Routines, Structure & the Importance of Consistency

I realize that I am always talking about the importance of schedules, routines, and structure when it comes to raising happy, well-adjusted dogs. Clearly there is data that supports this: Dogs truly thrive on structure, experiencing less stress and anxiety, and feeling more secure, when their worlds are predictable.  Sudden changes to their routine can result in anxiety that leads to inappropriate behavior and a decreased ability to learn.  Just like regular feeding times promote good digestion, regularly scheduled exercise results in a more physically fit dog and likely one who is less destructive than a sedentary counterpart. In addition to physical exercise, training your dog consistently using positive reinforcement methodologies results in dogs with lower levels of stress hormones like cortisol. When we have a routine, and we share that routine with our dogs, we are enhancing our bond with them by making ourselves appear more trustworthy and reliable. 

All that being said, what are you supposed to do when that schedule changes, or the routine gets disrupted?  It can happen to any of us and being prepared in advance for those schedule upheavals (when possible) makes all the difference to our dogs, particularly if we can introduce those changes gradually.  As the days get shorter, and it's dark in the morning when you awaken and dark by the time you get home from work, you may find yourself having to adjust the time you walk your dog, the route you take, or even move from two walks every day to just one. In this example, you'd want to choose just one thing to change, perhaps just changing the time of day you walk your dog.  You can do that change as gradually as possible, adjusting by a handful of minutes each day over the course of a couple of weeks to switch them over with less upheaval.  Or, if you are changing where you walk your dog, take them to that new place AFTER you've already completed their regular walk so it's a bonus for them.  Gradually begin shortening the usual walk and extending the time of the walk in the new location. I think the hardest change for dogs is going from multiple walks a day down to just one.  If your schedule has changed, making it hard to walk them twice a day, for example, maybe it's worthwhile to hire a dog walker, or enlist the help of a trustworthy preteen or teen in your neighborhood to do the second walk for you.  If it's the fact that the holidays are creeping up on you and your stressed about getting everything done AND walking the dog twice a day is becoming harder to do, then, again, think about getting some help.  I'll also encourage you to remember that those scheduled walks and that exercise aren't just good stress relievers for your dog, they are good for you too.  Maybe carving out that time with your dog is more important than you think!

If you need to change your dog's food, you'll want to make that change gradual so as not to upset their stomachs unnecessarily.  By combining the old food with the new, you can help their bodies to better accept the new diet.  And if you are changing feeding time, definitely do that as gradually as possible as big changes in time are definitely noticed by our canine companions who have very efficient internal clocks. Just remember that if multiple changes need to be made, for example changes to their exercise schedule AND meal time changes, tackle those changes one at a time.  Sweeping changes to everything in their lives will create undue stress for you both.  Remember, too, that mental exercise is just as critical as physical exercise to your dog's well-being.  Break out the snuffle mats and food puzzles to help with those transitions and adjustments you are making to your dog's routine, as well as put some focus every day on fun training exercises like tricks and games.

Let's play devil's advocate for a minute. I think that it's also helpful to stop thinking of changing your dog's routine as strictly something bad and disruptive, but instead think of it as an opportunity to teach your dog to be a bit more adaptable and resilient. Something as simple as not always feeding your dog in a bowl, but switching it up and using a slow feeder for some meals, a puzzle, or a snuffle mat means that your dog is learning to see change not as something to dread and stress about but as something to look forward to for the change of pace and mental challenge. 

Something as simple as this small change at feeding time can result in a dog who is better able to cope with the changes in routines and schedules that invariably happen when you live with humans.  We inadvertently oversleep or choose to sleep in, we change jobs, we move, we acquire spouses, and have kids.  All of these life events upset the routine and structure we've established for our dogs, but they will adapt, as dogs always do.  Dogs are nothing if not resilient creatures.  We just know that we want those changes to be as gradual as possible so that they can understand what's going on, and embrace those changes along with us.

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

My daughter wants Zelly to be a resilient dog, so she's varying her walking route routine, feeding her from puzzles, and working on tricks training daily.  Here's a smiley, happy Zelly mastering the balance-a-treat-on-your-snoot trick!

Choosing To Make Changes

I heard this quote last week and it's really stuck with me: What you don't change, you choose. So simple, and yet, profound.  It really does apply to so many things in our lives; our actions, our reactions, or our lack of action. I think it applies to how we work with our dogs as well, particularly those with behavioral challenges.  If you don't make the changes necessary for your pet to have relief from the behaviors that are making their lives difficult, then you are choosing to have them continue to face those same challenges over and over again. Let's look at a common behavioral problem and how not changing what you do means choosing to have the behavior problem persist long term for your pet.

Let's say your dog doesn't like other dogs.  When you take him out for a walk on leash, he's constantly scanning for other dogs, pulling on the leash, and lunging and barking if he catches sight of another dog. He's dragged you around quite a bit, and you are embarrassed by his behavior. Nonetheless, you walk him twice a day anyway, hating every minute of it, your anxiety peaking from the moment you clip his leash to his prong collar. He's four years old now, but you sheepishly tell me that he "flunked out of puppy class." Why?  Because he'd charge at other puppies, bark the entire class, and you were told he was "overzealous" and lacked impulse control, and you were not invited back to class. So, back to that quote:  What you don't change, you choose.  By not changing your dog's behavior, you are choosing to continue on this path of dreading walks with him.  I know this is hard, but you are making that choice. Want to get a handle on the problem?  Then, let's make some changes.

First, stop walking your dog.  I actually mean that.  Not just stop walking them twice a day. I mean stop walking them altogether.  Give yourselves a break.  Use a flirt pole, a game of fetch, play hide and seek, and use puzzle toys to challenge your dog's brain. Put your dog on leash and walk him around inside your house. I know it's boring, but it's safe!  Make it more fun by creating an obstacle course with your furniture.  This is your grand opportunity to work on all those leash skills everyone talks about.  Loose leash walking is now possible!  And you know what?  Ditch the prong collar.  Use a flat collar or a martingale collar and start retraining your dog to walk nicely on a leash without pain as a reinforcer.  Use treats!  Make it fun by playing a little "red light, green light" with your dog, creating arbitrary stops and sits, as if you were crossing busy streets.  Once your dog walks nicely indoors, move to your yard (if you have one) to practice the same exercises. If you don't have a yard yourself, see if a friend or family member has one you can use, or you can rent one in your area on Sniffspot. Drive your dog to this new location, even if it's close enough to walk there. It's not worth the risk!  Once your dog can do this, you are ready to move back out into the real world. 

Here's what we are going to do together. I'm going to have you purchase a specific harness, a head halter, and a double leash.  I want you to have the right equipment the next time you are out in public with your dog.  Then, you are going to repeat those exercises you did above, walking in your house, walking in your yard or a friend's yard, etc. with the new equipment.  Once you and your dog are comfortable with the new equipment, we are going to meet to walk in an off peak area at an off peak time.  Why?  Because I want you and your dog to be successful and what you don't change, you choose, right?  I'm going to show you how to handle your dog to keep their focus on you, on sniffing, on exploring, etc. and not on any other dogs we might see at a distance.  We will keep our session short and positive, and then you will do these short sessions, off peak times and off peak places, with your dog on your own.  As you gain confidence in your dog's ability to ignore other dogs and listen to you, you can start challenging them a bit.  Just a bit though.  Maybe you adjust your walk time to a busier time of day when others are out with their dogs, OR you choose a busier area to walk, but you don't do both.  You will gradually work your way back to those twice daily walks at times and places that are convenient for you, just not now. Desensitization and counter-conditioning take time and patience.  What you don't change, you choose.  Choose to take the time and make the effort.

Some of you may be asking, "What about drugs for my dog? Can I give him something to make this process go faster?"  I've said it before, but I'll say it again.  There is no magic pill that will fix this.  It's about changing your behavior to help your dog change their behavior. It takes time, and while your dog might need drug therapy for their underlying anxiety, I like to hold off on that until I'm sure that behavioral modification alone won't correct the problem. If your pet's anxiety is keeping them from being able to change their behavior, then of course we will pursue all therapeutic avenues including holistic options such as CBD.  

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

Zelly is now 11 months old!  She will still pull on the leash, on occasion, but not from a place of anxiety, just from a place of LET'S GO!  The Gentle Leader Head Halter (in a stylish pink!) keeps her from pulling and definitely helps her to be a better listener.  I highly recommend head halters for dogs who pull due to excitement (including those who pull to chase squirrels).

You Asked For It!

I'm tickled pink that so many of you reached out to tell me that you enjoyed last week's blog post on the behavioral differences between male and female dogs.  Several of you said it really got you thinking about how you've chosen your own dogs, and that's awesome!  That's what the original book was designed for, and what those of us collecting the data hoped pet owners would achieve by reading the book. Now the downside.  You also told me that finding a copy of the book for yourself is darn near impossible.  Apparently, it's still available in a few libraries around the country (and those on the UC Davis campus, of course!), but the few remaining copies for purchase are available from random booksellers here and there.  None of the larger retail booksellers have copies at all, or if they do, they are ridiculously expensive!  I, too, find it frustrating when I can't find a book I'm looking for because it's out of print.  

So, because you were interested in more from that study and book, I figured this week we could take a closer look at those thirteen behavioral markers we quantified across 56 dog breeds. From the comments I received, it sounds like you are most interested in the specific behavioral scores for those dog breeds, particularly as it relates to the dogs you yourselves own. As I mentioned last week, you aren't going to find Cavaliers, for example, in our study as very few people had them back then, but we did look at a couple of other spaniels which I hope my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel friends will find informative nonetheless, if they pick up the book. What follows are summaries from the data collected and presented in "The Perfect Puppy: How to Choose Your Dog by Its Behavior," by Benjamin & Lynette Hart. 

Let's start with some ground rules.  Of the thirteen behavioral traits we looked at, two traits, excitability and general activity level, were highly predictive, meaning they were reliably helpful in distinguishing between dog breeds. Eight behavioral traits were moderately predictive, meaning they were helpful in distinguishing between breeds, but with fewer marked differences between breeds. These traits were: snapping at children, excessive barking, playfulness, obedience training, watchdog barking, aggression toward other dogs, dominance over owner, and territorial defense.  And the two behavioral traits that were least predictive were destructiveness and ease of housetraining. What that means is that training and the environment play a bigger role in whether a dog is destructive or easier to housetrain.

If you were going to pick your next breed of dog, strictly based on the behavioral characteristic(s) most important to you, you'd want to choose based on at least one of those two highly predictive measures, or a handful of those moderately predictive measures. Conversely, you could start with a breed you think interests you and then look at their scores for those behavioral characteristics you find most important.  

Let's create a hypothetical situation:  You are a parent of young children, and the most important characteristic for you is a dog with a low ranking for snapping at children. You'd like a dog that's playful too, but you're also concerned about the dog being two big for your modest home.  You're worried that if you get a big dog, their exercise requirements might be too high for you to reliably handle.  Exercise requirements fall under general activity level, which also happens to be one of those very predictive behavioral traits. So now, let's see if we can find a dog who ranks low for snapping at kids, is playful, but isn't going to have a high activity level.  Six breeds ranked the lowest for general activity and they were: Basset Hounds, Bloodhounds, Bulldogs, Newfoundlands, Collies, and Saint Bernards.  Of those six breeds, Newfoundlands, Bloodhounds, Basset Hounds, and Collies also ranked lowest for snapping at kids. For playfulness, Bloodhounds, Bulldogs, Basset Hounds, and Saint Bernards all ranked very low.  Newfies were low on playfulness too, but not as low as those just mentioned. But my beloved Collies? They were smack dab in the middle, ranking 5/10 for playfulness.  Now, I know you're thinking I skewed the results to my favorite breed, but really, I didn't!  This is science, after all.  So, for a family with kids,  looking for a dog with a reasonable exercise requirement, and who still wants to play, a Collie could be a good option.  And for those who don't want all the grooming of a rough collie, then a smooth collie might be a better choice. Now, that was indeed, my pitch for collies!

Now, having said all of that, let's say you just don't like Collies; you don't like those long noses all up in your business (something I've heard people actually say!). To that, I'd respond, okay, let's go back to the drawing board and just look at the dog breeds ranked lowest for snapping at kids, putting less emphasis on those other traits.  By just looking at snapping at kids, we find Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers right there with Newfies, Bloodhounds, Basset Hounds, and Collies. No surprise, right?  Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retriever are the quintessential family dogs. Those two breeds also rank high for playfulness and both are pretty close to the same on activity level, with Labradors rating slightly lower than Goldens on how active they are. While I have certainly met dog owners who chose their dogs based on size alone, thinking that smaller size would mean a lower exercise requirement/activity level, clearly from these results, that couldn't be further from the truth!  It would appear that bigger dogs are more manageable from an exercise/activity level perspective alone.  And the bottom line is that those little dog breeds often rank the highest for snapping at kids!  In our study, the snappiest dogs were:  Scotties, Miniature Schnauzers, Westies, Yorkies, Pomeranians, Toy Poodles, Maltese, and Chihuahuas. The largest dog breed with a very high ranking on snapping at kids? The Chow. Enough said.

Ultimately, there is a plethora of combinations of traits you could rank for yourself and then investigate which breed most closely fits your ideal dog.  The bottom line?  Your ideal dog is that one you have right there next to you.  You chose them (hopefully) based on their individual personality, something that they inherited from their parents and that you honed through care, training, and love.

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me. 

Here I am with my first dog, Tosh, a Westie.  Remember what I said above?  Westies rank high for snapping at kids, general activity level and excitability.  They also rank high for watchdog barking and aggression toward other dogs.  They rank relatively high for dominance over their owners as well.  Doesn't sound like a good fit for a family dog, right?  Well, my parents chose Tosh based solely on his size and the obvious "cute factor."  He was a terrific dog and I loved him dearly, but he was a lot for a first dog.  What dog had I asked them for?  A Saint Bernard.  Based on what I outlined above, that would have been a better fit for a family dog, but my mom would have disowned us if we'd come home with a dog that size that drools!

Battle of the Sexes!

I'm definitely going to show my age with that reference in the title for this blog post! Anyone else remember that historic tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973?  If you are too young to remember it, definitely look it up.  It's epic.  Anyway, now that I have your attention, we can move on to this week's blog topic:  Male dogs versus female dogs.

Back in 1988, my graduate school advisor, Benjamin Hart, wrote a book, compiled from data that many of us, his graduate students, collected and analyzed.  The book, "The Perfect Puppy: How to Choose Your Dog by Its Behavior" looked at thirteen behavioral traits and 56 AKC recognized dog breeds.  There is an entire chapter of the book devoted to understanding the differences between male and female dogs, beyond the obvious ones, of course. This was an important chapter as the general consensus at the time among dog owners seemed to be that there was little difference between male and female dogs, it was just about personal preference or availability when you were looking to add a dog to your family.  A handful of us in Ben Hart's lab had dogs of our own and could anecdotally attest to the fact that there were significant behavioral differences between our male and female dogs, unrelated to their spay/neuter status. To this day, I still refer back to much of that research when advising prospective dog owners on what to look for in their next companion dog.  I also use that research to help explain why dog owners have some of the behavioral issues they are having; it's because they chose a male dog...or a female dog.  Gender and breed do intersect, meaning, for example, just because you chose a female Rottweiler, that doesn't mean that she won't be territorial; Rotties rank high for territoriality whether they are male or female, but choosing a female *may* mean slightly less territoriality as compared to males.

When talking about animals, we often refer to something called "sexual dimorphism."  This refers to differences between animals of a particular species based on whether they are male or female. Differences can be anatomical, physiological, or behavioral. Within any given breed, dogs aren't particularly sexually dimorphic in size; while females may be slightly smaller or weigh a bit less than males, the difference is not significant. This also means that a dog's gender isn't readily apparent unless you can see their genitalia.  This is why male collies were so successfully used to play Lassie in the movies and on TV; there isn't a big difference in size between male and female rough coat collies, and that coat hides their genitalia quite well, allowing male dogs to consistently portray the female Lassie. Why were males chosen for the role?  Male collies want to please their owners/handlers.  Female collies are more independent.  Which brings me to my next point: Most animal species, dogs included, are sexually dimorphic with regard to their behavior.

Female dogs tend to be less aggressive overall, particularly when it comes to aggression toward other female dogs; male dogs are more aggressive overall, particularly toward other males. Male dogs engage in more urine marking behavior than female dogs, and they also mount other dogs (and their humans if not corrected for this!) more than female dogs do. So, if you already have a male dog, you might want to consider a female dog if you are going to get a second dog.  You would thus reduce the tendency for aggression by your male dog toward the new dog. If you already have a female dog, you can add either a female or male as your second dog, given the fact that females are less aggressive overall than males. 

For the study on which the book above was based, questions about breeds and breed-specific behaviors were not posed to breeders, or anyone else with a vested interest in promoting any given breed.  Veterinarians and their staff were asked, as were obedience judges, not conformation judges. We asked these folks to comment on the differences between male and female dogs of the breeds represented in the study. With the exception of markers in excitability, these experts polled reported differences between male and female dogs across the board in terms of their behavior. While some of the sex differences were subtle, they were nonetheless statistically significant.  Personally, I think the most significant result of this part of the study was the fact that there were no behavioral traits for which male experts polled differed from female experts polled; our experts were in agreement on the sexually dimorphic behaviors exhibited by dogs!

By now, I hope you are wondering just exactly what behavioral traits male dogs scored higher on than female dogs, regardless of breed, so here they are: Dominance over their owner, aggression toward other dogs, general activity, territorial defense, destructiveness, and playfulness. Dominance over the owner got a score of 70/100 for male dogs, the highest score in the study.  Playfulness, while statistically significant for being higher in males than females, was just 20/100.  There were only three behavioral traits for which female dogs ranked higher than males and they were: obedience training, ease of housetraining, and demand for affection. For obedience training that was a score of 40/100.  And that demand for affection?  Just 20/100.  So, while the experts we polled ranked females higher for demanding attention, there really wasn't a huge difference. For watchdog barking, excessive barking, and general excitability, all the markers we classified under reactivity, there wasn't a big difference between males and females.

So, what does this mean for you, the dog owner, or prospective dog owner?  It means that if you are choosing a purebred dog, you can utilize these behavioral trait differences to your advantage when deciding between a male and female.  For example, lets say you are looking to get a small breed dog.  Generally speaking, the small dog breeds in our study ranked high on snapping at kids, excessive barking, dominance over the owners, and destructiveness.  Given all of that, choosing a female dog would hedge your bets that you'd experience less dominance, for example.  Then, you could narrow down your breed choices and consider a Shih Tzu, perhaps, because they scored mid-range on those traits.  Choosing a female Shih Tzu would hedge your bets even further. 

I really wish the study could be repeated again, looking at additional breeds that we see more commonly now like Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, French Bulldogs, Australian Cattledogs, Pit Bulls, and Border Collies.  We simply didn't see enough of them back in the late 1980's to poll experts on those breeds. Now? Those breeds would absolutely be included due to their over-representation in the dog population.  If you are into Beagles, Pugs, German Shepherds, or Retrievers, however, you'd enjoy perusing this book and seeing how your experiences line up with the results of our study.  It really was fascinating and rather ground-breaking at the time.

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

I've had lots of different dogs over the years, but collies are my favorites. Other than barking, they score low on reactivity, don't dominate their owners, score near perfect tens for obedience training and ease of house training, are low for destruction, and mid-range for playfulness. 

My perfect companion dog, male or female, though these two boys stole my heart.

When Your Dog Is Too Scared To Ride In The Car!

There are many reasons a dog might be afraid to ride in the car.  It could be something as simple as a lack of experience.  I've met several rescue dogs who likely never rode in a vehicle until they were picked up and put in the shelter or sent to a rescue group.  Another very common reason rests in how cars make dogs feel.  Some dogs get nauseous with the movement, the lurching, the stop and go of traffic. Dogs who get car sick start to work themselves up even before they get into the car, anticipating that icky feeling. Many dogs get anxious about the car because the only time they ever go anywhere is when they are on their way to the vet or the groomer, and those situations can (for obvious reasons) be anxiety-provoking. Then, the less common but still observed reason that some dogs are afraid of car rides is that they were in the car during a car accident.  I've treated more than one poor dog who survived a car accident with their owner. Regardless of why a dog is afraid to get in the car, treatment is the same: Slow desensitization, high value rewards, and frequent, very short sessions.  It's a tedious process but well-worth the effort if you yourself live with a dog who avoids car rides like the plague.

What follows will be a basic outline on the desensitization process for car rides.  It is important to note that every dog is different; some may take longer to have success on a given step than others.  Don't get frustrated and don't push too quickly!  You want your dog to be completely comfortable, no signs of anxiety, before moving on to the next step in the process. Don't skip any steps! You may think, "Oh my dog is okay with that, so I'll just move to the next challenge," but resist the urge to do that.  Each step, in and of itself, is important to the bigger picture of a dog who rides comfortably in the car. If your dog is successful immediately at one of the steps, great.  Repeat the step once more, and then move on.  We refer to this as proofing. In terms of equipment, all you need are a decent quantity of very small, but very high value treats, and your dog on the leash and collar (or harness) you use for walks.

Here are the steps:

1.  Walk your dog out to your garage (keep the garage door down) or to your driveway if that is where you park your car.  Walk around your car, asking your dog in an upbeat tone of voice for behaviors they know well: Sit, touch, shake, etc.  They may resist a bit at first because they are thinking you are going to try to put them in the car OR because this seems like an odd thing to do. Persevere!  This is an important step. You are teaching your dog that just because the car is nearby doesn't mean it's going to move or that the dog needs to get into it.

2.  Once your dog comfortably moves around the outside of your car with the doors closed, open all of the car doors (and the hatch back if you have one), as well as the garage door (if you are parked in the garage) and repeat the above step.  This teaches your dog that just because the doors are open, that doesn't mean that they have to get in the car or that the car will be going anywhere.

3.  Once your dog isn't anxious moving around the car with doors closed or open, get into the driver's seat and have your dog do those same easy behaviors for you while they are outside of the car and you are in it. Repeat this exercise while sitting in the passenger seat and the back seat, on both sides of the car.  Again, they may resist this step as they are assuming they will have to get in the car too, but not yet!

4.  If and only if they've had success with those first three steps will you move to getting them into the car.  You can lift them in, use a ramp, or put them in their car seat, but don't secure them in the car, simply sit with them, holding the leash.  Offer treats for sitting or laying down on the seat.  Reward them if they appear calm (no yawning, no panting, no shaking, no trying to escape). If they are visibly anxious, don't tell them that it's okay. We don't want to reinforce the anxiety!  Instead, take a few deep breaths yourself, sing, hum, or talk to them about what's going on around them.  This is redirection and helps to reduce anxiety. It may take you several sessions to get to the point where your dog is sitting quietly and calmly in the car.

5.  Once they can sit quietly and calmly in the car, it's time to secure them.  Use a car harness, dog car seat, or crate to secure your dog in place.  Sit next to them while they are secured!  Repeat this several times so that they become comfortable with the process of being secured and seated in the parked car.  Once you've got that, time to move you to the front seat!

6.  With you in the front seat and your driver's door open, do "driving stuff."  Look in your rear view mirrors, play with the radio, etc.  Get them used to NOT being the center of your attention in the car.  Reward them periodically as long as they remain calm.  If they can do this, shut your door and repeat the pretend driving behaviors.

7. Only now are you ready to turn the car on!  If you are in your garage, be sure the garage door is up before starting your car! Remain in your parked car, idling, again doing driving behaviors.  Adjust the temperature, the radio, the mirrors, etc. and reward your dog for being calm. If they are anxious with the car's ignition on, talk them through it again to redirect them, but don't tell them that it's okay.  

8.  Once you can start your car it's time to roll out of the garage or just down the driveway and back.  Repeat this several times until your dog basically looks at you like you've lost your mind.  This teaches them not to anticipate that a ride is any given length of time or that they are going to a specific destination.

9.  Now you are finally ready for a trip around the block.  Each time you do this step, you'll go a block further, watching for signs of anxiety.  You may need to enlist the help of another human at this step so that they can reward and redirect your dog while you focus on your driving.

10.  When you are finally ready for a destination, pick something fun! A trip to the park, a hike, or a friend's house. Definitely not the groomer or the vet, please.  After several fun destinations, you can start throwing in some of the less fun destinations.  Just remember:  You have to routinely take your dog for car rides to fun places in order for them not to resume being anxious.  They have to frequently stretch that muscle, so to speak!

If your dog gets nauseous in a moving car, you will need to address that piece of the puzzle before step 8 above.  Talk to your vet about a prescription for an anti-nausea medication or you can even try a few Nabisco Brand Ginger Snaps Cookies (the ones in the orange and brown box).  I've always been able to get my collies past the nausea stage with a couple of ginger snaps.

If you get stuck for a long time somewhere between steps 4 and 7 ( or maybe even sooner than that!), it may be time to speak with your veterinarian about an anti-anxiety medication to take a bit of the edge off for these more provocative steps.  You might also be able to try CBD oil to calm them, but check with your vet first for any contraindications for your own dog.

After 35 years of helping dogs and their people, I've found that the hardest dogs to help get over their anxiety with car rides are those who were in actual car accidents.  Their fear of cars is well-founded!  These dogs often do need anti-anxiety medication in order to become mostly, or fully, desensitized to car rides.  Only time will tell for sure. I had one client buy a new car, change how she secured her dog in the car, and try having other people drive her dog around before finally deciding he was too traumatized by the car accident that they were in together.  She began using a mobile vet and mobile groomer so that her dog didn't need to ride in a car ever again. 

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

Here is Henley as a puppy, doing the car desensitization exercises outlined above. This photo was taken at step 7, with us sitting in the car in the driveway. The towel is there on the seat next to him as on previous attempts, he drooled profusely. All of this started the first time we put Henley in the car to drive him from his breeder's house in Washington back to California. We split the trip over two days, but Henley got sick every time we got into the car with him. Consequently, by the time we got home, he wasn't a fan of car rides in the slightest. I spent several days each week desensitizing him and after a month, and two ginger snaps cookies 30 minutes beforehand, he could ride in the car without getting sick. Once he no longer got sick, he started enjoying himself, looking out the window, wagging his tail at passersby, etc.  To this day, he loves car rides and is one of the calmest dogs I've ever had the pleasure of commuting with.  Slow desensitization works!