My springer won’t jump

I have an 18-month-old English springer spaniel that has a massive aversion to jumping into my truck. I actually have to carry him to the back and put him in. As soon as he knows that we are going in the truck, he cowers. I am pretty sure his behaviour isn’t related to pain because he will happily jump in the front if I leave the door open. I normally don’t mind lifting him, but in awful weather he is filthy. I didn’t ask him to jump into the truck until he was well over 12 months old and, to my knowledge, he has never had an accident happen when he has jumped. How can I fix this problem?

Despite assuming that there is nothing physically wrong with your dog, it’s worth having him checked by a vet. This will rule out any physical issues that could be causing him pain. Normally in trucks, the front footwell is significantly lower than the back and so it might be that it doesn’t hurt him to jump in the front.

The second is to rule out travel sickness. This is more common than you might think and medication can help to alleviate symptoms. Again, this is something to discuss with your vet.

If none of these problems apply, you can begin training. Use a bale of straw or a step and teach him to jump on and off. Walk with him so you step up and down, encouraging him to follow using the lead. Move the step closer and closer to the back of the truck.

Once he is happily stepping up with you, encourage him to follow you into the back of the truck. Once in, sit with him. When he has settled, allow him to calmly follow you out.

Repeat this daily and start to offer him a meal in the truck. When he is confidently jumping up, remove the step and encourage him to

jump in unaided. ES

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A bale of straw can be used to teach a dog how to jump up