|
PONS and car problems are
usually the result of stress or anxiety- especially if your PON
is scared or not used to being in a car while the engine
is running.
Any kind of car travel with
your PON may also be a problematic if your PON is high strung
and can't sit still for a long period of time or if he has
associated any kind of negative experiences while traveling in
the car.
A dog car harness is a
really good item to have for all dogs that ride inside
your car - they keep the dog securely in one location instead of
climbing all over the car.
Also, not all dogs are born car
riders so don't forget this. Motion sickness and many other
anxieties can crop up if proper car training is taken for
granted, making the problem just that more intense for the dog
and his owner.
If you have any kind of
problems getting your PON to climb into, and to stay inside your
car, the following suggestions may help alleviate your PON's
fear. You wish to make the car travel experience fun for the
both of you - especially to make it easier for any kind of
travel you may need to make in the future.
For best results you need to
practice all the steps below several times before going on any
trips. This will help make it so much easier in the future when
you want to travel with a PON or any dog breed for that
matter.
Car
Travel Advice
1.
Open the back seat and place your PON inside the car
- while the car is parked in the driveway, doors are
open, and the engine is off. Let your PON spend some
time in the car, supervised by you, with either a snack,
dog chews or a toy. Praise him enthusiastically for
staying in the car.
The chew bone, or the toy that you placed in there will
help to create a positive experience for him, which will
make the car ride stress free. Very important: avoid
keeping your PON inside the car for too long in hot
weather!Repeat this several times over several days
before going on a trip - especially if your dog is
nervous.
2. Once your PON is
comfortable being in the car with doors open, close the
door (with the windows rolled down and engine still off)
and get into the drivers seat. Stay there for
a minute or so and allow your PON to get used to the car
door being closed. Repeat this several times over
several days before going on a trip - especially if your
PON tends to be nervous. If your PON is comfortable at
this stage you can also start the car once in a while
remaining there to get him accustomed to the engine
sound.
3. Lastly, put your
PON into the car and take him for a short ride around
the block. Leave
his chew bone and toy inside the car to keep him
occupied. After the short trip, make sure that you give
him a good treat, praise him enthusiastically and repeat
the process over the next few days. As your PON's
comfort level rises, you can also extend the length of
the trips, making them just a bit longer each time.
|
|
One good idea is to associate all travel (at least while car
travel training is taking place) with short journeys that end
somewhere your PON really enjoys
such as the dog
park for example. It is also important that while
doing this training that the journey lengths increase slowly
over a period of time.
In time you can increase the
distances. Take it slow in the beginning, train your PON slowly
and be patient. You want to avoid all the anxiety, motion
sickness and other negatives associated with car travel. If you
can associate car travel training with something fun and
positive you will complete this process much quicker and will
have better results overall. Happy driving.
|
