Newfie afraid of getting in car

[Baker31]

 I have an 8 month male newfie, Diesel. He was riding in the suv all the time. Three days ago he started refusing to get in. He weighs a 160 lbs., any suggestions? Thanks

[schelmischekitty]

most dogs go through a fear stage (or a few) in their puppy / adolescent days.  it's completely normal.  as for what to do, i'm not sure, but i AM sure other's will have suggestions.  axle did this also for a while with cars and i just made him do it, with a lot of reassurance.  but then, i don't typically let me dogs make decisions as far as what they will or won't do in situations like that, we do the "follow me" lifestyle.  i would suggest to look into his weight though, if he's too "fluffy", it could be causing problems with his joints, etc and causing pain.  joint problems can also be hereditary if he was bred poorly.  160lbs is a lot for an 8 month old newfie... breed standard says they should get to be roughly 150lbs full grown (ckc standard), though i know there are some flukes of natures.

[mynameislola]

Our Newfie's first symptom of his luxating patellas at ten months of age was a refusal to get into the car.  His Vet. said it was it was especially painful because to get into a vehicle, most of the animal's weight is on only one leg at a time.

That is a huge pup.  I'd get that professionally evaluated too.  We keep Cody, age four, around 135 pounds to reduce wear on his joints.  I'd measure his height but he's asleep.

[Baker31]

Diesel is 30.5 inches tall. His father weighed 180 lbs.I can feel his ribs and he has a trim waist so I don't think he is overweight.He is 38 inches to the top of his head.

[marypyrs]

Do you use a Ramp? I swear by them myself. It's far easier on their joints.

Did anything happen three days ago that would have made him suddenly dislike the SUV or rides in general? Something like a trip to the Vet that he associates with "rides"? Motion sickness? Ect.

[London_Pyr_Lover]

Wow, that's one amazingly huge pup.  That's definately not overweight, just darn big! 
I can't give you any suggestions for getting him in, but as for during the ride, most holistic pet stores offer a spray that you can use, just spray it on the seats, or pillows you give him and that will ease his anxiety.  For long trips I give my Pyr pup childrens gravol, but only if she's gonna be in there for more then an hour or two.  Not only is she really nervous in the car, but she has horrible motion sickness.  Both those remedies have worked really well for me, but again I will only use the Gravol on long trips, everything else I just spray.

[mynameislola]

Cody and Diesel are the same height, but not for long!  We also use ramps.  The little dogs use them to get on the beds.

Has Diesel had his knees and hips evaluated? 

[dohertyswissy]

Hi Baker31 and Welcome to BPO!

I have an almost 3-year old Greater Swiss Mountain Dog and we went through this little spell about 9 - 12 months ago.  Ranger had NO problem getting in the car and then all of a sudden he boycotted.   

Ranger's command for getting in the car is "Load Up."  So, what I would do is say, "Load Up" then get into the backseat where he rides with a cookie or toy.  Like Steffanie, I do the "follow me" lifestyle.  Since I got in the car first, he followed me right in.  I'd praise him, give him the treat, and we didn't have any problems.  Did that for about 2-3 months.  Then I started giving him the command without climbing in the backseat.  At first he balked, so I put his front paws in the car, and then he would pull his hindquarters up.  This was followed by lots of praise and a treat.  That was about another 2 months.  Then, I gave him the command, a little nudge in the butt and he jumps right in.  That is usually still what I do now.  Sometimes he jumps right in, other times, he needs a little booty nudge. 

Lots of stuff can happen in a car.  There are lots of loud noises (motorcycles, for example - Ranger HATES them), quick breaking can cause them to lose footing, etc, etc.  The trick is to let them know not to be scared of that stuff, riding in the car is a blast, and usually leads them to somewhere fun.

Good Luck!!

[CalistogaPyr]

Wow-I thought Bo was big at 130lbs!!  I can't imagine 200 pounds of dog at the end of the leash!  Bo often refuses to load up, mostly becuase she's a stubborn Pyr!  I usually coax her in with a cookie, but if she still won't go, I put her front paws up in the car first, then hoist her back end in.  It's a funny sight, with Bo doing her best Ghandi-esque passive resistance move and me struggling to push her big butt into the back of the car!  I agree with the other posters to get the knees/hips checked and then just keep practicing positive motivation.  Good luck!!

[London_Pyr_Lover]

Bo often refuses to load up, mostly becuase she's a stubborn Pyr!  I usually coax her in with a cookie, but if she still won't go, I put her front paws up in the car first, then hoist her back end in.  It's a funny sight, with Bo doing her best Ghandi-esque passive resistance move and me struggling to push her big butt into the back of the car! 

Oh my goodness, that's a funny thought, mostly because it's a struggle to get my stubborn Pyr into the car as well.  Right now I can still pick her up, even though she goes all floppy from not wanting to get in the car, but what am I going to do when she's 100 lbs?!   lol