Travelling in the car
Being in a car is not a natural experience for a young puppy so it is important to acclimatise them slowly.
Positive associationsHelp puppy learn that the car is a fun place to be. You could consider feeding their meals in the car or giving them tasty treats/chews.- Engine onTo begin it can be helpful to teach puppy to enjoy spending time in the car with the engine off. Only once they are truly relaxed and happy should you introduce the sound of the engine (which may worry some puppies).
- Short journeysBegin by taking your puppy on small journeys at first. Try to take them somewhere every day during the first few months, even though you may not always take them out of the car until you get back home.
- Gradually increase durationAs they get more comfortable, increase the length of the car journeys and ensure they regularly result in visiting fun places e.g. a trip to the park or the beach. This will help continue to build positive associations and they will soon get used to car travel and accept it as a necessary part of life.
Top tips for successful travel
When travelling by car to puppy training classes, allow an extra 15 minutes to arrive and allow your puppy to relax and go to the toilet. An anxious puppy that comes straight out of the car into the lesson will not be able to learn and is likely to need to relieve itself before it can concentrate.
Place your puppy somewhere in the car where they will be safe and where their movement will be restricted so that they does not learn to jump around and distract the driver.
Provide a soft, non-slip, absorbent bedding for the journey. If your puppy is to travel on the seat, use a car harness so that they cannot fall off. Good use can be made of a travel cage to ensure they remain safe, but get them used to being confined in it at home first, and make sure it is big enough for them to stand up, turn around and lie down, changing the size if necessary as they grow.
Close doors carefully without slamming and don’t start the car until the puppy is closed inside as the exhaust can be frightening and unpleasant.Remember that your puppy cannot see where the car is going, is not supported by a seat, and cannot predict when the next corner will be coming up. Corners and bends cause the car to move unpredictably from your puppy’s point of view. Take corners, bumps, and rumble strips at a slow speed and accelerate/decelerate smoothly.
How can your Puppy School Tutor help?
This topic is not specifically taught on the Puppy School syllabus. But if you are experiencing issues with car travel and your puppy, please speak to your tutor to find out how they can help you further.
In some cases they may recommend a home visit to provide additional 121 support and guidance for you, your family and your puppy.
Need more help?
There are a number of problematic car travel behaviours that may occur for other reasons. Dogs may bark in excitement and frustration in anticipation of a fun walk, they may become destructive if they can see cars whiz past they would like to chase, they may bark to get attention from their owner or they may vomit due to motion sickness.
In these cases it is best to seek professional help fast. In some cases your tutor may refer you to your veterinary surgeon for additional help (e.g. motion sickness) or they will help you find an Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC) registered Clinical Animal Behaviourist when further behavioural advice and support is needed.
Testimonials
What Clients say
about Puppy School
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“Definitely a great basis for puppy training and we will be attending more classes. Also liked the fact it was a small class.”— Jeff
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“It was a small class of 4 puppies which was perfect. Caroline was always in control but the class was relaxed and most of all the puppies had fun. I enjoyed every week and the manual reflected the practice each week so we could practice at home. I genuinely felt sad when it came to an end after 6 weeks. I will absolutely recommend this class.”— Mark
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“This course was fantastic. Jenny the trainer has a wealth of knowledge. Extremely approachable, and gave sound advice to our queries. She really knows her stuff. The groups size was just perfect, which meant each pup was not overwhelmed. I would recommend the course and definitely recommend Jenny. She was brilliant.”— June
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“Big compliments to Claire! The way she just understands the dogs and being able to explain that has been a game changer. Her knowledge and expertise makes her a great puppy/dog trainer. I am already recommending Claire to everyone! She loves what she does and that shows. Would recommend to everyone with a puppy :)”— Emily
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“We attended puppy school with our American bully puppy coco, we had already had a terrible experience with another school who made us feel tidally uncomfortable and unwelcome with our puppy. Puppy school Hollywood could not have been more different, Sarah was a fantastic tutor and a real supporter of Coco, encouraging us when the muzzle made exercises that bit more tricky and thinking up modifications so Coco was never left out. We were introduced to the class and the explanation of why Coco was wearing a muzzle was done in a way that we didn’t feel in any way uncomfortable and the other puppy parents were reassured. Thank you so much for giving our very restricted puppy the opportunity to be ‘normal’, I can’t articulate what an impact it had.”— Frances