Teaching your puppy good car manners.
Teaching your puppy good car manners.
Having a well-behaved puppy in a vehicle makes traveling with the puppy simple, easy and enjoyable for everyone. Unfortunately many puppys are so poorly behaved in vehicles that they actually become safety hazards for the driver, resulting in the puppy having to stay home of further expeditions and trips. This doesn't need to occur with a bit of simple training that will teach your puppy how to behave in the car.
Although you may see these things often, they are really dangerous for all the people in the car, the puppy, and other people on the road. These are often the poor habits that owners let their puppy's get into when in the vehicle:
Sitting in the owners lap while he or she is driving - not only is this dangerous for the puppy in the case of a sudden stop or accident, it is very distracting for the driver. A puppy that is sitting on the owners lap will have nowhere to go but into the steering wheel in the event of a sudden stop or accident. This can lead to broken bones, teeth, jaws and even more serious injuries. At best the puppy is a distraction to the driver, you wouldn't let an infant sit in your lap when you were driving, you would have them in a safety seat secured in the vehicle and so should you pet.
Sticking their head, upper body and even paws out the window - again, a serious safety issue for the puppy in the event of a sudden stop, swerve or even an accident. In addition a puppy that is already that far out of the vehicle could easily overbalance with the movement of the car and fall, usually with fatal results.
Riding loose in the back of a truck - there are now safety laws in most areas that prevent owners from having their puppy unsecured in the back of a truck. There are a wide number of harnesses, crates and tethers that can be used to secure the puppy if it cannot ride in a secured area of the cab.
Jumping around in the car or sitting unsecured in the vehicle - puppys can become projectiles in an accident, injuring people and definitely hurting themselves. Having the puppy secured in a seatbelt harness or crate in the car is really the best and safest option.
A very
exciting time, getting in and out of the vehicle is often a time and place where
the puppy acts silly, possibly resulting in injury. Teaching the puppy to sit
and wait for a command to enter the car as well as teaching them to wait until
the leash is fastened and they are given the exit command is simple and easy to
do, plus will prevent that excitable behavior.
To teach the puppy to sit to get into the car simply walk towards the car and
give the sit command. If the puppy does not sit, don't open the door, just wait
patiently and make the command again. Keep repeating this until the puppy is
seated and calm. Tell them "wait" or "stay", of course they must know these
commands first, then open the door and give the "in" command. Since the ride is
the reward that the puppy is looking forward to most puppys catch on very
quickly. Be firm and do not give in and open the door until the puppy is seated
outside of the car.
The next step is to teach the puppy, just like the kids, that the car is not
moving until they are in the crate or seatbelt harness. Use the same process as
above. Usually after two or three rides the puppy will automatically get into
the crate or sit quietly and wait for the seatbelt harness to go on.
To teach the puppy to exit, apply the leash to the collar and then have the
puppy sit in the car. When they are seated and calm, open the door and call them
out. The reward is the walk, but you can also add a treat at this step if you
want. Gradually introduce the stay command when the door is opened and start
with just a second of sitting before giving the "out" command. Gradually
increasing the length of time the puppy sits in the car before exiting will
ensure that the puppy understands what you want.
When traveling with a puppy plan regular
stops for the puppy to stretch his or her legs as well as have time to go to the
bathroom. Always use the leash at these stops. If the puppy runs away and he or
she is in an unfamiliar area it can easily become lost and frantic, running
randomly to try to find you or the car. Keeping the puppy on the leash during
these stops is a safety precaution that is well worth the extra time.
Remember to provide water at regular times as well. Although the puppy is not
active he or she will still need lots of fresh, clean water, so be sure to pack
a few bottles of water and a plastic or metal dish. Give the puppy water at
every stop and then plan to make an appropriately timed bathroom stop. Puppys
may become car sick so avoid feeding the puppy during the traveling time if this
is an issue. Feed at least one hour before traveling or feed when you arrive at
your destination, provided this is not too much longer than the normal interval
between feeding.
If you are planning on staying in hotels or accommodations be sure to check in
advance if they allow pets. Typically there is a slight additional room charge
for pets, however having pets in a room without hotel knowledge can result in a
huge bill, so it is best to notify and pay the pet fee. Always have your puppy
fully vaccination and on a current and up to date treatment for fleas if you are
staying in hotels with your pet. Additional vaccinations or treatments for
kennel cough, heartworm, worms and other communicable diseases should be
discussed with your vet before taking the trip.
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