When a chihuahua Dislikes the Car

Chihuahuas and Cars 

One of the most amazing facts about chihuahua is that A lot of people around the world prefer them over other dogs. Thanks to their tiny size, people can pick up and carry them easily wherever they go including gardens, local stores, etc. However, Chihuahuas have mixed responses when it comes to cars. While some love cars, some are horrified by their experience. There is no such one particular behavior when it comes to being a side deal rider for a chihuahua. While many people love and want to take their dog on cars out, it can be really painful to find that the chihuahua dislikes cars and maybe sometimes so repulsive that it hides when it comes to cars.

In this section we will cover:

• Why does chihuahua dislikes cars?
• fixing issues related to motion sickness
• helping chihuahua with car phobia
• why a car seat is so important?
• things to check before buying a car seat for your chihuahua

Reasons why chihuahua dislikes cars

There can be multiple reasons so to why the chihuahua is afraid of cars. It can be because of the fact that it is car or motion sickness or it doesn’t like that thing wheezing by. Many times, chihuahuas associate the cars with negative feelings of their life like going to a vet, or an accident.

Signes of motion sickness:

There are a lot of signs of motion sickness including :

• Wheezing
• Vomiting
• Fear
• Luck of focus (chihuahua can’t listen to you)
• Barking
• Hating other cars
• Nausea

The causes of this issue

There are three factors that can cause car sickness in chihuahuas

• The chihuahua’s brain is confused. On the one hand, the dog thinks that he is not moving, because the inputs his brain is receiving from his eyes tell him that he is not moving. On the other hand, his inner ears sense the movement. This situation can make the dog sick.
• What can also cause this type of sickness is the stomach-churning feeling.
• In the case of a puppy, as we know the inner ear at that age is not fully formed, which disorder the sense of balance.

Fixing problems related to car and motion sickness

If the reason so as to why chihuahua hates cars are nausea and vomit and other similar diseases, then it can be dealt with in an easy way. The answer sits with the vet who is ready to prescribe some medicines that are going to help the chihuahua ease out and enjoy the ride. However, if the phobia is something greater, it needs to go away slowly and gradually.

Helping the chihuahua with the car phobia.

Helping the chihuahua with the phobia is something that takes a lot of time and goes away slowly. Here are some of the ways in which a chihuahua can be helped to overcome the phobia completely.

• Put your Chihuahua in a raised booster seat, connected by a harness instead of a collar.

This is the first step you should follow because this seat will keep your dog high where they can see what is behind the window. This way the brain will avoid inputs conflict.

Also, this seat will keep the dog safe and stable.

• The temperature inside the car should be a little cool

The temperature inside the car can also cause discomfort to your chihuahua. So during the summer days try to coll the car before putting your chihuahua inside. And during the cold seasons, aim to keep the temperature about 70 F.

• Have adequate airflow inside the car

In general, dogs like to feel airflow inside the car, however, as you know chihuahuas are the tiniest dog in the world. So, too much airflow is not good for them

• Meal and treat timing

One hour or so before taking your chihuahua on a ride don’t feed him. This way you can prevent vomiting.

• Lure the chihuahua into the car

Lure the chihuahua into the car with some goodies and eatables. This is the step that takes maximum time.  Forcing the chihuahua into the car recollects all the sad memories that the chihuahua is associated with as soon as it sees the car. Sometimes the chihuahua doesn’t like the smell of leather or fast drives. In that case, one needs t take it slow.

Sometimes you can give your chihuahua a small amount of real sugar. As it can help prevent a queasy stomach. Do it 10 minutes before the ride.

• Bond with the chihuahua in the car as you bond with the car

As a driver one bonds well with the car. They know each and every aspect of their car. Something similar is to be one with the chihuahua too. People sometimes just pull the chihuahua and start to drive away. Even if your chihuahua is sitting in the car, it doesn’t mean that it is happy and free of fears and just driving away can fuel those fears. Hence take some time, talk to the chihuahua, and make him feel at home.

• Start the engine

Slowly start the engine and they move on to talking about the dog. It needs to feel the vibrations of the engine and get comfortable with it. After starting the engine, let the engine on but don’t drive. Just talk to the chihuahua in a happy tone and give some treats.  This helps the dog be more comfortable with you even in the car. Doing the same again and again multiple times makes the chihuahua realizes that it is a natural activity.

• Start off with small trips.

That’s not all. Now that the chihuahua is familiar with the changing landscapes and the way they skim by. So, start with small rides. Go to a park or a nearby area where the chihuahua can enjoy a bit after the ride. Make sure to take the chihuahua with familiar routes first. It makes the chihuahua easy and comfortable before long roads.

• The kick-off to having fun

Now that all is set and done it’s time to hit the road and drive away to the destination you want to go. And don’t forget the chihuahua with you. Take it to a dog park or a beach where the chihuahua can have fun. But see to it that the first long ride is not to a vet. Soon the chihuahua will start associating these memories as happy ones with the car.

Why having a car seat is decisive?

A car seat plays a very important role in preventing a dog from developing motion sickness, consequently, it prevents the chihuahua from disliking the cars.

Not using a car seat is so dangerous for your dog and for the driver also. Not buckling your dogs means putting his life and yours in danger.

The reason why having a car seat is a must:

• A big number of accidents are caused by distracted driving, and as we know pets can distract us while driving. Because owners pet their dogs while they drive using their arms. Also, they used their hand to stop the dog from moving or barking. Furthermore, owners try to give some treats to their dogs while they are driving.
• You should notice that your dog is not aware of the danger of not having a car seat, as he can easily get injured even in a slow-moving accident. So it is your responsibility to take care of your dog’s life.

Things to check before buying a car seat

To encourage your dog to get inside the car and to keep him safe you will want the car seat to have these four elements:

• Simple installation: the seat must be easy to be installed and removed any time you need.
• Raised: as we said before in order to allow your chihuahua to see from the window. The car seat must be raised high enough.
• Adequate size: the chihuahua is so small, for this reason, you should buy a seat that respects its size.
• Inner harness buckle: In order to keep your little chihuahua safe, you should clip the inner buckle to the attachment on the harness.

Additional tips

• To make things for you and your chihuahua and to ensure the security of your dog, install the seat in the middle of the back seat. Because this way it will be easy to see your chihuahua in the rear mirror.
• Taking your dog in the car is a good way to heal a dog who is suffering from separation anxiety.
• Do not forget to bring with you some water and some treat to feed your chihuahua during the breaks.
• Lower two windows an inch to decompress the car.
• Experiment with different cat seats and use the best
• If your chihuahua rides in a crate, adjust its location or covering to help reduce car sickness.

Last word

          Phobias can be removed by dogs or humans. All one needs is good care and a loving hand to take good care of it. Forcing something on a chihuahua can be really harmful to the chihuahua in the long run. However, if care is provided and the chihuahua is made to learn how to deal with it then the bond between the dog and the person becomes stronger. After all, a man’s best friend needs to be treated like one.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:

How to Train chihuahua to Stop Barking

Procedure for Training Your chihuahua to Sit

Understanding Chihuahua