Having a dog get sick in your in your car is a very irritating, frustrating and also a messy experience.
Dogs are very much the same as humans in this respect.
Some people never have motion sickness with any form of travel; others start feeling nauseous the moment they get into a car or step on board a boat.
Some dogs take a car trip in their stride and in fact get very excited when they with you in your car.
Others dogs start getting sick even after you have travelled only a few miles.
The initial car trip for a sensitive animal can be somewhat traumatic and it is best to introduce him to the idea of car travel gradually.
When you introduce your dog for his first car trip make sure that you have not fed him for a few hours.
Another good idea is to have the dog sit in the front of the car with you, without travelling at all, while you are in your driveway.
Next, go to an area away from traffic where it will be easy to stop suddenly.
If the dog shows any sign of being sick stop the car immediately and take him out for a short walk.
It's a good idea to have a leash and collar on the dog while he is in the car so that you won't have to act very quickly to put his collar and leash on him when you suddenly have to stop and take him out.
It's very easy to spot.
the signs of a dog starting to get sick.
There is a sort of coughing sound and a slight heaving.
It's a good plan to have a sheet of plastic on the car seat in case you are a little slow in getting the dog out of the car in time.
This can be of great help in cleaning the car afterwards.
It's also a good idea to have a collar and leash on the dog so that you don't have to fiddle the last moment to get the dog out the car.
You'll soon find that the dog loves the car because it is an indication that he is going out with you.
Because the dog's first introduction to the car ride was to sit in front with you, there may be a tendency for the dog to want to sit in front all the time.
Obviously this has to be curbed and it can done quite easily.
A simple, but firm command "Get to the back" combined with a hand signal where you want him to sit will soon do the trick.
One often sees a dog in the back seat of a car with its head out of the window.
The dog is obviously enjoying the ride, but this is not a safe plan as the dog could easily be hurt in this way.
Also there is a definite possibility that it might get a foreign, irritating object in its eyes.
There is one training aspect that you should keep in mind with regard to training a dog to get ing used to riding in the car with you.
The dog must get used to the idea of waiting until you get out of the car fist before he is allowed to get out.
When you stop and get out of your car - whether it is a temporary stop at a supermarket or your final stop when you return home - always give the dog a firm "Stay" or "Wait" command.
The "Wait" command is preferable.
Dogs in training soon recognize the difference between the two commands.
"Stay", given in a firm, definite tone of voice means the dog must stay until you return - as in the case of the Obedience test when the dog is obliged to remain in the Stay position for at least ten minutes.
"Wait" is an indication to the dog that it is a temporary stay and quite soon he can expect to be followed by another command.
It could be dangerous for a dog to jump out of a car as soon as it stops - dangerous for the dog itself if it were to jump out it the face of oncoming traffic.
It can also be dangerous for any small children, who might happen to be close to the car when an excited large dog suddenly jumps out of the car and knocks them over.
Dogs are very much the same as humans in this respect.
Some people never have motion sickness with any form of travel; others start feeling nauseous the moment they get into a car or step on board a boat.
Some dogs take a car trip in their stride and in fact get very excited when they with you in your car.
Others dogs start getting sick even after you have travelled only a few miles.
The initial car trip for a sensitive animal can be somewhat traumatic and it is best to introduce him to the idea of car travel gradually.
When you introduce your dog for his first car trip make sure that you have not fed him for a few hours.
Another good idea is to have the dog sit in the front of the car with you, without travelling at all, while you are in your driveway.
Next, go to an area away from traffic where it will be easy to stop suddenly.
If the dog shows any sign of being sick stop the car immediately and take him out for a short walk.
It's a good idea to have a leash and collar on the dog while he is in the car so that you won't have to act very quickly to put his collar and leash on him when you suddenly have to stop and take him out.
It's very easy to spot.
the signs of a dog starting to get sick.
There is a sort of coughing sound and a slight heaving.
It's a good plan to have a sheet of plastic on the car seat in case you are a little slow in getting the dog out of the car in time.
This can be of great help in cleaning the car afterwards.
It's also a good idea to have a collar and leash on the dog so that you don't have to fiddle the last moment to get the dog out the car.
You'll soon find that the dog loves the car because it is an indication that he is going out with you.
Because the dog's first introduction to the car ride was to sit in front with you, there may be a tendency for the dog to want to sit in front all the time.
Obviously this has to be curbed and it can done quite easily.
A simple, but firm command "Get to the back" combined with a hand signal where you want him to sit will soon do the trick.
One often sees a dog in the back seat of a car with its head out of the window.
The dog is obviously enjoying the ride, but this is not a safe plan as the dog could easily be hurt in this way.
Also there is a definite possibility that it might get a foreign, irritating object in its eyes.
There is one training aspect that you should keep in mind with regard to training a dog to get ing used to riding in the car with you.
The dog must get used to the idea of waiting until you get out of the car fist before he is allowed to get out.
When you stop and get out of your car - whether it is a temporary stop at a supermarket or your final stop when you return home - always give the dog a firm "Stay" or "Wait" command.
The "Wait" command is preferable.
Dogs in training soon recognize the difference between the two commands.
"Stay", given in a firm, definite tone of voice means the dog must stay until you return - as in the case of the Obedience test when the dog is obliged to remain in the Stay position for at least ten minutes.
"Wait" is an indication to the dog that it is a temporary stay and quite soon he can expect to be followed by another command.
It could be dangerous for a dog to jump out of a car as soon as it stops - dangerous for the dog itself if it were to jump out it the face of oncoming traffic.
It can also be dangerous for any small children, who might happen to be close to the car when an excited large dog suddenly jumps out of the car and knocks them over.