Bad Behavior in Car

Question
My dog wants to go with me or my husband in automobile, however, he is sooo bad.  He tries to climb onto drivers lap and he cries and howls the entire time. I cannot get him to stop and makes any trip no matter how short, terrible. I have put a leash in the vehicle and tied it short so that he cannot get to driver but he still cries and howls.  One time he almost hung himself because he flipped his body over the seat but was leashed. Any suggestions?  We would love to take him with us.   Thank you, C.S.

Answer
Carol, this IS serious. I have a very strict rule about dogs in my vehicles. They MUST remain in the back seat; dogs are not allowed up front because they can easily cause accidents.

Have you tried crating him in the back seat? Does he start the howling and crying as soon as he gets into the car, or only when you start moving? The howling needs to be corrected, which means that someone other than the driver is going to have to hold onto the leash and correct the dog whenever it starts to cry and howl. Another suggestion would be to try a bark collar when you take him for a ride. Do not buy a Petsafe brand collar, though, because they do not work well. I recommend the Innotek BC200 or the Dogtra YS300. Both are rechargeable, so you don't have to keep buying batteries for them.

You should figure out a way to keep him from getting into the front. There are barriers that are made especially for this purpose, and there are also seat belts for dogs that you might consider. This is for his safety as well as yours.