You have a very long drive ahead. You have children to look after and a partner who insists on playing horrendous music in your car. Even worse is the barking of your dog in the back. You can hear the dog’s deep, loud bark. One joyful thing is that he doesn’t drown out your partner’s music. You can’t get him to stop barking. He will make as much noise in a car as possible. This behavior continues when you take him with you to the vet or to visit your friends.
To give yourself some quiet, train him not to bark in the car. It will also allow you not to walk him through the snow and freezing because of the havoc he will cause if he drives.
Why does my dog bark at the car?
A barking dog in the back seat of a car can create a nuisance and even be dangerous for humans. Dogs can communicate by barking. Before we can stop the barking and other annoying behavior, we must first understand why our pet is barking.
Three primary reasons dogs bark in cars are anxiety, aggression, and excitement. Once you identify the culprit, you will be able to address it and make your driving experience safer and more enjoyable.
Your dog is barking in your car because it’s too noisy.
Before finding the best way to calm your dog in the car, you must identify why they are barking each time you drive. The best way to solve the problem is to identify the cause. It comes down to two leading causes of your dog’s barking in the car: anxiety and excitement (which can come from many sources).
There are many things you can see
Sometimes, dogs bark when they are excited about new adventures. You can also see all the fun outside, and your pup will enjoy all the exciting smells. All of these factors lead to intense excitement in your dog. Your pup’s barking can communicate this.
Be aware of whether barking occurs throughout the ride or at specific points. Are you able to see if your dog is calm for most of the trip but gets savage at traffic lights? You might find that your dog gets excited when you enter a fast-food restaurant. These observations can help determine the best solution to your dog’s barking problems in the car.
Anxiety and stress
Stress and anxiety can be caused by various factors, including the fact that your dog is being loaded into the car. If your pup has ever had a bad experience in a car, they can associate that vehicle with an unpleasant experience.
Your dog may also be stressed by the possibility of seeing another animal from the vehicle. You can’t allow your dog to look at the target while driving. The car creates an artificial barrier that can lead to anxiety and restlessness. This effect resembles how some dogs bark at other animals and people. Even though the fence isn’t necessary, the dog may be calmer. However, the fence can create a barrier that leads to frustration for the dog.
There is also the possibility that your dog has motion sickness. This can cause stress and excessive barking. You may notice your dog become listless or yawny if you suspect that motion sickness is causing it. This can be a common doggy strategy for self-calming.
How can I prevent it from happening?
It is possible to change this behavior by taking many steps.
Make sure your dog is always on a leash.
You can distract them from the approaching car by using distraction techniques. Use toys or treats to walk with your dog. This will teach them to pay attention until the car passes.
If “watch my dog” doesn’t work with your dog, you can redirect their attention by calling them, squeezing a toy, or giving them treats.
You can reward your dog with a treat if they look away from the car and are not barking at it.
Be consistent; use training methods each time a car passes. This will help to change your dog’s view of cars as a threat. Instead, they’ll be happy to receive a treat.
You can give your dog enrichment and exercise if it is just boredom.
How to stop your dog’s barking in the car
Start by having training sessions held while the car’s parked. This will make the entire situation less stressful for most dogs.
Your dog will love you if you take them along to the car and offer them a treat. For instance, if your dog barks at people, give them treats and praise them when they see them. (The process works for other triggers as well, but for the sake of this discussion, I will continue to use people.
If possible, it’s possible to toss the treats before your dog reacts. However, if that’s not feasible, you can still give them the treats (and the happy talks) even though they may bark. Your dog’s behavior does not have to be a condition for receiving the treats. To be eligible for the treats, your dog does not need to sit, lie, or look at you. It’s not necessary to train your dog to act in specific ways. You are simply teaching your dog how to associate positive speech and treats with people. Dogs won’t bark at other dogs if they are happy to see people.
To improve your timing and delivery of treats before your dog starts barking, orchestrate the situation. To do this, you can have someone else walk past your car or park your vehicle far from where people will be walking. It is essential to keep your dog within the threshold of alertness (i.e., not reacting) and to provide treats and happy talking as soon as a person is apparent. Timing is essential because your dog will make the connection more accessible if you can link the person’s sight and the delivery and praise.