Natalie Baker from MINNETONKA, MN, asked:
Hi Julie,
I have a 9 month-old Samoyed named Winnie and I’m wondering if you have any insight into why my dog HATES car rides? It’s very unusual for a dog to hate them this badly.
I have tried putting her in a kennel to make her feel safer but that was worse than just having her seat-belted in.
When it’s just us, she sits in the front seat but is still very anxious. She pants, barks (a lot), and won’t sit still.
On the way home she is usually much calmer and will sleep only if she is very tired.
I have figured out she really doesn’t like when there is a speed change, my blinker is on, or when we turn.
When I first got her I tried having her sit in my lap which didn’t help, the kennel hasn’t worked, and when she is in the seat belt it’s a little better but not much. It makes taking drives awful.
What do you think? Thanks!!
Hi Natalie,
In order to get some answers for you, I connected to you and from you to Winnie. I could see and communicate with her. She is gorgeous and has a cute personality.
You’re right, she absolutely hates car rides for a number of reasons.
First, and most importantly, she said “I have A LOT of hair” and “it’s so hot in the car”. She told me she feels nauseous from the heat, motion sickness, and the smell of the car air freshener you’re using. In addition, she said her hearing is way more sensitive than yours so when the turn signal is clicking, it’s almost painful for her. Google says, “The frequencies that dogs hear are much higher and lower than what humans can hear. Dogs hear a frequency range of 40 to 60,000 Hz while a human range is between 20 and 20,000 Hz. Because of this, dogs have a difficult time with very loud noises”.
As for when the car turns and accelerates, Winnie mentioned it contributes to her nausea. She told me she does her best to keep from vomiting all over the inside of your car.
Winnie also said, “It’s unnatural for dogs to ride in cars” and “I prefer going for a walk”.
Alas, I did ask her what you could do to make her more comfortable when it was essential for her to travel via car. Here were her suggestions:
– Let her sit in the front seat so she can look out the windshield. It’ll help with motion sickness.
– Turn the air conditioning on full blast at the lowest temperature possible and point all vents towards her. It’ll help keep her cool.
– Remove the air freshener scent. She said it’s awful and the smell makes her nauseous.
– Lastly, Winnie suggested that if you have to take her on a long trip, to get motion sickness medicine from the vet and give it to her. (My family had a white German shepherd when I was growing up who got car sick for all 15 years of her life. We had to give her Doggie Dramamine whenever we needed to take her anywhere by car.)
Winnie told me she loves you, loves her home, and loves going for walks with you. Oh and … she’d like a few more treats!
Hope this information helps.