How To Help Your Dog Travel Happier In The Car

If you have a car and a dog, chances are you will either need or want to take your dog out in the car with you. This could be to go for walks, to go to the vets, taking your dog to work with you. Or seeing friends and family or even taking your dog on holiday. But for some dogs travelling can be very stressful. This can mean you have to change your plans, and you may get stressed yourself. As the last thing you want to do as a loving dog owner is create stress for your dog.

How will you know if your dog finds travelling stressful?

There can be several signs including:

• Not wanting to get into the car
• Panting or drooling
• Being sick
• Barking or whining

There can be other signs too. So what can you do to help your dog? The good news is that there are a range of ways to help.

Here are 4 ways to help your dog to be happier travelling:

1. Consider how your dog travels. Does he or she go into the luggage compartment (boot) of your car? Or does he or she sit on the car seats? How are they restrained? Are they in a cage? If they are is it tailor made for your car and is it the right size for your dog? Whatever they sit in or on, is it comfortable? Some dogs prefer to 'nest' and like lots of blankets. A cheap duvet can be a great inexpensive item for your dog to sit on. Despite best efforts, car travel can be bumpy and some dogs dislike getting jolted about. So think about how they are travelling and if it could be more comfortable. Read this Natural Pet Health Blog post on travel safe tips for your dog.
2. How does your dog get in and out of the car? For some dogs getting in and out can be stressful and even painful. Often there is some kind of jump up required. This can be difficult if your dog has any kind of arthritis, joint problem or other health condition. So the number one tip is to get your dog checked by your veterinary surgeon. To help ensure your dog has any ailments diagnosed and treatment organised. Also you could buy either a ramp for your dog to get in and out of the car easily, or one of my favourite items for my dog when he had arthritis was a special dog sling that supported his hind end so he could get in the car easily. If it is difficult due to your dog's mobility, then there are a range of complementary therapies you can use to help. Check out these other Natural Pet Health blog posts for some ideas.
• How to help your dog with hip dysplasia holistically
• Stop effects of arthritis for your dog with a holistic approach

3. Give your dog variety. For some dogs they may get bored going to the same place every time. They may not even like where they are going to (definitely can be the case if they only go to the vets when they have a car trip!). Research (Svendsen, 2019) suggests that boredom isn't restricted to humans, and animals can get bored. Or in contrast, your dog may get scared of the unknown of where he or she is going. Bach Flower Remedies are a complementary therapy that can be useful for a range of emotions. So whatever emotion your dog feels due to travelling, then a Bach Flower Remedy could help. Read more at my Bach Flower Remedies for Animals advice page here.
4. Linking to point 1, if your dog finds car travelling nauseous and is sick. Then what can you do to help? There's several complementary therapies that can be useful for your dog, including:
• Herbal health - Ginger biscuits are a top and inexpensive tip! Ginger is an excellent herb for digestive issues, and a few titbits of ginger biscuits can be useful to try. This can be better than giving your dog food or an ordinary dog treat before travelling. Which can be too much for a dog who gets car sick. V
• Homeopathy - Veterinary homeopathy can also help with several remedies able to help. You can get advice from a veterinary surgeon who has specialised in homeopathy. There are many around the world. Please email info at taranet.co.uk if you'd like help finding one near you.
• Zoopharmacognosy - there are many essential oils that can make a big difference to your dog. Read more at this Taranet advice page.

Other complementary therapies to help your dog travelling?

There's a range of ways to help your dog feel happier and less stressed travelling. Many energy therapies can be worth trying. These include Reiki, Crystal Healing, Radionics. Explore the Taranet Directory for information on lots of therapies.

You could also consider Animal Communication as way to understand why your dog finds travelling difficult. Check out these insights from leading international animal communicator Annie Bourke - with this guest blog post here and my podcast interview with Annie below

Finally….Please remember that if your horse, dog or other animal is unwell. Or on any kind of medication or other supplement. Then always speak to your Veterinary Surgeon first before using any supplement or therapy. Even natural ones. To avoid any possible issues.

And do you know someone who'd find this helpful? Please share, the more we can spread awareness of the benefits of natural therapies the better! :)

Find out more about other natural animal therapies here at Taranet. Or read other articles in this Natural Pet Health Blog. Take a look at the sitemap here to explore!

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About the Author
Suzanne Harris is an equestrian and canine entrepreneurial coach and consultant to veterinarians who want to help prevent animals being affected by domestic abuse