Fear of travelling in the car is a common problem experienced by many puppies and dogs. The motion of being in a car often causes the puppy to be sick, and sometimes being ill may be the negative experience that causes a fear of travelling.
Taking small steps to teach the puppy to travel in the car can be a good experience by using treats and praise when the puppy is relaxed. Start off in a stationary car, then move on to a quick 5-minute trip and so on. Doing this is going to be important if you want to take your puppy on road trips, or to have a good experience of going to the vet or even just the beach. In your car travel you want to teach your puppy that when they are calm and relaxed they get praise and attention, when they are unsettled they get ignored.
To prevent sickness with car travel, try not feeding or letting your puppy have a drink about an hour, or half an hour before travelling. Puppies tend to grow out of car sickness quickly, if you’re having continuous problems contact us for help.
A good restraint can also help those with anxiety. More importantly for your and your puppy’s safety. Start getting your puppy used from a young age to a restraint, whether it is a travel crate or a correctly fitted harness.