Question about Riding in the Car

[Becky & Gracie]

Hi everyone! We brought our 8 week old little girl (multi-gen Australian labradoodle) home this past Friday and are just loving her to pieces. What a wonderful addition to our family of 5! I have a quick question for all of you experienced doodle moms and dads. We have family that live several hours away that we visit quite often so I want Gracie to be comfortable riding in the car with us. I thought that I would take her with me each day when I drop off and pick up the kids at school (and on other short trips during my day). Does anyone have any suggestions on\'a0having her ride comfortably in the car? In a crate? On a harness? Any other method that has worked for you and your doodle? Thanks so much for any advice you could give!

[Gracie, Jade, & Barkley]

Hopping on board here as well in case there are different suggestions. :)

[Laura and Angus]

Congratulations on the little baby! She's adorable! Since she's so small, you may consider starting her off riding in the car in a travel crate. Our puppy Angus had a tough time in the car at first, so we ended up having one of us ride in the back with him taking short trips here and there and then eventually we would both sit in the front and have him ride alone in the back for short trips. Now he is very good about sitting in the back on his own (at almost 6 months) and he will sit properly in the back (for the most part). I would say the trick is to do any new socialization little by little. Starting small and moving up to either more freedom or experience. This is with socializing of any kind :) 

Hopefully that's helpful! Seemed to work with our little guy. Just pay attention to your puppy since they all have their own little personalities. If she's getting uncomfortable with things, take a step back and do smaller increments. Also, if you're going to use a travel crate, you may want to start off by having her get comfortable with the crate without the car moving - for example, having her sit in the back of the car where the crate is and throw some treats in the crate with the door open, so she can go in and out of the crate. That way she'll associate good things with the crate. 

[Kathryn Clark]

We started our Dewey off in the back seat tethered with a harness to a seatbelt, which was soothing for him at first. Eventually, his puppy energy freaked out my ten year old sitting next to him so we had to move him to the rear of our car (thankfully we have a hatch!). I put a dog bed back there and ordered a grate to go between the back seat. He's so happy back there now. We travel an hour every weekend to our vacation home and I hear not a word back there at all.  If he's at all scared, I would do a crate though. We just didn't have the space to fit one. The one thing I learned the hard way, is don't put them in the car just after they eat or if you plan to do any serious curves. Our notoriously throws up when I go on curvy routes!

[Kaitee and Orwell]

The only thing that I would add is don't give up. You may hear a lot of whining, but they eventually get used to the car and some even like the car. I felt like a bad parent when I was teaching Orwell this because by the sound of it, he was dying, lol. 

Now even when I just want to get something out of my car he tries to hop in. 

[Dexter Doodle]

We started the first few weeks with a passenger holding him on their lap. He was whiney and would drool from nervousness. Around 3 months when he learned the place command, we put a towel down and would tell him to "place" on it. He either sits or lays down on the towel, but doesn't move off of it. Our longest ride has been about an hour. He gets so excited to go with us now and all the nervousness is gone. Goood luck with your new family member!

[Michele Kiss]

We wanted to be able to fly with Fenway, so we trained him from the beginning that when he's in the car, he rides in his Sherpa bag. He hops right in it, zero treats needed. It's just "where he goes" when the car door opens. It has worked great - we have flown cross-country with him twice now.

[kristine & Auggie]

We started with a soft sided crate buckled securely in the backseat.  We take  the dogs everywhere with us so that they are used to it.. On days when the weather is cool I will take them while I shop and leave them in the car. We are blessed to have great traveling dogs. My older doodle still tries to jump in the crate, which he has definetly outgrown, but that is how he started and that is still what is secure for him.