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

I desperately need some advice now. My 12-week old Basenji boy absolutely hates car rides.

He screams in the car until he’s so tired that he after some while falls asleep. But even in his sleep he still continues to make a soft cry/whimpering sound until we reach our destination.

He has been like this since the day we picked him up from the breeder.

We have tried ignoring the behavior, but that doesn’t help.

We have tried having him in our lap in the front passenger seat, we have tried having him in the back seat, in the trunk, in the floor and we have tried having him in his crate both in the back seat next to me and in the trunk. No difference in any of the places we have tried.

We have also tried making the car a fun place with toys, king filled with his favorite peanut butter. He is fine as long as the car isn’t moving. Once the car starts moving the screaming starts.

Does anyone have any advice for us? We’re getting desperate here..

@jkent

Good to hear that it might be hope of him improving as he gets older. We do also suspect that he hates being confined in the crate while the car is moving. But for his own safety and ours we have decided that the crate is the only way to go. Especially since there is no difference if he is allowed to be in the lap or loose in the seats anyway.

How often did you take him for car rides when he was little?

@jkent

That’s the plan here too It is difficult to know for sure if we’re doing the right things with this problem. Don’t want to make it worse. But hopefully it will work to take short rides every day and eventually increase the length

@alibobo

Yes, we try to make car rides a fun experience for him, and we’re making sure that we always do something he likes afterwards. Hopefully this will help in the long run

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

@tony

This started the day we brought him home. So long before his first vet appointment. But hopefully if we stick to trying to make every car ride a fun one he will eventually understand that car = fun

@isabob

So sorry to hear that. We have only taken him to the vet one time since we got him. So all the other car rides has been to some place fun/nice. I hope that if we stick to this for some time he will calm down in the car.

@alibobo

Yes, we try to make car rides a fun experience for him, and we’re making sure that we always do something he likes afterwards. Hopefully this will help in the long run

@jkent

That’s the plan here too It is difficult to know for sure if we’re doing the right things with this problem. Don’t want to make it worse. But hopefully it will work to take short rides every day and eventually increase the length

@jkent

Good to hear that it might be hope of him improving as he gets older. We do also suspect that he hates being confined in the crate while the car is moving. But for his own safety and ours we have decided that the crate is the only way to go. Especially since there is no difference if he is allowed to be in the lap or loose in the seats anyway.

How often did you take him for car rides when he was little?

I desperately need some advice now. My 12-week old Basenji boy absolutely hates car rides.

He screams in the car until he’s so tired that he after some while falls asleep. But even in his sleep he still continues to make a soft cry/whimpering sound until we reach our destination.

He has been like this since the day we picked him up from the breeder.

We have tried ignoring the behavior, but that doesn’t help.

We have tried having him in our lap in the front passenger seat, we have tried having him in the back seat, in the trunk, in the floor and we have tried having him in his crate both in the back seat next to me and in the trunk. No difference in any of the places we have tried.

We have also tried making the car a fun place with toys, king filled with his favorite peanut butter. He is fine as long as the car isn’t moving. Once the car starts moving the screaming starts.

Does anyone have any advice for us? We’re getting desperate here..