Any Dog Whisperers out there ?
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Fnaar
Smutmaster General
- Location
- Thumberland
Blimey, that'd drive me nuts... don't think there's an easy answer, tbh.... he's getting old.
all i can think of is when we took my dog to a trainer. reward good behaviour, ignore the bad.
does it start straight away. if so put him in the car, get in, sit there for two minutes but don't go anywhere so he's not whining, then get out, get him out, give a big fuss and a treat tell him what a good boy he is. once you have succeeded at this, then try driving with him literally for one minute. if he doesn't whine, get him out fuss him and tell him what a good boy he is. if he does, just go home without saying a word to him. then when you succeed at one minute extend to two minutes. keep extending the time only rewarding when he does behave, ignoring it and returning home when he doesn't, put him back in the house without saying a word.
everyone must do the same. The worst thing you can do is give hiim any kind of attention while he's displaying this behaviour, even telling him to shut up. only praise him when he's not whining.
your local vet may have an onsite dog psychologist also.
does it start straight away. if so put him in the car, get in, sit there for two minutes but don't go anywhere so he's not whining, then get out, get him out, give a big fuss and a treat tell him what a good boy he is. once you have succeeded at this, then try driving with him literally for one minute. if he doesn't whine, get him out fuss him and tell him what a good boy he is. if he does, just go home without saying a word to him. then when you succeed at one minute extend to two minutes. keep extending the time only rewarding when he does behave, ignoring it and returning home when he doesn't, put him back in the house without saying a word.
everyone must do the same. The worst thing you can do is give hiim any kind of attention while he's displaying this behaviour, even telling him to shut up. only praise him when he's not whining.
your local vet may have an onsite dog psychologist also.
Fnaar
Smutmaster General
- Location
- Thumberland
Can't teach an old dog to STFU 
Mad Doug Biker
Banned from every bar in the Galaxy
- Location
- Craggy Island
Sounds like anxiety to me, has anything happened to him in the past where he's been left somewhere, or does he dislike being left/alone?
He's 12? Have you considered the onset of Canine Dementia and he's somehow associated an earlier experience with what is happening now? (unlikely, I know).
FWIW, yes, as Buggi says, you could give him training (scotching the old myth of old dogs and all that), and if that doesn't work, you can get pills (usually for fireworks etc) that should calm him down a bit.
He's 12? Have you considered the onset of Canine Dementia and he's somehow associated an earlier experience with what is happening now? (unlikely, I know).
FWIW, yes, as Buggi says, you could give him training (scotching the old myth of old dogs and all that), and if that doesn't work, you can get pills (usually for fireworks etc) that should calm him down a bit.
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The Jogger
Legendary Member
- Location
- Spain
I would try taking away the cage thingy and folding down the seats.
Globalti
Legendary Member
It's actually dangerous; I took a friend's dog out in a car to go for a walk and it barked hysterically all the way, distracting me so badly that I missed a threatening situation then panic braked and locked up, nearly piling into the car concerned. The dog shot forwards and banged its head on the windscreen.
R600
Über Member
- Location
- North Scotland
thats nothing other than a bit distracting. he is only excited or anxious. at 12 and 1/2 cut him some slack LOL
Amanda P
Legendary Member
- Location
- York. Well, York-ish...
My old dog was like this. On a motorway stretch, he'd calm down, but as long as we were speeding up and slowing down or going around bends and changing gear, he'd whiffle and howl. He was like that his whole life.
What did help was making the space he travelled in bigger. In the back of a hatchback with a dog guard, he was much worse. If you took the dog guard out, his anxiety visibly reduced. In the back of a van, he'd be distressed because he couldn't see out. Riding in the open back of my pickup, though, although he'd rarely sit down, he could roam around and look out of the sides and would stop making such a row. (He jumped out, just once, and got lost for 12 hours; he never did it again!)
The quietest and most relaxed I can remember him, in a car, was when I got a lift home with my boss in his estate car. The dog sat in the boot and seemed perfectly relaxed and quiet.
I don't think it was my driving....
What did help was making the space he travelled in bigger. In the back of a hatchback with a dog guard, he was much worse. If you took the dog guard out, his anxiety visibly reduced. In the back of a van, he'd be distressed because he couldn't see out. Riding in the open back of my pickup, though, although he'd rarely sit down, he could roam around and look out of the sides and would stop making such a row. (He jumped out, just once, and got lost for 12 hours; he never did it again!)
The quietest and most relaxed I can remember him, in a car, was when I got a lift home with my boss in his estate car. The dog sat in the boot and seemed perfectly relaxed and quiet.
I don't think it was my driving....
Steve Malkin
Veteran
- Location
- Cheshire
Chill out and learn to enjoy it, you'll miss it when he's gone...
Mattonsea
Über Member
- Location
- New Forest
Its anxiety from the separation from his pack. You are his boss , the head of the pack and he just wants to be near you . easy !
swee'pea99
Squire
Certainly looks like stress & anxiety. Have to say my first instinct would be to do away with the cage and let the hound move to the passenger footwell. Bit of a bleedin' nuisance for whoever's sitting there, but my missus says Cassie makes quite a nice footwarmer in the winter.
DRHysted
Guru
- Location
- New Forest
Does your dog do this if you leave them in the car at home? If so start feeding the dog in the car, so it can relate to the car being a good place to go.
Do you get the same effect if you have a rear seat passenger? If not it could be a mild form of seperation anxiety, you could try leaving an old coat (or clothing) with your smell in the back with the dog.
Is your dog happy to use a crate (crate training is very useful in many situations), if so try putting down the back seats and securing a crate behind the front seats. If this works alternate the crates position from right behind the front seats to right at the back with the seats up, until the dog becomes happy to be crated in the boot.
If it is causing a distraction, and danger to your driving, get your passenger to carry a water pistol, or can of worms. when ever the dog starts making a noise either shoot it with the water pistol, or shake the can of worms at it (the can of worms is nicer).
Do you get the same effect if you have a rear seat passenger? If not it could be a mild form of seperation anxiety, you could try leaving an old coat (or clothing) with your smell in the back with the dog.
Is your dog happy to use a crate (crate training is very useful in many situations), if so try putting down the back seats and securing a crate behind the front seats. If this works alternate the crates position from right behind the front seats to right at the back with the seats up, until the dog becomes happy to be crated in the boot.
If it is causing a distraction, and danger to your driving, get your passenger to carry a water pistol, or can of worms. when ever the dog starts making a noise either shoot it with the water pistol, or shake the can of worms at it (the can of worms is nicer).
Gravity Aided
Legendary Member
- Location
- Land of Lincoln
I had an old Labrador retriever that was like that. My Dad showed me that she just wanted to ride near the front. My car had bucket seats, she just wanted to stand between us and put her nose on someones elbow. Current dogs, 7 year old is fine once he can get his head out the window, two year old sometimes needs a shake can to keep her in line.
