Carsick Dogs

PineRidge · Mar 15, 2006

Don't think what you're describing is unusual. One of our two dogs loves to travel and hang her head out the window to feel the air in her face.

The other hides as soon as we mention car. We need to take a large beach blanket along for her as she has been car sick many times. The vet said that it's not all that uncommon.

Jagmandave · Mar 15, 2006

We have an Audi Allroad wagon.
We have tried several combinations - second row of seats flat with sheepskins for them to lay on, so they can get a grip and not slide around. This puts them close to us, which feeds the insecure one's anxieties, since she can see us but can't get to us.

We've tried putting them in the cage in the very back - she claws at the bars of the cage constantly, and sits on top of the other one. We've also tried putting them in the back without the cage.

And we've tried putting them in the middle with the cage door open and facing them, so they could go in if they wanted too.........

The sounds and motions seem to lull them both after a while, but when it changes - as in slowing down for an exit or a toll both, then it all starts up again for another 20 min or so.

The ginger snaps idea seems worth trying, and we have over a month before we go, so I'm going to try them and see what happens........

Appreciate all the ideas and comments!

hazmat · Mar 16, 2006

One thing I remember from college (besides how to tap a keg) is that auto suspensions are tuned to have a resonant frequency above the natural frequency of adult humans (ie the frequency which makes us quesy as our guts are bouncing around inside our bodies).

This is why small children & small pets get carsick (they have a higher frequency). It is also why kids literally "grow out of it".

The previous suggestion to try a different vehicle very well could work. Or upgrade to "standard" poodle from the "minature" /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif (Just kidding)...

Jagmandave · Mar 16, 2006

Appreciate all the ideas and contributions........

As to the different car idea, same behavior happpens in my Lexus ES 300 and my Tundra ...............