Article: A puppy under three months will be easier to train to get used to a vehicle than an older dog. The best way to overcome fear of your car is to avoid it in the first place with early training. Before you take any trips with your puppy, introduce him to the car so that he can grow accustomed to it. Especially in the summer, make sure the car is running so you can keep it cool. This will also help your dog grow accustomed to the sound of the motor. To help your puppy get comfortable:  Place a bed on the seat so your dog is comfortable and doesn’t slip on the upholstery. Feed you your puppy meals in the car. Give your dogs treats, such as a stuffed KONG or bone to chew on. Always travel with your dog restrained for his safety. When introducing your dog to the car, it is important that he wear the same restraint he will when traveling, or go in a carrier if that is how you will transport him.  If using a harness, you can practice putting it on in your home before trying it in the car. Give your dog lots of treats when you put it on, then take it off. Gradually increase the amount of time he wears it, eventually giving him a bone or chew toy to play with while in the harness. If using a crate, you should crate train your dog before trying the crate in the car. Dogs often suffer from motion sickness during their first few car rides, so you’ll want to keep your puppies first trips short. Start with just going in and out of the driveway and gradually build up to more.  For the first 2-3 days, just back out of the driveway or drive a few feet down the street, then return to you parking place. Do this once or twice a day. Next, try driving around the block for a couple of days. Move on to a five minute drive. As long as your dog shows no signs of anxiety – panting, trembling, whining, cowering, or drooling – you can slowly increase the lengthy of trips over several weeks. If you only use the car to take your dog to the vet, your dog is not going to like the car. Especially when you dog is a puppy, try to have most car trips end somewhere fun, like the park, the hiking trail, a pet store, a friend’s house, or a dog park. If your dog is anticipating the destination, he won’t mind the drive so much. Especially for bigger breeds, teaching your dog to get in and out by himself will save you a lot of back pain when he is full grown.  Getting In – Pick a command word like “in” for entering the car. If necessary, use treats to lure your dog into the car at first. Be sure to use the command word as your dog enters, so he starts to associate the word with the action. Getting Out – Pick a command word like “out”. It is very important to teach you dog to wait to leave the car until asked. Teach your dog “wait” at home. Have your dog wait in the car, then get out on command. Practice with a leash on at first, to be sure your dog won’t run off.
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Familiarize your puppy with the vehicle as early as possible. Teach your puppy that the car is a fun place. Get your puppy accustomed to being restrained in either a crate or under a harness for travel. Start with short rides. Take your dog to places he likes. Have your dog get in and out of the car by himself as soon as he can.