Doggy Car Phobia? - MyCorgi.com2024-03-29T13:33:36Zhttp://mycorgi.com/forum/topics/doggy-car-phobia?commentId=1150197%3AComment%3A1974445&xg_source=activity&feed=yes&xn_auth=noWe later learned, when the ve…tag:mycorgi.com,2017-12-08:1150197:Comment:19747342017-12-08T14:52:16.019ZVicky Hayhttp://mycorgi.com/profile/VickyHay
<p>We later learned, when the vets at the 24-hour hospital X-rayed every square inch of his body, that Charley had several ruptured disks in his back. These could have been like that before the event, or he could have injured his back when he fell out of the car. I suspect the latter...that would help explain why he couldn't stand up, and why he was kind of lame for a long time after he recovered enough to go home.</p>
<p>The country vet in Snowflake did think he had permanent neurological…</p>
<p>We later learned, when the vets at the 24-hour hospital X-rayed every square inch of his body, that Charley had several ruptured disks in his back. These could have been like that before the event, or he could have injured his back when he fell out of the car. I suspect the latter...that would help explain why he couldn't stand up, and why he was kind of lame for a long time after he recovered enough to go home.</p>
<p>The country vet in Snowflake did think he had permanent neurological damage, but as time has passed, he seems to be getting over it. He still can't walk a long distance without pooping out, but he seems to be slowly recovering his strength.</p>
<p></p> Thanks! Will tell my son abou…tag:mycorgi.com,2017-12-08:1150197:Comment:19744452017-12-08T14:48:59.211ZVicky Hayhttp://mycorgi.com/profile/VickyHay
<p>Thanks! Will tell my son about the dog treat strategy.</p>
<p>A vet plus some of my readers at Funny about Money suggested a Thunder Shirt, which is a tight-fitting jacket that supposedly soothes a nervous animal. He hasn't tried that yet...I think he's now as scared to put Charley into the car as Charley is to go in there!</p>
<p>Thanks! Will tell my son about the dog treat strategy.</p>
<p>A vet plus some of my readers at Funny about Money suggested a Thunder Shirt, which is a tight-fitting jacket that supposedly soothes a nervous animal. He hasn't tried that yet...I think he's now as scared to put Charley into the car as Charley is to go in there!</p> I'm so sorry that Charlie and…tag:mycorgi.com,2017-12-07:1150197:Comment:19745272017-12-07T03:20:00.234ZLindahttp://mycorgi.com/profile/LindaFeldbin
<p>I'm so sorry that Charlie and you son had to go thru this. Completely frightening. Sounds like he suffered some brain damage similar to distemper where the body temp gets so high. Poor baby.</p>
<p>Brady is not fond of riding in cars. When we brought home that first trip it was about 3 hours. We had him in a travel crate because we had both Max and Katie with us (so they could meet him) and the last thing we wanted to happen was a 3 dog fight on the Mass Pike in the back of my SUV. He…</p>
<p>I'm so sorry that Charlie and you son had to go thru this. Completely frightening. Sounds like he suffered some brain damage similar to distemper where the body temp gets so high. Poor baby.</p>
<p>Brady is not fond of riding in cars. When we brought home that first trip it was about 3 hours. We had him in a travel crate because we had both Max and Katie with us (so they could meet him) and the last thing we wanted to happen was a 3 dog fight on the Mass Pike in the back of my SUV. He didn't struggle when Mark picked him up to put him in the crate in the car. When I took him to our vet for a once over I had a horrible time getting him in the car and it was like that each time. We took him for a 3 hour trip along with Max and Katie and it was hard getting him in and he was stressed the whole trip. Trying to get him the back of the car on the way home was like a comedy show. He sat down and planted his front paws in the dirt which is a funny site for a low rider corgi. We used treats to get him up to the car so Mark could pick him up and put him inside the back. Now I can willingly get him in the back seat of the car (on trips with 3 of them we put them in the back but I can't lift them that high when it's just me). He still doesn't like to ride but he has calmed down and he is most willing to get in if he sees a treat.</p> Poor Charley! It's not hard…tag:mycorgi.com,2017-12-06:1150197:Comment:19744272017-12-06T15:07:54.400ZBethhttp://mycorgi.com/profile/Beth306
<p>Poor Charley! It's not hard to imagine extreme fear causing over-heating, especially the way dogs express fear (panting, pacing--- that's a lot of physical activity).</p>
<p>As for Cassie, it sounds like she is still at the stage where counter-conditioning can help her out. I am quite sure she picked up on Charley's fear. She knows he's afraid, she doesn't know why, but it seems to be something about the CAR and so maybe there is something scary. Dogs are social animals and so they…</p>
<p>Poor Charley! It's not hard to imagine extreme fear causing over-heating, especially the way dogs express fear (panting, pacing--- that's a lot of physical activity).</p>
<p>As for Cassie, it sounds like she is still at the stage where counter-conditioning can help her out. I am quite sure she picked up on Charley's fear. She knows he's afraid, she doesn't know why, but it seems to be something about the CAR and so maybe there is something scary. Dogs are social animals and so they readily pick up on each other's fears and excitements; we use that to our advantage when we have a trained dog and use it to help teach a new dog something like recall or ball-chasing.</p>
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<p>So for Cassie, I would suggest some version of this:</p>
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<p>Get some really tiny extra -yummy treats (cooked real chicken, lean beef, a bit of bacon, some cut-up human cheese, whatever). Get her excited about the treats FIRST but don't give her any. Take her out to the car while keeping her focused on the treats. Load her in, leave the car parked, feed a dozen or so of the treats while praising her to the high heavens, unload her and go about your day. Lather, rinse, repeat. After a couple of successful sessions, lengthen the time she sits in the car and lengthen the interval between treats. </p>
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<p>Then load her, start the car, leave it running but not moving, and do the same.</p>
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<p>Then move on to very short trips (think around the block). If you can't enlist a helper to drive the car, you can give her a treat she can focus on herself (spread a bit of peanut butter in the bottom of a small tupperware container or give her a loaded Kong or something). </p>
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<p>Increase your trips, decrease your rewards. You might also add some ginger (in case she's motion sick) and try one of those calming sprays; they do help some dogs. I personally would not want to use one of the calming collars in a car in case it got hung up on something and caused panic.</p>
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<p>Instead of food, you can use the car to give her a new squeaky toy or something too. </p>
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<p>They can try the same program with Charley but his fear is so extreme he may not accept food at all. </p>
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<p>As an aside, the best way to solve a phobia is to prevent it and when Jack was a puppy, his first car ride was leaving home and his second was the vet so we made sure we took him on short trips to fun places as soon as he had his shots. We literally put him in the car and drove three blocks to the other side of the park by our house, for instance. For many dogs, most car trips are for bad things and many get motion sick besides, so it can be a source of anxiety. </p> Poor guys! that sounds scary,…tag:mycorgi.com,2017-12-05:1150197:Comment:19741652017-12-05T04:52:08.355ZRebecca Marie O'Bryanhttp://mycorgi.com/profile/rebeccamarieeschenburg
<p>Poor guys! that sounds scary, what a way to start a trip :( im sorry this happened to you! I have not experienced something this severe but my cat Yoda would pant, drool, and cry when riding in a car. I ended up putting him in a bigger crate than the carry crates, and put a blanket over the kennel. after some time he would calm down so i could take the cover off.</p>
<p>is this something that your son can try with Charley? a crate with a cover over it? maybe have a passenger give treats to…</p>
<p>Poor guys! that sounds scary, what a way to start a trip :( im sorry this happened to you! I have not experienced something this severe but my cat Yoda would pant, drool, and cry when riding in a car. I ended up putting him in a bigger crate than the carry crates, and put a blanket over the kennel. after some time he would calm down so i could take the cover off.</p>
<p>is this something that your son can try with Charley? a crate with a cover over it? maybe have a passenger give treats to him during the car ride?</p>
<p>if he was a bit smaller i would suggest wrapping him in a blanket and carry him to the car and unwrap him once he was inside with some treats</p>
<p>has he always been like this? </p>