How to Deal With Your Dog's Fear of Vehicles
Stay calm and cheerful., Know the signs of fear and of relaxation in your dog., Let your dog hear traffic noises at home., Expose your dog to cars at a distance., Add a command., Wait until your dog shows no sign of fear at each stage before moving...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Stay calm and cheerful.
If you tense up every time a car passes, afraid of your dog’s reaction, your dog will notice.
Your anxiety will reinforce his own.
Instead, use a cheerful tone of voice and smile as you deal with passing traffic.Do not pet and soothe your anxious dog.
Petting is a reward, so petting him when he is anxious will only reinforce the behavior.
Do not scold or physically punish your dog for being afraid.
Yelling at him will only intensify his fear.Do not try to “cure” your dog by making him confront his fear.
This will only increase his fear, not remove it. -
Step 2: Know the signs of fear and of relaxation in your dog.
Your dog might bark or lunge at the end of the leash when a car passes, but this is only an extreme display of anxiety.
To train him, you’ll need to know when he is even mildly anxious, so you can go slow, and when he is relaxed, so you can move on to the next step.
Common signs of fear are trembling, panting, whining, drooling, cowering, and tucking his tail.Signs that your dog is relaxed include relaxed posture, normal breathing, tails and ears held normally (not tucked or lowered), wagging, and eating at a normal pace., Start by opening the windows when you are playing with your dog or feeding him, so that he can start to associate the noise of cars with pleasurable activities., Once or twice a day, take your dog to a place in a park or a part of your yard that is far enough away from the street that your dog shows no fearful reaction when a car passes.
Reward your dog with treats every time a car passes and praise him for staying calm.
Do this for about a minute, then go inside or walk around the park for a couple of minutes before returning to the traffic for another minute.
In all, expose your dog to traffic for a minute at a time, 5 or 6 times per training session.
For the next session, increase the time your dog is exposed to traffic to
1.5 minutes.
Continue gradually increasing the time from session to session., Giving your dog something to do can help to distract him from passing cars.
As you gradually move closer to traffic, start giving a command like “touch” or “look here” whenever you see a car coming.
Give your dog a treat when he obeys.If your dog is not able to focus on you or obey your commands because of traffic, take a break, move further from the traffic, and try again. , Sometimes it might take 2 or 3 weeks of training before your dog relaxes at a given distance.
Other times it might happen in days.
Always wait until your dog is relaxed and calm before moving closer. , Once your dog can deal with near-by passing cars while standing still, it’s time to start practicing while walking.
However, if the dog shows signs of fear, do not force him to continue as this will only heighten and reinforce his anxiety.
Bring plenty of treats, and just as you did while stationary, have your dog perform a command whenever you see a car coming.
Give your dog a treat when he obeys. , For extremely fearful dogs, it is often best to start with one particular route where they feel safe.
If your dog is still having trouble walking near cars, consider conditioning him to walk a particular route – such as the path to your local park.Teach your dog to walk home first.
Drive a quarter block from home along the path you will take, get out and walk home.
If your dog pulls out of fear, stop and wait for him to stop pulling before you start again.
Moving towards “safety” is his reward for good behavior.
Be sure to keep distracting and treating your dog whenever cars pass.
Each day, drive a quarter of a block further away along the path until you are driving him to the park and walking him home.
Spend 1-2 weeks walking your dog home from the park.
Next, teach your dog to walk to the park.
Start by parking a quarter block from the park, walk him there, play, and then walk home.
Continue adding a quarter block to your walk to the park each day until you are leaving from your home, walking to the park, and walking home. -
Step 3: Let your dog hear traffic noises at home.
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Step 4: Expose your dog to cars at a distance.
-
Step 5: Add a command.
-
Step 6: Wait until your dog shows no sign of fear at each stage before moving closer.
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Step 7: Walk your dog near traffic.
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Step 8: Train your dog to walk a particular route.
Detailed Guide
If you tense up every time a car passes, afraid of your dog’s reaction, your dog will notice.
Your anxiety will reinforce his own.
Instead, use a cheerful tone of voice and smile as you deal with passing traffic.Do not pet and soothe your anxious dog.
Petting is a reward, so petting him when he is anxious will only reinforce the behavior.
Do not scold or physically punish your dog for being afraid.
Yelling at him will only intensify his fear.Do not try to “cure” your dog by making him confront his fear.
This will only increase his fear, not remove it.
Your dog might bark or lunge at the end of the leash when a car passes, but this is only an extreme display of anxiety.
To train him, you’ll need to know when he is even mildly anxious, so you can go slow, and when he is relaxed, so you can move on to the next step.
Common signs of fear are trembling, panting, whining, drooling, cowering, and tucking his tail.Signs that your dog is relaxed include relaxed posture, normal breathing, tails and ears held normally (not tucked or lowered), wagging, and eating at a normal pace., Start by opening the windows when you are playing with your dog or feeding him, so that he can start to associate the noise of cars with pleasurable activities., Once or twice a day, take your dog to a place in a park or a part of your yard that is far enough away from the street that your dog shows no fearful reaction when a car passes.
Reward your dog with treats every time a car passes and praise him for staying calm.
Do this for about a minute, then go inside or walk around the park for a couple of minutes before returning to the traffic for another minute.
In all, expose your dog to traffic for a minute at a time, 5 or 6 times per training session.
For the next session, increase the time your dog is exposed to traffic to
1.5 minutes.
Continue gradually increasing the time from session to session., Giving your dog something to do can help to distract him from passing cars.
As you gradually move closer to traffic, start giving a command like “touch” or “look here” whenever you see a car coming.
Give your dog a treat when he obeys.If your dog is not able to focus on you or obey your commands because of traffic, take a break, move further from the traffic, and try again. , Sometimes it might take 2 or 3 weeks of training before your dog relaxes at a given distance.
Other times it might happen in days.
Always wait until your dog is relaxed and calm before moving closer. , Once your dog can deal with near-by passing cars while standing still, it’s time to start practicing while walking.
However, if the dog shows signs of fear, do not force him to continue as this will only heighten and reinforce his anxiety.
Bring plenty of treats, and just as you did while stationary, have your dog perform a command whenever you see a car coming.
Give your dog a treat when he obeys. , For extremely fearful dogs, it is often best to start with one particular route where they feel safe.
If your dog is still having trouble walking near cars, consider conditioning him to walk a particular route – such as the path to your local park.Teach your dog to walk home first.
Drive a quarter block from home along the path you will take, get out and walk home.
If your dog pulls out of fear, stop and wait for him to stop pulling before you start again.
Moving towards “safety” is his reward for good behavior.
Be sure to keep distracting and treating your dog whenever cars pass.
Each day, drive a quarter of a block further away along the path until you are driving him to the park and walking him home.
Spend 1-2 weeks walking your dog home from the park.
Next, teach your dog to walk to the park.
Start by parking a quarter block from the park, walk him there, play, and then walk home.
Continue adding a quarter block to your walk to the park each day until you are leaving from your home, walking to the park, and walking home.
About the Author
David Shaw
Experienced content creator specializing in creative arts guides and tutorials.
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