(Photo Credit: New York Times)
Although us humans are mostly used to having weekend getaways in our trusty car, this doesn’t usually apply to our furkid – especially ones that are unfamiliar with being in a rumbling vehicle.
While getting your dog used to car rides may seem unimportant, there might be times where you’ll want to include them in your family trips or even a visit to the local vet!
As many dogs can often fall victim to anxiety or even motion sickness during car rides, we’ve decided to compile a list of tips that can help your doggo settle in comfortably during their carriage ride. 🚗
1) Play Calm Music
If it’s your dog’s first rodeo in a car, the experience will inevitably be stressful for our four-legged friend. Surprisingly enough, research has shown that relaxing music does wonders when it comes to calming your doggo!
According to experts, cortisol (a stress hormone in dogs!) was greatly reduced when soft music was played. Along with decreased stress, dogs that have listened to calming music were shown to have reduced heart rates, better mood levels and fewer signs of separation anxiety too!
Looks like hoomans and doggos can be quite similar after all!
Here are some Spotify playlists that might help reduce your doggo’s anxiety:
2) No Feeding Before Trips
Any experienced pawrent would know that bringing your doggo on a joyride right after lunch is a bad idea. Dogs with a full stomach can be prone to motion sickness, which may lead to them being sick or vomiting on your seats. Once that happens, the mess is going to keep you very occupied (and not necessarily in a good way 😷).
To prevent these accidents, you can feed your dog hours prior to your trip instead of just before it. If you’re worried that your pupper might be hungry on the trip, you can feed them tiny snacks and schedule their potty breaks – especially for long trips — before hitting the road! Planning a few steps ahead (or in this case, kilometers 😏) can do wonders in creating a pawfect trip!
3) Potty Breaks!
“Remember to go to the toilet ah!” is what our mom would always tell us before trips and breaks. As professional pawrents, this common but useful tip is no exception for our furkid. 🐶
Your pupper will need some treats and water during the car ride to keep them comfy, but that also means potty breaks, especially if it’s a long trip). Remember to stop every few hours so that your doggo (and you too!) have the chance to go. 🚽
Having full stomachs and bladders while stuck in a moving metal box is going to be uncomfortable for everyone, so make sure that your journey is well-planned with rest stops on the way!
(Friendly reminder to bring poop bags in case of emergencies or ‘accidents’!)
4) Knock Them Out (Gently)!
The best passenger princess is one that sleeps all the way. 👑 Instead of having a nervous doggo that keeps barking and scrambling around your car seats, try burning your pet’s energy via walks or vigorous games so that they’ll be worn out mentally and physically before the trip.
That way, your doggo will just sleep throughout the entire trip (or most of it)! They won’t even know what hit them. 💤
5) Bring their favorite items
Most of us have our favorite plushies (a.k.a chou chou) that we can’t live without, and the same goes for our furkid! Bringing your doggo’s prized toy or blanket can greatly calm them down during trips, while also serving as a distraction from the hours long drive in a stuffy car. 🚗
With their focus and attention on their beloved toy, your doggo may be less likely to spend the trip howling emo songs. 🫣
____
Thanks for reading this far. :) We hope that this list was helpful to all dog owners out there who are looking to be a better pawrent! Save this article for future reference and share it with fellow doggo owners! 🐕
If there are more that we should include or any updates, hit us up at our Instagram or email us at myforeverdoggo@gmail.com.
Comments