Car Rides Shouldn't Only Mean the Vet 🚗

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Real talk. If the ONLY time your dog gets in the car is to go to the vet... of course they hate the car. 😂

Car = needles. That's the math they're doing.

So start early. As early as you can. Puppy, new rescue, whoever. Make the car the place where good stuff happens.

Top down in my roadster, a little drive, a treat, a sniff at the park, home again. Nobody got poked. Hahaha. 💅

How I do it 🐾

Start small. Sit in the parked car. Treat. Done.
Then engine on. Treat.
Then the end of the driveway. Treat.
Then around the block. Treat. Party. 🎉
Go somewhere FUN. Park, a drive-through, a friend's house. Not just the vet.
Too much? Go back a step. No rush.
Buckle them in. A harness and tether, or a booster seat. Here's the one my co-pilot loves.

Car training calls for HIGH-value treats. The good stuff. Not the boring biscuit.

One ingredient: beef liver. Up to 475 pieces in the tub. Trainers have used these forever. They're dry, so no melty mess in the car. 💪

Smaller bag: Vital Essentials Freeze Dried Beef Liver, 2.1 oz. It's shelf stable with no refrigeration, so it's perfect for the glovebox stash on trip day.

Not into raw? Crunchy baked treats travel great too: - Old Mother Hubbard Classic Mini Biscuits, 3.8 lb. Oven-baked, crunchy, four flavors. - Charlee Bear Original Training Treats, Cheese & Egg. Tiny crunchy bites, great for lots of little rewards.

Pack them in a sealed container. My favorites are in the go-bag post. 👜

Freeze-dried liver is RAW. Freeze-drying doesn't kill all germs. Wash your hands after handling, and skip them if anyone in your house has a weak immune system. The baked biscuits are the easy alternative.
The car is not a pantry. Bring treats in for the trip and take them back out after.
NEVER leave them in a parked car. Not for "just a minute." Not with the windows cracked. Never.
Some dogs get carsick. That's a vet conversation, not a training fail.

The CDC says to prepare pets for road trips with a series of short drives, slowly adding time in the car. (CDC)
The AVMA says to give your pet chances to get used to car travel before long trips, and to safely restrain dogs. (AVMA)
VCA says dogs that only ride once or twice a year, usually to the vet, often link the car with the stressful thing that follows. (VCA)
The AKC recommends going step by step (desensitization) and pairing the car with high-value rewards (counter-conditioning). If your dog stops eating or seems stressed, go back a step. (AKC)
The CDC lists freeze-dried treats as a form of raw pet food. Freeze-drying only reduces germs like Salmonella and Listeria. It doesn't kill them all. (CDC)
The AVMA says a car's inside temperature can rise about 19°F in 10 minutes, cracking the windows makes no difference, and you should never leave a pet alone in a parked car. (AVMA)

Vet note: I'm not a vet, and this isn't vet advice. If your dog drools, shakes, or vomits in the car, talk to your vet. Carsickness can be treated.