Step-by-Step Guide To Stop Car Sickness - Dog Training Video

Car sickness is a very common issue with dogs and puppies. Vehicles moving at fast speeds, the environment blurring past them. It can be very disorienting for dogs, so in this video we're going over how to train your dog to be okay with car rides.

As you can see, in the beginning, we're not actually going anywhere. We're practicing simply being around the car. Once he's comfortable with that, then we progress to actually getting in the car. Again, we're not going anywhere. We just sit there, reward him for hanging out calmly, and then get out and do it again.

This is important for Copper because, prior to getting in the car, he LOOKS relaxed, so it's easy to assume he is and just get in the car. But when we first started these exercises, he actually put a little resistance on the leash for a moment, and his body language shifted. It was short-lived, but it showed us how he REALLY feels about the car. And then, once we were in the car, within a few minutes he was pacing and whining, which further illustrated that he wasn't calm to begin with, despite looking like it.

So we practiced just getting in and out of the car until IT BECAME BORING. That's the key: We're breaking the car ride into its smallest elements, and we're practicing each of those elements separately until he finds them boring and is no longer nervous. Then we practice just sitting in the car until THAT becomes boring. You'll note that we're still not going anywhere. We want him to realize that, just because we're next to the car doesn't mean we're going in, and just because we're in the car doesn't mean we're turning it on, and so on. We want to show him the excitement and anxiety that he feels (which is what causes his car sickness) isn't necessary. Which also means that, during this process, I want to be as calm and quiet as possible, so he has a chance to work through his feelings. This is how we teach them to regulate their own emotions. 🐶❤