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London Dog Forum > Dog Training & Dog Behaviour > FAQs by Puppy Owners > How can I stop my puppy being sick in the car?
How can I stop my puppy being sick in the car?
It is easy to understand why a puppy associates the car with being a scary or unpleasant experience. Very often puppy’s first experience of a car journey is when you pick him up from the breeder. Imagine being placed into a big noisy machine that rumbles and sways, with strange people and separated from your mum and siblings for the first time. Anyone would be frightened under those circumstances! So, what to do?
Your puppy needs to learn that the car isn’t such a bad place after all. The desensitisation programme may take a little time, so be patient. Start by sitting your puppy in the car and give him a treat (if he will take it) and give him a lot of praise if he remains calm, if he starts to retch or be sick, just ignore him. Sit next to him for a few minutes then let him out. Gradually build up the time he sits in the car until you feel he is quite calm about being there. Now you can try going on a very short journey, even if it is just down the drive or down the road but do make sure there are no sleeping policemen or big pot holes en route. The journey needs to be as smooth as possible. Always drive your puppy to nice places such as a park where he can have a game and this way he will begin to associate the car with pleasure. You can then try and take your puppy for a longer journey but do avoid winding country lanes. Make sure you have covered the area where the puppy sits with loads of towels and if he is sick, ignore it, remove the soiled towel by all means but don’t reward him by making a fuss. If you have a puppy with a really bad phobia of cars there are natural products that can help such as Dog Appeasing Pheromone (DAP) that will help to soothe him. There are other products too and I’m sure your vet will point you in the right direction. Try going on a short family picnic in the car and take some special doggie foods. Eat in the car and feed puppy with his treats at the same time. It worked for us!
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