Episode #212 Teaching Your Dog To Ride Quietly In The Car

Teaching your dog to ride quietly in the car is an achievable goal that benefits you and your dog. Understanding the reasons behind your dog’s barking and implementing consistent training techniques can create a more peaceful and enjoyable experience for everyone. With time, your car rides will transform from chaotic to calm, allowing you to focus on the journey while your dog relaxes.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

On today's episode, we are talking about barking in the car. We've talked about barking before, but not specifically on what to do when your dog is barking and you are driving. That can be tricky. Let's talk about it today. Welcome to the Puppy Training Podcast. I'm Amy Jensen, founder of Baxter and Bella, the online puppy school. Here we are all about helping you create the best possible experience raising a puppy, from training tips to practical tricks, all aimed at fostering a happy, well-behaved dog who truly feels like part of the family. So if you are ready to enjoy the journey and strengthen the bond with your dog, let's get started. Hello everybody, welcome to the Puppy Training Podcast. I'm so glad you're here.

Speaker 1: 0:48

Today. We are talking about barking in the car, because what do you do when you're driving down the road and you're also trying to train your dog? That can be tricky. You're not alone if you struggle with this. Car rides can both be enjoyable but also challenging, and some dogs adapt quickly to the experience, while others become overly excited or maybe your dog is stressed about this. Often, this results in excessive barking. So barking in the car can distract you as the driver or whoever else is driving. It can cause stress for everyone because you're in a small, confined space and it's loud, and it can even escalate into some unsafe situations, which nobody wants. The good news is that with patience, consistency and the right techniques that we're going to talk about today, you can teach your dog to ride quietly in the car and enjoy the journey.

Speaker 1: 1:36

Now let's first start out with why dogs bark in the car. If we can understand why our dog is doing this behavior, that is our first step to addressing and changing that behavior. Here are a few common reasons. Number one is excitement. Dogs often associate car rides with exciting destinations such as the park or a friend's house. I like to load Baxter and Bella up in my car. We head to Elkridge Park. It's about a mile from my house and we get to go on a big long go sniff walk. So they get really excited when it's time to get in the car for that.

Speaker 1: 2:10

Number two would be an anxiety. Some dogs don't necessarily love motion and the ride in the car can be stressful. Maybe they feel sick, or maybe it's just unfamiliar, or maybe they're anxious about where they are going because it's unpredictable if you go a lot of places. Number three would be territorial behavior. Dogs might start to perceive their car similar to their house or their home or their backyard, where it's their domain, and so if they see people or animals or things outside the window, they might feel a need to protect it. And the last one, number four, is boredom. A lack of mental stimulation can lead dogs to bark because it's a way of entertaining themselves. So some dogs might bark out the window and realize, hey, this is really fun, this is entertaining. I think I want to keep doing this.

Speaker 1: 2:58

Identifying that root cause can then help us address it appropriately. For example, if your dog has anxiety in the car, we're going to handle that differently than if your dog is barking out of boredom. The whole overall goal is that we help our dogs feel safe and calm in the car, a place where they can relax, that they're not on duty, they don't have to protect anything and they also don't need to be stressed about the situation. Here are some things you can do to teach your dog to ride quietly in your car. Number one we're going to start with basic training. Before addressing the barking, let's make sure that your dog knows basic things like sit, stay and quiet. If you have some cues that they understand what they mean we can then generalize them to the car ride. These actions form the foundation of good behavior and can be reinforced during car training. Make sure you practice these at home and then you increase to more difficult situations such as the car, once your dog understands the basics.

Speaker 1: 3:56

I wouldn't start by training these things in the car, of course. We're going to start, as we do, with all of the basics here at Baxter and Bella in a nice, quiet, non-distracting area and then, as our dog gets better at them, we want to practice them in all different locations, including your car. The next one would be familiarize your dog with the car. So if your dog is new to the car rides or maybe they show some of that anxiety that we talked about, we want to spend time acclimating them to your vehicle without going anywhere. In fact, I encourage you to start by letting your dog sit in your parked car with the engine off. Gradually you can progress to turning the engine on, taking short drives just down the block or around the block and back. Use some food, rewards and praise to create positive associations. When you're sitting in that parked car and it's off, that's a perfect time to pull out your dog's favorite chew or bone and let them relax on the seat. I would sit in the back seat with them. I'd read a book, check my emails, do some kind of quiet activity, while they just learn to relax and chew on something that they enjoy. That will help them feel better inside the car.

Speaker 1: 5:03

Next let's talk about crates and harnesses. These things can help your dog feel safe and secure in the car. So if your dog's nervous about the car because of the motion, maybe they're not so settled on their feet. Having them harnessed into a dog bed type carrier or into a crate can restrain that extra movement and keep them feeling more under control of themselves. It's good practice to always restrain your dog in the car anyway as you're driving. It's safer for everyone in the vehicle. So, from the get-go, teach your puppy to wear the harness or to ride in the crate.

Speaker 1: 5:37

Restraining your dog can also take away the visual meaning. They're less likely to become overly stimulated by the sights that they're seeing outside of the car. Which leads me to my next point. Dogs often bark at things they see outside the car, such as pedestrians, other dogs, passing vehicles, motorcycles, you name it. You can use window shades or cover part of the windows to reduce the visual distractions. You can position your dog in part of the car where they're actually going to see less as well, such as the back seat.

Speaker 1: 6:07

The next one would be teaching the quiet cue. We want to practice the quiet cue at home before applying it in the car. When your dog starts barking calmly, say quiet and reward them with a treat the moment that they stop. You can repeat this consistently until your dog understands what quiet means. We can also reward calm behavior. Positive reinforcement is key. We want to reward our dog when we notice them being calm and quiet in the car. I find that it's most helpful to have another person drive. Then you can sit in the back seat or in that front seat and be able to turn around and hand something to your puppy as you notice good behavior. But we want somebody else to be driving so that you can focus on the training. That way you can bridge the gap between your puppy riding in the car with you not paying attention to them and then you riding in the car and actually doing the training with them. We don't want you training while you're driving, so having another driver in there can be really helpful while the training process is happening and then, when you can't have that happen, when you don't have someone else to help you, then I would put your puppy in a crate so that they're less likely to see things outside and want to bark at them.

Speaker 1: 7:14

Next on the list of tips is desensitizing triggers. If your dog barks at specific things, pay attention to that, take note of it. Maybe they bark at people walking by. We want to work on desensitizing them to seeing people so you can park your car in a location where your dog can observe their trigger from a distance without becoming overly excited. Gradually we're going to decrease the distance as your dog learns to remain calm. So they see a person outside of the window, you're going to put food right on their nose.

Speaker 1: 7:41

Show your dog what you want them to do. Lure them into a down on the back seat, mark yes and then reward them intermittently for holding that position and repeat that. So let them get up again, let them look out the window and they see someone. Immediately interrupt and redirect before they bark. Show them what you want them to do when they see a person and then reward them for that better behavior and that will become the new pattern. They see a person. They look to you, they lay down on the back seat or whatever you want that to look like. But we want to interrupt, redirect before the barking is happening. So make sure you park your car far enough away, maybe in a big parking lot where you can park in the back corner so you're further away from the people coming and going in and out of the store. But you want to create some distance there so that you have time for them to see the people and then you can show them what you want them to do instead and you're not so close that they can't listen or focus on what you're asking them to do.

Speaker 1: 8:33

Next, we want to make sure that we avoid punishment. We don't want to yell or scold our dog for barking, as that often translates to them as us barking back. They're like oh Amy's, joining in the fun and excitement. How awesome is that. We don't want to make the behavior worse. Instead, focus on redirecting your puppy's attention and rewarding desirable behaviors.

Speaker 1: 8:52

Another tip is to provide mental stimulation. Keep your dog entertained during car rides by giving them chew toys, puzzle toys or other distractions. You'll have to be creative and find ones that work in the car, but a mentally stimulated dog is less likely to bark simply because they're bored. You can also make sure that before you get in the car and take them on a car ride, that they've been physically exercised and maybe that's a good place to also do some of these puzzle toys and that mental enrichment is before they get in the car. That way, they're almost ready for a nap or downtime when they get in the car.

Speaker 1: 9:23

Finally, be patient and consistent. Training takes time, especially if your dog has been barking in the car for a while. If they have a habit of doing this, it's going to take a while to turn that around. But be consistent with your methods and remain patient. All right, you guys. That's it for today. Thanks for listening to the Puppy Training Podcast. If you'd like help getting your dog to be quiet in the car, please reach out to us. We would love to coach you through the entire process. Also, don't forget to check out our YouTube channel at Baxter and Bella for free training videos. Thanks for tuning in to the Puppy Training Podcast. I hope today's tips help you feel more confident and excited about raising your dog. Remember, with a little patience and consistency you can create a loving bond and a well-behaved pup who's a joy to have in your family. If you found this episode helpful, be sure to subscribe, leave a review and share it with fellow puppy parents. For more resources, visit Baxter and bella online. Until next time, happy training.