Joy ride: Take your canine cruising

“Let’s go for a ride.”

These five simple words cause Jazzy and Tasha, our female canines, to dance with delight. And lately, Marcus, our German Shepherd dog is starting to take their cue.

Marcus did not get a good start in life. When we adopted him, he was 25 pounds underweight and scared of life. With repeated, positive exposure to car rides and observing his sisters’ excitement, he’s now decided that car rides are great fun.

Many people tell us that their dogs are scared of car rides. One possible reason is that these dogs have only ridden in the car to go to the veterinarian; hence, the dog associates the car with the vet. Vet visits are scary; the office is filled with strange scents, sights, and sounds, and getting poked, prodded and stuck with a needle is not fun.

If your pup is fearful of car rides, try the following tactics.

Start slowly! Entice your dog into the car using the tastiest treats you can find (hot dog or chicken pieces work wonderfully).

Let your dog eat the treat and jump out. Slowly increase the amount of time you ask your dog to stay in the car.

Once your dog is eager to jump in, start the engine and let it idle. Once your dog accepts the engine running, drive to the corner. At the corner, feed some tasty treats and return home.

Increase your distance slowly. Take your dog with you when you run errands, and feed treats and/or pick up a treat along the way like a burger from a nearby drive-through.

If you are patient and amply reward your dog, he will decide that car rides are fantastic.

Here are two reasons to teach your dog to enjoy car rides:
—Rides are necessary: vet visits, vacations and trips to the kennel are part of life. The longer the trip, the less stressful it will be for all occupants if your dog enjoys the journey.
—On bad weather days, a car ride is a great way to dispel cabin fever. The new sights, sounds and scents that a ride delivers will help dissipate pent-up energy and bring a smile to your dog’s face.
Some people have dogs that become physically ill during car rides. If your dog suffers from this, try one of the following recommendations from the book “New Choices in Natural Healing for Dogs and Cats:”
—For dogs over 15 pounds, give them 500 milligrams of ginger about 20 minutes before the ride. Smaller dogs should be given 250 milligrams or less.
—Give your dog a few pellets of homeopathic Tabacum 30C up to two hours before traveling.
—Consult with your vet for additional suggestions.
—Car rides are a fun way to spoil your loyal canines. But always keep safety in mind. Extreme temperatures (hot or cold) and car rides don’t mix. Never leave your pet in the car when it’s very hot or cold outside. In just a few minutes, the temperature inside a parked vehicle can become deadly.

If your dog is extremely excitable and has a hard time remaining calm during a ride, consider using a canine seat belt. This device will prevent him from bumping the driver and will safely restrain him if an accident takes place.

Enjoy the ride.