Carsickness in puppies is a common occurrence, and it is often related to a still-immature inner ear. Thankfully, most puppies usually outgrow it by the age of six months. A little work into making sure your canine pal is happy and relaxed in a moving vehicle can help. Limit your dog becoming sick in a car as much as possible. A dog who has vomited in a car a few times immediately associates the car with being sick.
Some signs that the dog is becoming ill are:
· constant yawning
· excessive drooling
· non-stop whining
· general uneasiness
· inability to settle down
· not moving at all, hunkered down
Destination is very important while learning to ride in the car. Take car trips that are not only to the vet. Go down the block and walk home. Later that day, walk back to the car and drive home. Drive around the block. The key here is to get in and out of car multiple times without the puppy getting sick.
With these small trips you are building the habit of not vomiting in the car. Drive to a local park, take a walk, drive home. Drive to a coffee place, sit outside and have a cup, drive home. As much as possible. make the destination fun and worth the initial uneasiness. Over time you actually change the pup's emotional response to getting in and riding in the car from one of dread to excited anticipation!
To read Jill’s full article on carsickness and dogs, click HERE