Nervousness when traveling in a car


  • We are new owners of a 7 month old Basenji Mix. When she was found at the age of 3 months having been abandoned to the streets of Nashville she had a severely broken leg. Money was raised to repair her leg and in that regard she is fine. Her foster parents said she got sick when they brought her to Murfreesboro and would get nervous even going to the Vet. Our trip to get her took 3 hours. By the time we made it halfway she and her crate were a mess. The foster parents gave her Benadryl but obviously it didn't work. We are thinking that either she was hit by a car or may have even been tossed from a car.

    Any suggestions about how to get her over this. I'm not real big on druging her. We would like to be able to make short trips whether it is a couple hours to visit my daughter and her B boys or to go pick up the grand kids.



  • Do not know if short trips would help but maybe going to post office. Maybe just a short ride everyday going in the car. Could be since going to the vet in the car now the vet and car go hand in hand. No car no vet. Going no were just riding and back home will help possiably. Good luck lets us know.

    Rita Jean


  • I would agree about short trips. Her trips in the car have been associated with trauma and pain. Now you have to let her see the car ride does not equal trauma and pain. That will take many small trips like to the park for an enjoyable walk and play. Can someone ride in the back seat with her?

  • Houston

    Bluebell, I am sorry to her that your little girl got so sick. I f I understand it right, that is fairly common for B's, motion sickness that is. I have one and he seems fine, but our Schnorkie gets really sick. I talked to my vet and he told m ethere are motion sickness pills for dogs so you might want to try that. I ended up buying a spray with DAP in it to help my three dogs relax when traveling, they all usually onk out and sleep, even the Schnorkie.
    AS far as her being hit by a car, it sounds like it might have been the way she broke her leg. Make going in the car a paecefull experience, amybe bring her favorite blankie, or bed, toys anything to associate it with happy..


  • Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Also the pdf file that showed how seatbelt in the carrier. I did ride in the back with her and talk to her the whole way but at that point she didn't really know me. I will start out trying the trip around the block and put her new favorite toy in with her.


  • There is a new prescription medication for motion sickness/vomiting. It was mentioned on another thread. I would check with your vet and see if this medicine is a possibility if nothing else works.

Suggested Topics

  • Help! Puppy that screams in the car..

    Behavioral Issues
    24
    2 Votes
    24 Posts
    3k Views
    B
    Thank you all for your replies. Today was a liiiiiiittle bit better than the previous car rides we have done with him. Not constant screaming. But he still screams, and it’s a scream that can make ears bleed... But anyway, a little better today. He lied down and stayed quiet for about 5-10 minutes of the 20 minute ride. On the way home. Hopefully if we keep up with daily car rides where he always gets his toys and treats with him, and as long as we go someplace fun every time this will help getting him calmer in the car. I will also try the Rescue Remedy, it can’t hurt I guess :)
  • Change in travelling behavior

    Behavioral Issues
    6
    0 Votes
    6 Posts
    2k Views
    wizardW
    It started several months before the second dog arrived. Maybe the lack of visibility is the issue - I raised the platform yesterday so the kennel sits a little higher (though maybe not high enough) so we'll see tonight (of course it will be dark out and cold so probably not a good test).
  • Car sickness

    Behavioral Issues
    2
    0 Votes
    2 Posts
    1k Views
    P
    Seems a good suggestion and like anything else when training a Basenji - requires patience. I find that often people require an instant cure (not folks on this forum, I know).
  • Car chasing

    Behavioral Issues
    14
    0 Votes
    14 Posts
    3k Views
    BARTB
    My previous boy loved to chase cars also but I lived in an apartment complex with lots of "green" space where we could walk without being near the well traveled areas. There was also a 98 acre (I think that's the right amount) wooded area right next to the complex that was great fun (when it wasn't muddy). Very glad I don't live there anymore as those 98 acres are now a mall!! And the balcony that we had would have looked right to it. Can't even imagine all the basenji craziness from all the activity if we still lived there. Current boy really doesn't care too much about cars (thank-you previous owners, whomever you are) but he has still run a path in the back yard from running from side to side trying to watch the joggers/bike riders/even just walkers coming down the street…and they don't even need to have a dog with them, although its worse if they do. But he also chases all the squirrels that come to my hickory tree, the bunnies that (I think) live under one of my pines, the neighbor dog, etc.,etc. I'm not sure it can be completely stopped, its their nature, but it can be curtailed. Some good advise here. Good Luck!
  • 0 Votes
    9 Posts
    3k Views
    agilebasenjiA
    get the Control Unleashed book, do the exercises in order, pay careful attention to the Look At That game.
  • Chronic nervousness

    Behavioral Issues
    10
    0 Votes
    10 Posts
    4k Views
    MaxBooBooBearM
    @luvsmy2bs: Hopefully though if anything bad happened to him while he was on his own he did have a good family before that that loved him the way that he should be loved. And he certainly has a good family now that loves him the way he should be loved. :) It does sound like it's probably just going to take some time. Zoey would run from me the first couple of days after I brought Tyler and Zoey home. But with her, it only took a very short time before she realized I wasn't going to do anything bad to her. And she's a little cuddle bug now.