Having fun or anxious in the car?
Barney is pretty good in the car (at least compared to Maggie who paces and whines and is really not happy to go in the car--which is better than our last dog, Cricket, who was car sick and puked every time--even if it was only 2 blocks!) and he walks around a lot (I keep him in the back of my 4Runner) and I think he's excited, but I'm not sure... |
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| Is he panting hard? My dog trainer told me that's a sign of anxiety in dogs. Bailey loves the car and will go from window to window in the back seat to "survey his kingdom" as we drive along. He also loves to stick his head out the window. But eventually all of that excitement makes him tired and he just lays down until we get to wherever we're going. Somehow he knows when we're "there" and will hop up and start looking around again. |
| He pants, but I wouldn't say it's excessive panting. I guess the fact that he doesn't really sit or lie down is what made me wonder. Although, the longest car trip we've taken him on is probably 10 minutes...probably not enough time to have the excitement wear off. And, he did lie down a few times today when I was stopped at a red light, but the second I started moving again, he was up...I'm not really worried since if it is anxiety, it doesn't really seem too bad...but I think it is more excitement of where are we going?! |
| Is he drooling? Pooh still drools when he's in the car. Definately anxiety, and will get car sick if he's recently eaten...... |
| Poor Pooh!
Nope, no drooling. And his beard isn't even really that wet by the time we get where we're going, so I guess it isn't anxiety... |
| Dogs react differently to stress. Some signs are panting, drooling, licking of lips, darting eyes, lifting a foreleg. Anxiety is being anxious, and that can be both anxious like "worried" or anxious like "excited". Either way, I would assume he is stressed, but not reacting in a really bad negative way.
In the car one of my shelties starts to drool as soon as she gets in, and has vomited the odd time. The other one darts from one side to the other, totally stressed, and once we start she lays down and doesn't move, staring frantically out the window. Bosley jumps in and lays done on the floor right away. Squeezes himself right between the front seat and doesn't move until the car stops. I read all those reactions as stressful, and they are not happy. A good way to tell is to see if he will eat something that is not a "wow" treat, like some kibble. If he is too stressed he won't eat. But if he is comfortable with the whole thing he will. I mentioned before that Bosley didn't like timbits, but then I realized that he didn't eat anyting in the car. Timbits were fine once we got home!  |
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