Dog squeaks and foams at mouth when out in the car.....

[LaDeeDa]

Oscar is a 3.5 yo Staffy X Ridgeback and we've had him since he was 10 mths old.

He's always been in the car with us from day one....either in the back of my little hatch back at the time or on the backseat of DF's truck.

He has always let out this high pitched squeak and drooled a little bit whilst he's in the back... he would usually stop squeaking once he laid down and stopped looking out the windows.

Then we upgraded and bought a station wagon with a cargo barrier so now he goes in the back of the wagon.

Ever since this he has literally foamed at the mouth. He drools and flings it around so much that by the end of a trip he literally has a foam beard and you can barely see out any of the windows in the back of the car because he has absolutely drenched the whole area.

We have tried making him drop when we are driving so he can't see out the windows .... but all that has done is save the windows and when we get out of the car his front paws are soaking wet as is the floor because he is still drooling just as bad....and he still squeaks.....

It is really starting to do my head in....he comes in the car with us everyday so it's not like it's something out of the ordinary that happens and like I said whilst he has always made noise and drooled a tiny bit it is nothing like the lipsmacking shower he subjects us to in the wagon.

Any ideas would be appreciated!!! Can't have him giving DS a shower everytime we need to go somewhere....LMAO

[Aphrael]

Is he secured? A harness to make sure he doesn't move around too much? Maybe he feels less secure in the boot than he did on the backseat??? That's all I could think of straight away.

I'd be asking this q on the dogsonline forum as you are sure to get some professionals (and so called professionals) giving you some tips.

Cheers,

Beck

[ss_storm]

Do you think he is doing it from fear/nervousness or excitement? Or maybe he feels carsick?

[LaDeeDa]

Ss-storm - I think it's a combination of anxiousness and excitement .... but given the option of coming out or staying home he'll just about fall over himself to get in the car.....

[ss_storm]

I wonder if it is to do with excitement, could you try and desensitise him to it? Like letting him hop in the car for a few minutes but not going anywhere, gradually building up until he's no longer busting to get in there, then start taking him on short trips around the block? Might not be practical though, if you need to take him places now. Hopefully others might have some more helpful tips for you! Can always trade you for our dog...he doesn't foam everywhere he just dribbles then spews..lol. But at least he tries to keep it on the towels we put on the seat!

[~ Mylitta ~]

SS_storm I think you are definitely on the right track. The main recommendation we make for situations like this is to desensitise the dog by doing what SS has mentioned. Start by just putting Oscar in the car for a couple of minutes at a time. You'll may even be able to work out whether it's carsickness or excitement by doing this because if it's carsickness then he shouldn't get it while the car is not moving, but if it's excitement then he'll probably still react to just being in the car. The exception is when the dog is so used to getting carsick that just the anticipation of the car moving can bring on the car sickness...

We often suggest starting by putting the dogs food in the car so that once they are in the car they are occupied for a short time while they eat, and once they are done you take them out. It creates a positive association with the car for those dogs prone to carsickness. Gradually start doing more things like starting the car for a couple of minutes without moving the car at all. Then graduate to backing down the driveway and up again. Next would be small trips around the block etc etc. If the problem is excitement generated because he knows that he always goes somewhere really fun after a trip in the car, make sure you practise putting him in the car and not going anywhere so that he can't be sure that it's going to be a trip to somewhere fun.

For the sake of the interior of you car, good luck!!!