Dog fear/ anxiety issues

Question
Hi we have a 2 yr old Catahoula leopard dog that we adopted at 8 months. She is the best dog ever. How ever I would like to include her in family outings but I cant because she is terrified of the car. She lays down in the car however she pees and sometimes even poops in my car. She also drools a bit too. She also will stop walking and lay down and not move if she gets nervous in situations like going in petsmart ect. She has such a wonderful personality but I have no idea what to do about this problem. I believe she may have been abused at some point because she is afraid of certain men and the poor thing weighed 25 lbs when we got her so she has been through a lot. I just want her to feel like she is a part of our family in every wy possible. Thanks

Answer
You need to desensitize her to the car trips. The goal is always to keep her below threshold and not put her in a situation where she is anxious or she could get worse. It is challenging, but with patience, it could get easier.

There are multiple steps that can be focused on to acclimate her.

At each step, give her treats. If she doesn't take high value treats, she is probably anxious and you are going too quickly. You can also consider using anti-anxiety medication, either from your vet or OTC.

Here are some steps that you can work on. Give her treats at each step, and don't go to the next until she is calm. Do multiple repetitions of each step. For instance, open the car door, give her treats, close the car door and repeat 10 times and then go on a walk without going in the car.

Looking at the car.
Walking near the car.
Opening the car door.
Moving her closer to the open door.
Carrying her closer to the car.
Put her in the car.
Close the car door.
Open the drivers door.
Sit in the car.
Turn the car on.
Move a few feet in the car.
Go around the block.
Etc.

Good luck.