy to help her with car rides.
• How I become a canine booster seat.
• Why I didn’t turn on the car for a week and how games are helping.
• About building up to longer drives in the car when there is motion sickness.
• Why I borrowed the confidence Tater has in the car to help my puppy.
• All the steps to creating a positive conditioned emotional response to the car for our dogs.
• Why to write to us about Home School the Dog.
Resources:
KZbin Video: Let’s Train Your Doodle with Susan Garrett - • Let’s Train Your Doodl...
Gunner Crate Crash Test - gunner.com/pages/crash-tested
Podcast Episode 66: Resource Guarding: Dog vs Dog Aggression - • Resource Guarding: Dog...
Write to us at [e-mail] with the subject line “My Kids Are Going to Love This” for a special opportunity to join Home School the Dog.
Susan Garrett’s DogsThat KZbin Channel - / @dogsthat
P.S. Subscribe to our KZbin Channel so you get notifications of new videos!
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Dogs That is brought to you by Susan Garrett and the Say Yes Dog Training Team.
Susan Garrett’s interest in animal behaviour started at the University of Guelph where she earned a Bachelor of Science majoring in Animal Science. Since then she has developed into a preeminent dog trainer and canine sports instructor and competitor. Susan is one of the most successful agility competitors of the last three decades. She has won multiple Gold Medals at National or World Championship events with every dog she has ever owned over the past 30 years.
A natural teacher and an entertaining speaker, Susan is world renowned as a leading educator of dog trainers. Her understanding of how to apply science-based learning principles to both competitive and family pet dog training has been pivotal in changing how dogs are trained.
Susan is now helping many thousands of dog owners in 132 countries have the best relationship possible with their dogs. The real joy for her comes from bringing confidence to dogs and their owner through playful interactions and relationship building games that are grounded firmly in the science of how animals learn.
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[@ammi_10]

So many rescue dogs have had long, long car rides and this is the best way to overcome the fear that is associated with a vehicle.

[@rachelmanley4793]

I love the ideas and solutions you describe regarding dogs barking in cars. My question was unfortunately not answered. She travels well in the car, no barking, happy to go, no matter how far but as soon we get close to the destination she starts to growl,bark and then bite my hands. She seems excited rather than anxious. She does not stop biting until they car is stopped. She then returns to normal and goes inside the house and plays. I can not identify a trigger, she is not car sick. She seems happy to travel and there are no visual triggers. She loves being home. Any suggestions/

[@jacquelinecurtis]

My kids will love this

[@teolinek]

As someone who didn't grow out of motion sickness completely: - it's not about speed, it's about changes in speed and direction (so drive steady!) - don't be hungry before, don't be full - emotions are important - driving ourselves solves the problem, but I can see a problem with a canine driver ;)

[@goymedhundDogtrainingBehavior]

Same here.And for those who has not been car sick does not understand how horribly sick you get.. I really feel it mentally to. BUT i have found one thing that helps a little bit.. regular coca cola in very small sips combined with potato chips - salted ( not anything else - just salt).. pringle original has been my life saver when on a plane.. But off course - a canine driving while drinking coca cola and pringles..won't work.. Lol! The dog i have now does not get sick but my male WSS puked a lot.. poor guy..

[@janegilbert9851]

My dog Bruno had the exact symptoms as This. It was so upsetting to see. I tried changing his view and changed the material he was sitting on. I played games around the car, then played with a toy in and out of the car without going anywhere. He wouldn’t take treats in or near the car for a long time. Then I thought what about the way he gets in the car. My car has a large boot and I was asking him to jump into the boot. My car has sliding side doors, and I can reach in and fold down my back seat giving room for my dog to jump through the back and into the boot. So I changed the way he entered the car. He was still ending up in the boot but getting in a different way. I believe the large folding down boot door was frightening him. Getting in the sliding side door made less noise. Anyway after altering this, I noticed a vast improvement. He then started accepting treats in the car, and pretty soon we were driving out. I started with very small trips and can now go out for an hours journey. I haven’t had to be in the car any longer, but I feel he is perfectly happy now. It must have taken me 6 months to work this out and get a happy dog in the car.

[@debbelles2574]

My puppy would get car sick also. I started taking him on short rides and also feed him treats with ginger in them . Would give him one before we’d leave. If you are in the states Answers has a goat cheese with ginger which worked great.

[@suelhommedieu1015]

Such a helpful podcast. Years ago I was raising a service dog puppy. They ride at the feet of their handler on the passenger floor, so that's where I was training her to ride. She was doing fine riding in that position until one day as she was in the car, she turned just as I was closing the door and I caught her tail in the door. It didn't injure her, but it hurt and scared her. She did not want to get back in the car...ever. I used a similar training plain as Susan described in this podcast---her sitting in the car with the door open (then treat), sitting while I closed the door a tiny bit (then treat), closing the door more (treat) feeding her meals in the car, etc until she was comfortable with the idea of getting in again. It helps dogs so much when you break things down to little steps. Thanks, Susan, for stressing this over and over again.

[@florafaunaish]

Aww this is a terrible issue for our 16 week old Doodle. Thank you for this guidance!

[@cristinapavan8545]

Susan, I wish I had this broadcast 15 months ago! The first time I saw my puppy Zeus drooling I couldn't believe it, I felt terrible and I didn't know how to make it better for him. It was very upsetting. We started doing things very similar to what you suggested, like sitting on the edge of the boot with him sitting in it, then short trips followed by games and slowly the situation has improved. We are still a bit nervous about long trips but lately he has surprised me with a few 25 minutes trips which made me incredibly happy. We still need to be careful but I think that the situation will improve as he is now 18 months and becoming generally more confident with Recallers! Thank you Susan!

[@mena94x3]

My older dog (turns 1 year tomorrow!) gets carsick, but there’s no warning until the _moment_ he’s barfing. No drooling, no foaming, no whining, no flat ears, just out of the blue seemingly unprovoked barfing. I would _THINK_ seeing the road would help greatly (it typically does with humans . . . try riding a roller coaster with your eyes closed, it’ll ruin the rest of your day). Also, a cool breeze tends to be nice. Anyway, I’ve suspected the association with cars and barfing also. Ugh. We make maybe 1/2 the trips without barfing . . . maybe he’s growing out of it? Anyway, . Thanks for the great ideas, can’t wait to implement them! 🙏🤞🙏 I say “older” (being only a year old) because I’ve also got a 6-month-old, so he’s the older of the two. Our darling first pup passed away at almost 14 years old at the end of 2020. Ripped my heart out…. These two new guys are so much fun and I’m loving these videos. 🥰🥰🎉🎉🥰🥰

[@catherinethomas9467]

Thank you so much for this! I have a dog who doesn't appear to get carsick (no drooling, so I assume she's not feeling nauseous) but she certainly doesn't like being in the car. Could I go on just picking her up and putting her in the car? Probably, but I would much prefer that she was able to be comfortable in the car. The idea of using play to condition the emotional response I think will be a game changer for us, and I hadn't thought of it yet so THANK YOU for sharing.

[@marshaclark7172]

I really loved this podcast! My puppy who is now 8 months old gets car sick, throws up, and drools like she's a broken dam. She had a very long van ride from TX to WI in December when she was 4 months old. Following Susan's direction, I am trying to get her to at least get close to the car. She is NOT socialized at all and I am so worried that whenever I take her anywhere she is terrified of everyone - could be because of the car ride. I put a bowl of salmon next to the car (not inside) and she would not go near it. I was able to coax her in but she took NO treats and started to drool. I'll develop a plan like Susan suggests. Thank you for this wonderful advice for this. Question - If she truly is still getting sick will I ever be able to give her car rides?

[@rachelf6208]

Super helpful podcast! Just sent it to one of my dog training clients who has this very problem. Thank you!!

[@merschiller]

Between our 2yo GSD mix and our 5 1/2mo GSD we have each of these symptoms. One actually gets sick and the other whines and cries for rides. This was perfect timing, thank you Susan!!

[@heatherzekkaria7827]

I’m so glad I found this video (and all of your videos). This was happening to my puppy and I didn’t know what to do to help her. I’m a first time dog owner so I have much to learn! Thank you!!!

[@pascaleburnet7583]

Another great one Susan! I do not have any problem with my dogs being sick in the car but I love the science behind all your training idea! Thank you!

[@scoutmacwoof6759]

Any food ( treats) that go into the dog , come back out on the seat. My dog pukes every time. We only take her places she will love, like the beach , the park but she hates the car. I will try this. Thank you , so many of your videos have been helpful!

[@melaniedubberley4944]

Perfect! Thank you... can't wait to get my doggie started..I love road trips, and so does my older dog...poor puppy gets so sick on long drives- this is going to be great❤

[@nycc802]

More than 5 starts. Thank you for being you. Thank you for everything, you safe me by applying in my everyday life your principles, it’s amazing how life can change and suddenly becoming beautiful again but overall thank you for saving my relationship with my new rescue Labrador Retriever Marley ( chocolate chunk). Keep being yourself. Can’t wait for the next series obviously I have a bird dog so for him water is a 10+++ distraction, so that will be great to get more tools in my toolbox.

[@rogehnimunoz4327]

Thank you for this vid. Learning so much.

[@neilthomson168]

I am just going through exactly this with my 6month old puppy … congrats to u - ur podcast is 100% spot on … finally somebody on the internet has articulated the solution … I used a step stool for him to get into the car on his own and we carry it in the SUV everywhere we go … I also went to high reward treats - cheese bits - to get him started on going into the car on his own … there is still a physical growth step to occur yet, as he made it on a 2 hour car trip back from the lake, a then literally barfed 2 blocks from home, but zero drooling!! Hallelujah.!

[@bstanevich]

I can’t wait for the water series. My dogs all drive me nuts to be let out the gate to the river. Usually they come out of the river when called, but if I’m in a rush and they don’t feel like they have had enough swimming time, I’m not always successful. I will sometimes call them out and let them go right back in, as the river is an ultra high caliber reward. What I haven’t been successful with is the transition of not sending them back in. I’m looking forward to seeing your entire process!

[@francoise-mariethein682]

just subscribed to your You tube channel. To see I am not alone with this problem with my puppy help me a lot and i will follow your advices and hope my rescue puppy one day will love a ride in the car with no fear.Thank you so much.

[@DogsThat]

Thanks for joining us, Francoise! Of course you're not alone ❤️ We'll love to learn about your puppy's progress 🚗

[@hankaskacanova7500]

Thank you, thank you, thank you🙏💕. I needed this video. My dog was car sick when She was a puppy, and still doesn`t like car rides😑. Hoping it will get better with these tips😀

[@lindakoski7512]

I'm so happy I Came Upon you by accident. You keep it real and I love it! Well done video!

[@terrisidell7041]

Had a dog that got car sick. We gave her motion sickness pills. When she got older she came down with Vestibular Disorder. I wonder if it is all related. Good suggestion about feeding dog in car!!

[@sallybarnett7220]

Excellent video, such a shame you can’t fly to UK to help my rescue dog, he’s like Niagara Falls in the car!

[@davidhalley9795]

Having a bad time with a 6 month old beagle. At 12 weeks picking him up we had a 2 hour ride home and no issue. Somehow it developed after going to the vet. I've tried shorter trips but I guess even shorter rides and human booster may help. There's only one way to get out of my community and we're at the top of the valley with twisting roads. I'll try anything at this point. Thank you for posting!

[@evandavidwilton]

My kids will LOVE this! (Actually my dog! She sits and watches this KZbin channel with me.) I have some health issues, especially chronic pain and daily migraines. I have for over 20 years. My 2 year old havashire is so smart and could do so much more if I felt up to it. I’d like to do this the best I can with her.

[@jennyf7464]

+1 to home school the dog...or cat. It's an amazing program. My two cats are enrolled and loving it.

[@azogal53]

75th Podcast Jubilee! Great information, great opportunity to get into the wonderful program, Homeschool the Dog. 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪

[@saraleesully]

My puppy is 3yo and recently began liking the car. I started slowly driving as you said, now taking him to swimming and playing with his friends. I say we are going to Phobes house and he joyfully jumps in the crate. I also employed my seasoned BC to ride in same crate, yes very large crate. Now we are at the point to separate them and see if the drool stays at bay. Thanks for your tips!

[@Linny-Lou]

Excellent as always Susan. And could you please share where to get a Thankful t-shirt like yours.

[@Oxford322]

My Labrador is 6 and never grew out of his car sickness - my vet prescribed Cerenia “ (for nausea ) to take an hour prior to car rides . He seems to have more of a motion sickness. Thing - I’ve caught him standing up as we move - ( worst thing he can do !lol) rather than lying down . I’d forgotten about the excessive salivating!! He did that horribly ! I also never feed him 6 hours prior .

[@darceykearney3591]

Love this! Have 2 Potcake Puppies (Caribean street dog) that I had here for Board n Train & both siblings go through this. Especially the girl pup & will also loose all her bodily functions. They have an extra aversion to cars in general from generations of being on the streets. I was told it's more than car sickness, but an absolute envitro build it type of fear that is deep rooted. Non the less... This was really helpful. Those poor sick little babies. Thank you, always!!

[@robinrutherfordcost4748]

The dog of one of our clients, a Bouvier, doesn't get sick, but doesn't want to get in the car, not even for a meatball, a fish skin, nothing. It's a large SUV, but won't even do paws up, so we can get her hind legs in. Will have to try the booster seat idea. TY

[@sassysandie2865]

The Funner crate prices start at 550!

[@pukasmom]

My poor chihuahua /mix Buddy gets so sick and I travel a lot and need to take him with me. He bubbles and drools so much than throws up again and again. It breaks my heart. He he just a puppy he's 5 and 1/2 months old. I got him a carrier for 16 llbs dogs but it seems to be too small! Even though he's only 7-8 llbs.( He's tall I think)He hates going in the car now and I don't know what to do! I need help please! Any ideas?

[@DogsThat]

Hi! We'd love for you to follow the steps in the video and let us know how you and your pup do!

[@cristinapavan8545]

About the water podcast, can you please add something about the way to getting the dog used to the home pool? We bought one last year to cool him down in the summer but he refuses to go in it. He seems scared of it but when we are out on our walks he jumps in every deep puddle!

[@sylviagerritsen7975]

I have been driving very carefully one kilometre for three years so she can visit her friends for belly rubs and bark at the duckies. She still hates the car. She mostly doesn’t get car sick anymore but she is always anxious and wants to sit on the floor only, I figure it’s the low centre of gravity for her. I feel really bad for her. Unfortunately I still get car sick. They told me when I grow up and can drive myself I won’t get carsick anymore. I’m still waiting to grow up, I’m 61.

[@Kate98755]

i had her travel crate in her play pen for almost 2 months so she’d get used to sleeping in it…and still she throws up. she’s 6 months old

[@mannycalavera2335]

My pup gets really bad car sickness. I am not sure whether I should start desensitizing and building positive associations, or whether I should wait until he actually gets less carsick.

[@burnisheddragon]

Susan - what would your recommend for a dog will not go into a truck. I have no problem getting her into my suv, but she refuses to go into my husband's truck. He wants to take her on adventures. Also when we make the move across country she will have to be in that truck, along with our other dog who does get car sick and our cats

[@lenaefalcone1219]

Like Davy Jones

[@syrensilly]

I have an aussie lab mix that hasn't outfrown it....I can't even get him NEAR the car. He sees the car, he will break his nice heel to go as far away on lead away from the car. I've tried even looking at it from across the yard..no dice....HELP!

[@caminocutie1]

My 5 month old puppy doesn’t ride in the crate because it upset her . She crates at home no problem. She isn’t consistent on when she is going to vomit. Short car rides are ok. I’m going on a trip at Christmas so her vet gave me pills .

[@jarkaz.8763]

Susan, pleeease, tell Gunner to ship to Europe :-)

[@RickHawkDavison]

My year old Doberman hates the car, vomits or goes into depressed sleep, even bring her sister who is fine, toys, rawhides still looks miserable. Would baby gravol be acceptable?

[@rayellwilhite5464]

Omg I have tried every thing. Now he will happily get in the car but still gets sick. Even just sitting still in the car makes him sick: Short trips Games Booster seat Dog carriers Letting the window down Tuning off the music Not feeding him Medications Cannibus Calmly treats The ONLY reasn he will get the n the car is he knows I’m am taking him walking to the parks

[@kajaandzulli5836]

Love your podcasts, but recently possibly understandably This! Has caused a lot of emphasis on puppies. How about a series on behaviour problems with older dogs especially rescues, with an unknown and often traumatic past history. My rescue Zulli is terrified of the vet, any medical intervention, she had tetanus just prior to my rescue, lots of podding and probing, and she’s terrified of flies, buzz or touching her, just freaks out and hides under anything. Otherwise she’s a friendly well balanced dog. Perhaps something on unpredictable behaviours, or is that too vague?

[@dortenielsen8253]

CER means … ?

[@MissBelleABall]

Conditioned Emotional Response

[@sassysandie2865]

The couple wearing the masks😩😂🤡😜