Dog hates the beast (1 Viewer)

[glynis50]

May I ask your advice please? Our greyhound hates the motorhome! She pants, slobber, shakes from the moment she gets into the chausson! She has a thundershirt, adapting etc. But nothing works! Any ideas gratefully accepted. Thanks in advance.

Glyn

 

[Silver-Fox]

Is she ok in a car?

Do you use a crate in a car or at home?

 

[Wissel]

Sounds scared. Theanine works a treat with my dog when scared.

Totally benign - just green tea extract

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[glynis50]

She doesn't like the car either. We have a shogun with all rear seats removed. Covered with quilts etc. Just hates the both of them but most upsetting last week going to Devon and returning home to staffs. She had bed behind seats made comfortable with extra padding

 

[glynis50]

Wissel:

Holland and Barrett?

 

[glynis50]

Silver fox: no we don't use a crate. She is ex racer.

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[Wissel]

Wissel:

Holland and Barrett?

They would sell it - if not Amazon or similar.

I tried the dog on it as I take it myself. Worked much better than gelsemium which is what I used to give him (he hates fireworks). One tablet and he's much better after about 30 mins.

 

[Head Gardener]

Don’t know how long you have had her, but as an ex-racer she probably only ever went in vehicles to go to tracks, maybe not good memories ...

Our rescue girl (part whippet) was terrified of the car to begin with. I spent two weeks picking up a screaming, struggling hound, putting her in the car and driving 5 yards onto the road. Then got her out, went for a walk, loads of praise & a biscuit. After a couple of weeks we progressed to driving half a mile to a lovely walk next to a river. Long story short, it took the best part of a year but eventually she calmed down. We have now had her five years and she has only just started to relax completely in the car.

If your motorhome is on the drive, can you pop down there with her for a few minutes? Have a cuddle, a biscuit, whatever makes her happy and keep on doing it day, after day, after day ......

 

[Silver-Fox]

Silver fox: no we don't use a crate. She is ex racer.

She would have been transported a lot then, wonder if there was an incident?

How do they normally transport racers, maybe she doesn't like being in the open and transported?

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[Podney]

If your dog is motivated by food (most are) you could try feeding her in the Motorhome when it's parked at home,and not going anywhere. Do this for several days,without going anywhere in the Motorhome.
She will then associate the moho with food,instead of whatever it is she is linking it to at the moment.

 

[movan]

Know it might sound silly ... sit with your arms round her talking gently whilst the engine running .. stationary..... Do it for 5 minutes .. then 10 minutes later in the day. Each day build up by fi ve minutes and then gradually take arms away so you just sitting next to her...

Let her associate the engine noise with a time for relaxing with you.

 

[glynis50]

Theanine ordered from Amazon. Thank you.

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[glynis50]

We have tried desensitising her. Small trips with treats etc. It's heartbreaking to hear her panting and so unhappy. She's a lovely girl. The sixth rescue greyhound we've had. All the others loved to travel

 

[Dogeared]

Our dog loved the car, but hated the motorhome, found that the noises from behind terrified her. Made a cushioned area between the front seats, ensuring that it had a cover over (just a blanket or towel) over it. Our dog then felt protected from unknown noises and now loves the van. Hope it helps

 

[Dogeared]

Our dog loved the car, but hated the motorhome, found that the noises from behind terrified her. Made a cushioned enclosed area between the front seats, ensuring that it had a cover over (just a blanket or towel) over it. Our dog then felt protected from unknown noises and now loves the van. Hope it helps

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[Head Gardener]

Had to go down to the car and check as I couldn’t remember the name .... we also used a calming spray called ‘Pet Remedy’. Got it from Amazon and it was definitely “the turning point” from just about tolerating it but slobbering and dribbling all the time to laying quietly on a bed on the back seat and only dribbling occasionally.

Some great advice from others, hope you can find something, or a combination or somethings, that will work for your girl.

 

[The Dudess]

Theanine ordered from Amazon. Thank you.

Good luck - hope it works. Can you post on the result please. Thanks

 

[glynis50]

Thank you all for the advice. I'll let you know when I've tried the Thiamine,



Glyn

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[Ralph-n-Bev]

We've just ordered some too, for Buster. He gets so excited when we say " come on, we're off camping!" Jumping up into the van etc. Once we set of he just doesn't settle.
He knows it's worth it once we gat to where we are going.
Even on very long trips he never sleeps . ( once there he's zonked after a good look around )
Every cats eye, rumble strip , pothole his head turns to the side and he starts panting. He was worse in our last van. Ralphs made Pug super quiet. We even bought a silent oven , ( I'm not joking ) to stop rattles . As he didn't like those too.
The only noise from the van , is if we don't have enough beer in n the fridge so the bottles roll !
Hopefully these tabs may chill him out. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Head Gardener]

Every cats eye, rumble strip , pothole his head turns to the side and he starts panting. He was worse in our last van. Ralphs made Pug super quiet. We even bought a silent oven , ( I'm not joking ) to stop rattles .

I sometimes wonder if it is anything to do with engine vibration, whether there are frequencies we cannot hear but the dog can.

When we got Daisy I was driving an old Honda CRV. Maybe it sounded 'funny', maybe it was impregnated with the scent of the previous dog, who knows but she never really settled. A couple of years ago I changed to a different SUV and she has been much, much better, although I don't think she will ever be the kind of dog who adores car travel. Maybe this car sounds different, doesn't smell the same, perhaps it is the 'Pet Remedy' spray, perhaps it is just time?

What I have found, though, is that she is a whole lot more settled when laying on the back seat and looking forwards between our seats. At one time I had her in a soft crate (which she loves indoors) but that made her worse.

 

[JJ]

Why not attach a stuffed toy rabbit (with a wire coat hanger) to you motorhome rear bumper, sticking it out sideways on the pavement side, and just let her chase it as you drive along...

JJ

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[Rob and Val]

If your dog is extremely nervous when travelling is it possible that could affect her digestive system? The very thought of a dog with traveller’s diarrhoea in a motorhome is the stuff of nightmares!

There is some stuff that you can buy which is a kind of Doggie Imodium : -
https://www.animeddirect.co.uk/protexin-pro-kolin-paste-syringe-60ml.html

 

[big bertha]

Our border hates the motorhome as well and previous border not much better. Remember a programme a month or so ago with dogs and owners competing in events. The border was tested to see if it was ampidextrous as seemingly they are more noise sensitive. Definitely the noise in motorhome that's problem with ours, she doesn't like car but settles a bit better. Now trying soft cage which at least keeps her in same place instead of climbing over our other dog and tangling up harnesses.

 

[Wissel]

We are really lucky with our dog, as the motorhome is his favourite place in the world. Although he gets a little annoyed if the Missus is with us a steals "his" chair
(it's our everyday vehicle as well, so just him and I if Missus at work)

I work from home and usually the dog never leaves my side. He hates it if I leave him at home to walk to the shop etc., but in the van it's the complete opposite. As soon as we arrive somewhere he will moan for a walk to scope the area, then once back in the van he moans to get rid of us for a few hours so he gets the place to himself. Christ knows what he does in there

He's always been afraid of fireworks and for years I'd start getting Gelsemium into his system around the end of October as it takes a few days to start calming.

Discovering how well Theanine works was complete luck. Last Summer there was a big party a few doors down and they had fireworks. Dog was petrified.

All I had in was the Theanine that I take, so did a quick Google search to make sure it was safe for dogs (found it was and is common to give to dogs) and popped a capsule in a bit of cheese. 30 minutes later he was fine.

It's all I've used now for the last year and a bit whenever he is scared or a little out of control because of a bitch in heat close-by etc. Works so well.

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[Head Gardener]

We are really lucky with our dog, as the motorhome is his favourite place in the world. Although he gets a little annoyed if the Missus is with us a steals "his" chair

What a lovely post, clearly you are as daft about your dog as we are

 

[MillieMoocher]

We had similar problems with one of our ex racing greyhounds. We were told that she had been abandoned at the roadside before being put into the retired greyhound trust facility we got her from.

She would also pant and shake in any vehicle, and throw up too. She would go clammy and as her entire body would turn damp. We think it was because she associated going in a car with either racing or more likely being dumped.

We started by putting her in the back of the estate car with the tailgate open and us sitting outside nearby. She should still throw up!

We took her on a lot of short journeys to walks and treats etc so she came to associate the car journey with pleasure/fun.

After probably 18 months of her in effect being made to come with us, she has now got her confidence and jumps willingly in the back of the car or MH.

We did try the usual tranqilising type remedies, not feeding before a journey, ginger biscuits and just about everyone the internet had to offer - but none worked.

I suppose what I'm saying is that it's likely to be a confidence thing and can only really be cured with time, love, and positive attention - all of which as a greyhound rescuer you'll have in spades!

Good luck, keep in there, it might take time but it will be ok in the end!

 

[macscrooge]

Our Lurcher has always been fine in cars - she travels in a soft 'crate' secured on the back seat. She didn't like the MoHo at first - probably much more noise than she's used to, but using the same smelly dog crate seems to improve the journey for her. She particularly loves being with us in the MoHo when on site.

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[glynis50]

Hi again. Thanks for all the advice. I tried theanin, calming spray, rescue remedy. Antihistamines with no joy
Had some xanax prescribed by my vet which helped when I kept upping the dose but made her hyper. Great on bonfire night when she'd stopped doing a wall of death round the house!! I was warned about this reaction and need to tweak the dose on our next trip. Fingers crossed.....

 

[two]

Vet prescribed tablets. Think they were sedatives. Poor chap couldn't even stand up when we stopped. Never again.
Perhaps we should've checked who they were for.
Will she chase alongside, I wonder?

 

[tinkerbell]

Luckily our previous dog loved the van and was on a harness clipped with a lead to a d clip, she then just lay between driver and passenger. Due to loss we now have a new puppy, we picked her up in the van and put in a crate behind seat, now to big for that so lies between us with a few moans still but settles down lovely now, gets a bit fidgety after an hour or so, so just more stops till she gets used to it. she goes straight in van from house no bother, so she must like it. We soon have to get her used to the boot of the car......., all I can say is persevere, its worth it to have your pet with you.

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