She won't stop barking in car

Hi Kyle,

Thank you for writing in to us and sorry to hear about your situation.

From what you tell me, you dog could be barking because of two reasons: separation anxiety or excitement. Would you be able to tell me which one is more likely to be the issue? Does she love car rides or does she bark even if you leave her in the car for a few minutes in your own yard?

Once we have established which one of the two it is, I shall you options to try and correct the said behaviour.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Regards,
Preethi

Hi Kyle,

Thank you for your prompt reply, it will certainly help me attempt to solve your problem.

Excessive barking is a problem faced by many owners and the key to solving it lies in two main criteria-
a) Having an obedient pet- This means training Suzy to lie down even when she is most excited. Does she bark when she knows that you are taking her out? If so, say for example when you go to pick up her leash, put it back down, wait for her to be completely quiet and only when this occurs, give her some praise/reward and take her out.
b) Never tell her off for the barking in the car- the fact that you are returning to the car/looking at her is inadvertently rewarding her for barking, she is getting what she wants- your attention. So, you are best to ignore the behaviour, wait for her to quieten down and then reward her with your attention.

- As for your issues while walking her, have you tried using a head halter such as the gentle leader? These are usually quite effective.
- Also, if she is a dog who loves her toys, you could try distracting her with one while you're away from the car.
- Another thing to consider would be getting some kind of protective screen for your car windows(curtains/sun visor) or even organise a crate in your car that you can put her in with some form of covering. It might help calm her down. I am not sure about the legalities of having car curtains, please verify this before getting any.
- Lastly how about putting a muzzle on her while you're away from the car? Get her used to it prior to trying it out in the car, she may panic otherwise.

Please have a read through the alpha training book, it will give you more insight as to how to go about having full command over your pet's actions.

Good luck to you and Suzy! I hope you are able to rectify the problem.

Kind regards,
Preethi

Hi Sandra,

Thanks for writing in.

It sounds like your dog is just very excited in the car with you. I would advise getting Harper used to a crate and using this in your car (only once he is used to being crated).

Getting him well-exercised, having some dog appeasing pheromones and training him to sit and stay will all help him learn to settle in the car.

Good luck with the training!
Preethi