Expert: Jill Connor, Ph.D. - 1/10/2008

Question
QUESTION: Smyrna is a 2 year old Begian Sheepdog.  She is not afraid of anything outside and is a calm, reolute, gardianwho loves to swim and chase balls etc.  She never bites and loves kids and is very smart.  However, the minute she gets in a car she starts shivering and panting very fast. She cringes in a position halfway between sitting and down.  If you feel her, she is trembling.  This started about 6 or 8 months ago.  Before that she was fine.

ANSWER: The Belgian Shepard is one of my favorite breeds.  They are just as you described them and you've done a wonderful job socializing her.  What has caused this sudden fear might have occurred in one second, something you would not even have noticed.  Unfortunately, it has rendered Smyrna a basket case on car trips!! :o(   

This situation might be resolvable but it depends upon you totally desensitizing her abject horror to the car.  This must be done in BABY STEPS.  Walk her toward the car and closely observe her body signals.  Let's say that five feet from the car her tail tucks under or her ears go back.  Go in the house with her; this time, take her four feet from the car.  If her body signals are strong and confident, food reward her, go back inside.  Next outing, start over.  Your aim is to get her all the way up to the car with strong and confident body signals for a huge jackpot reward (cheese, chicken franks, something really good that she never gets.)  Once you've achieved this benchmark, open the car door.  If she reverts to fear, go back inside and take her all the way up to the car again, etc., until you can get her INTO the car and see NO fear response at all for a jackpot reward.  Now, start the car.  Observe her...continue with this desensitization until you can take the car down the driveway first, then around the block, then around two blocks..etc., all the while observing her closely.  Just ONE BAD CAR TRIP will take you right back to square one.

I once worked with a Doberman who had a strong abject terror of car rides (for a VERY good reason..her former owner had thrown her out the window when the car was moving!)  No matter what we did, we could NOT desensitize that dog.  Whatever set your dog off was obscure and there's a good chance you can rehabilitate this situation, but don't push it.  If you see little or no result from the first 10-20 times you work with her, keep her totally out of the car for at least one month, and try again.

Please report back with your experiences.  Thank you.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Symrna is not afraid to jump in the car.  She hops right in with no trouble.  She sits right down and seems to be ok.  It's only when the car starts to go that she begins to pant and cringe and act fearful and tremble.  We love her so much and it's really painful to see her in such a state.  She never had to be housebroken - she told us when she had to go.  We crate trained her.

Answer
Then begin your treatment of her obvious anxiety with starting the car.  Observe her closely when you're in position to turn the key.  If she appears fine with no signals of fear, food reward.  Turn the key.  If she begins to show fear (ears back, tail tucked under or any other body signal) stop the car.  Wait for her to return to normal.  Reward her confidence.  Start the car again and repeat the above.  Do this 3 to 4 times. She most likely will not respond for this first exercise but you don't want to remove her from the car OR REWARD any body signals of fear.  Eventually she will respond positively to the car being started.  Then go from there.