Hi
Tried a search with problems with dogs and cars and it came up with nothing. I have a Ford Focus Saloon and have traveled with the dog using a harness attached to the seat belt system.

When I put the dog in the car and secure him with his harness to the seat belt system, he is quite jumpy. After driving off he will then whine his head off and sometimes will eventually settle down but this doesn't last long.

When I want to get him out of the car, opening the door gets him so excited that he tries to jump out with the seat belt still attached. I even sat in the back of the car today and he still done it and managed to jump over me and got out into a car park.

He does have other behavioral problems like SA, jumping up at people etc...in the next few days I will be traveling home from South Wales to West Lancashire so I'm going to have to suffer him whining all the way back and I will need to stop to let him out for the toilet so if you have any suggestions then please reply.

Thanks.

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I know exactly how it can be when they decide: Right, we're here! let's get out now. You need to teach him a good stay, really, a hand up, palm toward the dog and firm "stay". Once he knows he is getting out once you have his seatbelt off, he should be ok but it will take time. The main consideration is if you were involved in an accident - you don't want the dog getting scared and possibly running off.

As to the whining, does he perhaps get car sick? It could be a consideration that he feels a bit queasy. Some people do without actually throwing up. Perhaps you should ask your vet for some car sickness pills and also some sort of mild tranquilizer if you are going on a long journey.

Sorry I can't be more help.

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How long has this behavioru been going on?

TBH I am strugging to understand how a dog that is correctly restrained in a car with a suitable harness and belt can get out of the car?

Surely this means that your system is useless in the event of an accident?

Have you had someone show you how to correctly fit the harness and belt?

Training impulse control is simple, no signs or words are needed.

Dogs do what works

Door opens = dog tries to jump put = close door

Door opens = dog remains where it is = door remains open

It is all about teaching a dog cause and effect.

You attach a lead to the dog so that it is impossible for the dog to leave the car without you.

Jumping up at people - is this on or off the lead?

If off the lead then this is a recall problem, not a jumping problem.

If on the lead, again teach the dog what works.

4 paws on floor = what the dog wants

2 paws on floor = nothing.

SA this is an often overused and abused term, what do you mean by SA, who diagnosed it, what is the behaviour.

As for the whining, you need to establish the cause, is it travel sickness or just attention seeking?

Some dogs do better travelling in a crate (you can get soft ones for saloons) so they cannot see outside.

I have it lucky with our 14 month old - we did a Germany - N.Wales round trip over Xmas (up to 11hrs drive) and apart from the commotion when needing to be fed his tea or needing a water/toilet stop (which we offered frequently) we are very lucky to have a dog that will travel quietly and very well.

Make sure he's had a damn good walk before he travels. It may be inconvenient when you're tying to prepare to travel BUT it pays dividends. We had the whining when he was nervous (as a pup) but nothing now....he also used to be sick when v. young but again nothing now. This is mainly due to taking him out very regularly and getting over any fears or nervousness.

We used treats (and still sometimes have to) to make him get in and generally being calm in your nature and not rushing him in or pulling him in goes a long way in moving the brain forward in order to do it of his own accord.

He must be calm when it's time to come out of the car and we always use the "wait" and big hand STOP signal as ours would also be out of the back of the estate before we'd be ready.....so definitely something that needs to be addressed before you're put into a worrying/dangerous situation.

Anyway that is fairly easy to accomplish - so good luck when your journey time comes around and hope all goes smoothly

The other point is it always good to take your time once you have stopped and not let the dog think that as soon as the car stops he needs to get ready to jump out.

the SEAT-BELT must be a 'fixed length', not one that unreels to allow movement.

if there is no fixed-length seat belt, secure the harness to a solidly-welded POINT -
a seat latch/lock, cargo clip, the ring that the seatbelt secures into, etc.

if there IS NO solidly-welded ring or lock that connects to the car-frame,
then invest in a SHIPPING a-k-a airline crate; U can buy one used, the dog only needs to enter,
U-turn & exit ---- that's the TEST FOR SIZE, if the dog can enter, U-Turn, & exit, it's large-enuf.
if s/he cannot, it's too small.

U can often buy a used shipping-crate for half the price new;, once someone has housetrained their pup,
they often re-sell the crate.
I'd check Gumtree, CraigsList, etc, for used airline crates; MEASURE the dog's shoulder height
[standing on a hard floor or sidewalk, from ground to level with the withers / shoulders];
add 2 to 4-inches to get a HEIGHT that matches a standard crate...

or go to a pet-supply store, & ask if Ur dog can try a few demo-models to find the apropos size,
& note WHICH size shipping-crate is the smallest one that he can enter, U-Turn, & exit from.
write down the L x H x W dimensions of that standard crate, then look for a used one in that size.

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terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, TDF
*wolves R wolves, dogs R dogs, + primates R us.*
tmp, sept-2007

This is exactly what we did with Rupert and the car. And the front door and garden gate for that matter. If he moved towards it without being given permission it got closed. Or as was the case in the beginning my hand moved away from the door.

Hi
I have only owned him for just over a month and he came with a number of behavioural problems that the previous owners kept to themselves as they were desperate to get rid of him.

He managed to jump over me and get out because I unclipped the harness from the seat belt system first and kept hold of the dog lead. I thought if I could release him from the seat belt then that would not restrict him too much and hence calm him down whilst I got out. Obviously wrong there.

I have tried to attach the lead on other occassions whilst I was outside of the car and as soon as the door is opened he makes a bee line for it whether he is attached to the harness/seat belt or not. I have had to physically hold him in and put the lead on and that is hard work. He basically wants to get out but the way he is doing it is going to injure himself or other people.

Since having him, I have not been able to do anything without him following me all the time and I might of just moved were I'm sitting. He cries and whimpers when I'm not in sight, he wee's or poo's indoors when I'm out of sight or go out. So far I haven't been away too long were he starts to wreck my flat, I think that will be the last straw.

I'm staying at my mother's at the moment, well over the christmas and new year period and he has started to do the same with my mother and step father. Todays antics in the car was seeing my mother and step father going into a shop and therefore out of sight even though I'm there. My mother got out of the car to go into the Dr's and he whined, whimpered and then started to bark and I was with him in the back of the car.

When they did appear he made a bolt for them and dragging me with him as he is too strong, then he started to jump all over them and was uncontrollable. My step father managed to calm him down but he does this everytime with other people and doesn't seem to learn.

You have probably have seen or even replied to some other posts I have on here about his behaviour and I'm trying to make headway but it is getting me very frustrated and stressed out.

Thanks for taking the time to read and reply.

The harness has a lead that securely fits into the ring that the seatbelt secures into.

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NILIF is very helpful -
make SIT the coin of the realm for every WANT & every NEED.
the dog must SIT to get every want or need met: to get the food-bowl to the floor, to get the door to open
so that he can ENTER or EXIT the house [or car, or bedroom, or ...], etc.

SIT - for everything, anywhere, everywhere, all the time.

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terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, TDF
*wolves R wolves, dogs R dogs, + primates R us.*
tmp, sept-2007

Sounds to me as though you need professional help and you are in way over your head.

Have you asked your vet for a referral to a reputable behaviourist?