# Travel anxiety



## Mel's chi's (Jun 2, 2011)

Clapton, who goes back and forth with my husband each week has terrible car travel anxiety. He doesn't physically get sick, but gets bug eyed, trembles, pants, whines....it's just sad. It doesn't matter if it's a 5 min ride or a 5 hour ride. Doesn't matter if he is alone or with 1 or 4 other Chi's. He's inconsolable  

Has anyone delt with this issue or have any advice to help him? It's been going on since we first got him as a pup and has now been a year! We thought he would grow out of it, but no such luck. 

Oh, and he is totally fine the second he gets out of the car...acts like nothing happened


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## woodard2009 (Aug 4, 2010)

When ever you plan to take him in the car, you should always say in an excited voice, "Are you ready to go for a car ride!?" Acting all excited & happy shows your chi that it's going to be fun and you're not scared. If your showing you are sad or feel bad because your chi is freaking in the car, he's picking up on this & doesn't feel safe. Do you take him for a ride to the park to go for a walk? To fun places? Or do you just take him for a ride in the car to the vet? Dogs learn very early that cars can be a bad thing when they go to get their puppy shots. You have to show them that cars can be a good thing by taking us to places we have fun. The mood you're in can be felt by your chi, so it's important to be confident, comforting & do a lot of sweet calm talking to your chi when you're in the car & most importantly, make sure you let him know when you're going to a fun place.


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

Have you tried rescue remedy Mel?


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## Mel's chi's (Jun 2, 2011)

woodard2009 said:


> When ever you plan to take him in the car, you should always say in an excited voice, "Are you ready to go for a car ride!?" Acting all excited & happy shows your chi that it's going to be fun and you're not scared. If your showing you are sad or feel bad because your chi is freaking in the car, he's picking up on this & doesn't feel safe. Do you take him for a ride to the park to go for a walk? To fun places? Or do you just take him for a ride in the car to the vet? Dogs learn very early that cars can be a bad thing when they go to get their puppy shots. You have to show them that cars can be a good thing by taking us to places we have fun. The mood you're in can be felt by your chi, so it's important to be confident, comforting & do a lot of sweet calm talking to your chi when you're in the car & most importantly, make sure you let him know when you're going to a fun place.


Thanks Lisa, yes we do go fun places and rarely go to the vet. Unless he had a bad experience in the car before we got him ( at 16 weeks) he has always been given a positive ride. He goes daily to work with my husband and our female chi. Then he travels to see us each weekend ( a 4-5 hour drive)-- where he is ecstatic to see his other 2 chi brothers and the rest of the family. So he is always going somewhere he likes! This just makes it even more baffling



Brodysmom said:


> Have you tried rescue remedy Mel?


Yes Tracy, that was the very first thing I tried...he's been the first dog I've had that hasn't responded at all to the rescue remedy


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

Mel's chi's said:


> Yes Tracy, that was the very first thing I tried...he's been the first dog I've had that hasn't responded at all to the rescue remedy


What about ginger for the nausea? Maybe a thundershirt??


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## ~LS~ (Oct 29, 2011)

I like Lisa's advice. I would also use super scrumptious treats, so he associates
the car with goodness. Also make sure to walk/run him well before each ride, it'll
bring his stress down, make him more relaxed and at ease, less energy to spare
on ill behavior, hopefully will bring his panic mode down a notch.


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## bayoumah (Nov 30, 2010)

hi good luck with him sounds like a sensitive stomach


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

I would also advise using a thunder shirt for anxiety. It really does work. They are sold now at PetSmart and PetCo. I use one for my chi Emmie, who gets freaked out occasionally by focal seizures when she 'sees' things that aren't there. The TS really helps her. Good luck. The other thing I did with another chi that cried, panted etc was a tip that a vet tech told me about. Cover the crate, travel carrier so he can't see out. Worked like a charm. I was driving 900+ miles so it really made a difference. Sue


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## Mel's chi's (Jun 2, 2011)

Brodysmom said:


> What about ginger for the nausea? Maybe a thundershirt??


Thanks Tracy and Shiela, I have tried...don't think it is nausea. Actually wish it was, it would be much easier to fix!



~LS~ said:


> I like Lisa's advice. I would also use super scrumptious treats, so he associates
> the car with goodness. Also make sure to walk/run him well before each ride, it'll
> bring his stress down, make him more relaxed and at ease, less energy to spare
> on ill behavior, hopefully will bring his panic mode down a notch.


LS, he does get to run for about 1/2 hour with Vanessa in the garden before loading up for his drive here ( the 4-5 hour one), so he his pretty exercised. Vanessa is worn out and falls asleep on the ride --unless daddy is handing out treats  Clapton on the other hand fights the sleep with his anxiety 



susan davis said:


> I would also advise using a thunder shirt for anxiety. It really does work. They are sold now at PetSmart and PetCo. I use one for my chi Emmie, who gets freaked out occasionally by focal seizures when she 'sees' things that aren't there. The TS really helps her. Good luck. The other thing I did with another chi that cried, panted etc was a tip that a vet tech told me about. Cover the crate, travel carrier so he can't see out. Worked like a charm. I was driving 900+ miles so it really made a difference. Sue


Susan, I borrowed a thunder shirt to try but hubby took it off after the 1st hour saying it wasn't helping. Maybe I should have him try again and tell him to leave it on the whole trip. I don't have it any more, but would gladly buy one to try again. We have tried the covered crate with just a wee bit of the front open, so he could see out a small portion...should the whole thing be covered? That sounds spooky--yikes, now I'm the baby!


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## Mel's chi's (Jun 2, 2011)

So thanks for the replies and suggestions so far ( and any others are welcome since I am still searching). 

I am going to try mixing my own Bach Flower combo this week for him. I only used the rescue remedy pre made, so making one very specific might be more helpful ( and now I have had him long enough to really know how to choose the flowers more appropriate to his needs).


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

The vet tech said to cover it completely. Is it a wire crate? Can you cover it so that the back of the crate is against something; like the back of the car seat? I think that I left the back open, 'cause it was against the back of the seat. She did so much better than the trip going it was amazing. I would try the thunder shirt and leave it on all the way. They do have a return policy I believe. Sue


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## Christabelle (Dec 21, 2011)

Hey Mel - The thundershirt helped Mimi alot with riding in 
the car. I also use a blanket that she usually sleeps with
in her bed. She used to whine, which would escalate into
yelping at the top of her lungs, she also would pant and
carry on the entire time. With her thundershirt on she
just sits there on her blanket and rides.


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