Safest place for pet to ride in the car is the back seat
Dear Cathy: Where is the safest spot for my senior bulldog to sit on car trips? We have a small SUV with side curtain airbags in the back seats. I live in Los Angeles County and avoid the freeways as much as possible when Elvis is in the car, but sometimes this is not possible. I love him so much I almost want to leave LA so I can keep him safer. Advice?
— Kimberly, San Dimas, California
Dear Kimberly: Just like with small children, the safest place for any pet to be is in the back seat of the car, preferably in a harness, car tether, car seat (for pets), or carrier to secure them. In the front seat, a deployed airbag could severely injure or kill a pet (side airbags don’t seem to come with the same warnings). You also may secure your dog in the back of the SUV, but I recommend using a trolley tether to secure him or a crate that is large enough for your dog to stand up and turn around in. The crate also provides some extra protection for your dog in case you are in a rear-end collision.
Dear Cathy: Two months ago, I adopted a 3-year-old husky mix. She was a stray and had a poorly healed fractured leg. She is a great dog but she locks up and refuses to get into cars. She is too big for me to carry. When I first brought her home, she relaxed once she was in the car, but recently I took her back to the vet and she was terrified and shaking the whole time we were driving. Initially, I couldn’t even get her to walk toward the driveway that had the car parked in it. She is generally indifferent to food and treats, but I have gotten her to walk closer to the car by laying a trail of herring and liverwurst. Any words of wisdom?
— Shelley, Tucson, Arizona
Dear Shelley: You have the right idea. Begin by encouraging her to walk or sit near the car. You can even extend that food trail into the car, across the back seat, and out the other side door. Once she is comfortable doing that, encourage her to sit in the car by tossing yummy treats onto her seat.
The next step, start the car’s motor. Stand far enough away that she won’t get anxious and toss treats to the ground, moving closer to the car each day. When you are near the car, toss treats across the back seat again to see if she will follow the trail into the car while the motor is running. If you get her to do this, you’re halfway home. The next step involves sitting in the car with her while the motor is running.
When she is comfortable with that, it’s time to take her on a drive. Encourage her into the car with the treats and once she is comfortable, pull out and then back into the driveway, eventually building up the amount of time she is in the car. You might consider buying a pheromone collar or pheromone spray or wipes to use during this desensitization process (see the next letter).
After all this, if she continues to shiver and shake around cars, then it’s time to talk to your veterinarian about some medication, which can help during the desensitization process, and maybe a trainer or behaviorist who can work one-on-one with you to tweak your efforts.
Let me know how she does.
Dear Cathy: I would like to address the pheromone issue that has been discussed recently in your columns. I agree that pheromones alone do not solve behavior problems in cats, but it would seem that pheromones are a credible addition to behavior modification techniques. Here is my experience: I adopted Molly, a very needy shelter cat, some years ago. Molly was extremely anxious and over-groomed to the point that she had a bald spot that ran right down her spine. My vet suggested a pheromone diffuser. Molly’s nervous behavior did not completely disappear, but over time, with loving attention and care, her anxiety subsided, and her fur eventually grew back. I would like to believe that the pheromone diffuser played a part in relieving Molly’s stress.
— Barbara, Massapequa, New York
Dear Barbara: Thank you for sharing your experience. You explained their use beautifully. Pheromones don’t change behavior. They can simply create a sense of calm for some animals, which helps with training, desensitization and other behavior modifications.