Tips For Desensitizing Dogs to Carsickness

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     Many dogs end up getting carsick when they go on trips. This can definitely be a problem and can cause a big mess for you. The best thing you can do is to work to desensitize your dog to carsickness. Often you can help your dog get over this problem so that you can take him on trips with you, or at least you can make sure you can make it on a trip to the vet without your dog getting sick.

The first step is to have your car parked in your driveway and put your dog in the car. Have something that he can play with while he is in the car. Just keep him in the car for a few minutes. Start doing this a couple times each day for a week or so. See if your dog gets sick. If he doesn't get sick after a couple minutes, begin to increase the time that the dog stays in the car through those days.

Now you are ready to start the engine of the car. The car should still just be parked, but start it up and let it run. Allow your dog to be in the car while it is running for a few minutes. Do this for a week or so too, increasing the time that he is in the car as long as your dog isn't getting sick while in the car.

After your dog gets used to being in a car that is running, now you need to introduce a bit of movement to the dog. This works best if you have a couple of people. You'll need one to stay with the dog and one to do the driving. Simply go from idling the car to moving a bit in the driveway. This stage should last for about a week. Start out just driving a short bit and as your dog gets used to this, drive up and down the drive a couple of times. Make sure that your dog doesn't get sick when you do this.

Now, it's time to go a step further. Start taking your vehicle around a block with your dog in the car. Only go around the block one time and then go home and let your dog out. Try this for a few days and then you can try going around the block a couple times and coming home.

If your dog starts getting sick or begins to drool a lot, which is a sign that he is nauseated, go back to the previous step. Then make sure you go in smaller steps before you get to the next step. You want to do as much as possible without the dog getting sick.

Now you are ready to go to a store or somewhere else on an errand. Have someone with you to stay in the car. Drive to your destination, get out and take care of something for a few minutes. Then get back in the vehicle and take your dog home. Do this a few times to get him used to this as well.

This entire process will take some time. In fact, it may take a couple of months, although this will vary a bit from dog to dog. In most cases, dogs will be able to get over the car sickness. However, some dogs may not be able to get over it. If this doesn't work after a couple months, you may need to talk to your vet about medicating your dog when you have to make a trip with your dog in the vehicle.