Dealing with Car Barking

reactive dogs Jan 18, 2021
Dog barking out car window

Few things are as irritating and anxiety-producing as your dog barking right behind your head as you try to drive your car.  If you are the parent of a dog who is also reactive on their walks, this adds to your already considerable stress level.  And, your dog’s car barking is being reinforced at least some of the time, or they wouldn’t be doing it!  So car barking is a lose-lose proposition for you, the reactive dog mom or dad.

Watching your dog and trying to deliver treats in the car isn’t always possible, or safe.  If you’re a passenger, then you may be able to do some active training like this, but if you’re driving, you need to keep your attention on the road.  For this reason, I recommend starting with interventions that you could call “passive training” to decrease car barking- training that doesn’t require your participation while you’re driving. 

In this week’s video, I discuss simple strategies for decreasing car barking with our Facebook support group.  There is one caveat:  If your dog is very anxious in the car, won’t eat in the car, and/or gets car sick, your first stop will be your vet.  There are medications that can help with car sickness and anxiety that your vet can recommend if they’re appropriate for your dog. 

 

 

I hope you enjoy this training! We’d love to hear how your work with your dog’s car barking is going. Email us at [email protected], or join our Facebook group and post your questions or comments there. 

FINAL NOTE:  Our brand new online reactive dog program, the Reactive Dog Survival Guide, closes for registration this week! If you’ve been thinking about joining us, now is the time. This program won’t open again until June 2021.