Today, we’re looking at how you can go from this…
This situation could easily result in a traffic accident (Photo: two cars drive alongside each other with the windows rolled down. The dogs in either car are looking at each other. One of the dogs is on the driver’s lap and his front legs are braced against the outside of the car.)
to this!
Calm Cruising (Photo of a man driving a convertible with two calm dogs)
You pull up to the traffic light holding your breath. There’s two German Shepherds hanging their heads out the window right beside you — and your dog, who is a perfect sweetheart at home, is lunging toward them with her hackles up. She’s not barking, so much as yelping. It’s a sound that could curdle milk. Her claws are scratching everything they come into contact with, including your bare arms as you attempt to remove her from your lap.
What adds to your upsetting moment is that the German Shepherds don’t even respond. How are they so well trained? you wonder.
What is their secret? (Photo: Man in truck pets a calm German Shepherd)
The light is green and you’re distracted. The person behind you honks. How are you going to survive this all the way up to the cottage?
Some families opt to leave their dog at home and never drive them anywhere. They head off to the cottage and kennel their dog.
Some families give the dog back to the shelter, claiming that the dog barks all the time and “isn’t smart.”
Some families head to their veterinarian and purchase sedatives for their dog.
There’s a better, more humane answer — car training. It’s a thing. It’s my thing. Car training is totally unique. It helps your unique dog and your unique family to LOVE going road tripping together.
It’s never too late to help your dog become the dog you always wanted. (Photo: brown and white terrier sits in a yellow convertible.)
Here are a couple of tips to get you started on the path to quiet car rides:
Exercise, exercise, exercise — Always begin with exercise. Dogs who are not exercised will expend their energy in ways you don’t like — that’s barking in the car, racing back and forth overtop of the kids in the back seat, and whining nonstop. Take a long walk with your dog before you get in the car. If your dog likes fetch, play fetch beforehand too. If they drink a lot of water, be sure to wait awhile to allow them a chance to pee — especially if you’re about to head out on the highway where there aren’t a lot of pitstops.
Make time to exercise your dog before you go on a long car ride (Photo of a Bull Terrier running through a field.)
2. Practice — Just like an athlete practices all week before the big game, you need to teach your dog to love the car. Think of these sessions as practices. Start with short car rides, before expecting your dog to be able to handle four hours on the 401.
3. Calmness — I say this all the time because it’s so important. If you are not calm, your dog won’t be calm. Everyone in the car needs to be calm. If you’re yelling at traffic the whole way to your destination, why shouldn’t your dog be able to yell at people (and dogs) in other cars too?
Recently, I had the opportunity to work with a beautiful rescue dog named Cooper. I worked with him and his owners on polite door greetings and leash manners and later on, one-on-one with Cooper. His neighbourhood walks soon included a lot more heeling and a lot less cat and squirrel chasing.
Although his behaviour was greatly improved in his own neighbourhood, his owners were struggling to get Cooper to pay attention to them in new places. It seemed that his listening ears simply fell off every time they were in a new park or on a new trail. I was so happy to begin working with him in new environments.
I picked up Cooper and went through all of our usual steps. I made sure we were both calm while putting on the leash, before leaving the apartment building, and while walking to my car.
We drove to a new park and enjoyed a lovely walk.
Cooper being calm in the car. (Photo: Alyssa Foulkes of Beyond Dog Training with Cooper in the backseat of her car.)
When I showed the clients the pictures I took, they were amazed. “He was sitting down in your car?” they asked. “Sitting? While you were driving?”
That’s when I learned that Cooper is usually anxious in the car on the way to new parks and trails. He would usually whine and stand during car rides.
I shared all of my car tips with them and the very next day, received this excited text:
“Sitting!! The whole drive!!”
It came with the picture below:
Success!!! (Photo: My client in her car with Cooper sitting calmly on the backseat.)
Nothing makes my day brighter than client updates like this one!
I hope these tips help you on your path to quiet car rides. It’s never too late for your dog to become the dog of your dreams!
Have a peaceful week, Dog Leaders!
Alyssa
Photos by: Jane Grafton (two cars passing each other with the windows rolled down and the dogs looking at each other,)Jim Merithew (man with two dogs in convertible,) adrian (man in a truck petting his German Shepherd,) NICHOLAS BYRNE (brown and white terrier sits in a yellow convertible,) William Nettmann (Bull Terrier running in a field,) Alyssa Foulkes (selfie with Cooper in the car,) and Cori Sears (selfie with Cooper in the car.)