getting into the car

[nikkij]

I am having  trouble getting Alfie (15wks)  to go into the car,  he is traveling in the boot with a dog guard as last week he discovered how to climb over the back seats  but  getting him in there  is becoming harder, i have tried putting treats down, kong, toys but he tries to jump out immediately I am scared that I am going to trap his legs/ head/tail and that he will hurt himself trying to jump out.  When OH is in he holds his lead from the back seats until the boot is shut no problems but it is a nightmare to get him in on my own! We have taken him in the car lots  so its not a novelty and as soon as  we get going Alfie seems to have no probs with the car just lies down and goes to sleep  .

 Any ideas about how I can get him in there safely in the first place???

[*Theresa*]

can you perhaps loop his lead around the dog gaurd to keep him in place until you secure the boot and then release the lead from the back seat?

Did that make sense? 

[Joules]

I would either get a car harness or a crate to go in the car so you can be sure that he is secure in the car and can't come to any harm 

[dmulally]

Try getting in the car with him in full view and leaving without him.

Maybe he will get upset that he isnt coming and then turn round, go back and see if he wants to come in then.

Just a thought.

Cheers
Damian

[september]

I would get a crate or a seat belt harness.  We have a harness and Roxy (also 15 weeks) has to be wrestled into it if I'm on my own (I think they have no patience to sit still for long at that age!)  if OH is there he distracts her with a treat and she puts it on fine.

The problem with the dog being loose in the boot is if there is an accident, even someone bumping you from behind its very easy for the dog to be scared and jump out into the traffic and get hurt, or indeed injured in the car.

My next door neighbours friend lost their dog in this way a few years ago and they advised us about it when we got Roxy.

[*sammy*]

sam learnt to jump over the back seats pretty quickly too. i tend to loop his lead around the dog guard, i leave enough lead for him to lie down . this helps with getting him in and also not jumping out when we stop.
we have been practising the wait cammand and now he just lies there and waits for me to unto his lead before trying to escape

[Joules]

I would deffo try and secure him in the car until you can be sure he won't try and jump out.  My sister had a Retriever pup that jumped out of the car as soon as the door was opened and was killed by a passing car  I have also taught Coco to wait before she gets out of the car until I tell her she can 

[Sarah.H]

Definitely teach a reliably wait command, even if you use crate or harness its so much easier if your dogs is sitting still!

[kalami]

Bella 12 weeks old she's got a seat belt harness for short journeys, for long ones we put her crate in the boot with the back seat down so she can see us.

[Sheryl]

I use a harness in the back seats for my two.  Nothing to do with jumping out, just never liked the thought of them in the boot if we were ever rear ended...

[nikkij]

Thanks for all the advice that is really really helpful I am looking into getting a crate that will fit in my boot and still fit Alfie (boot of a corsa not very big!     ) but a harmess seems a good idea as most of our journeys with him are not too long.  Have been trying to teach the wait command also so hopefully when we have mastered that it will help too.