How to calm an overexcited dog in the car?

Get your pet used to the car by training them to sit calmly in a stationary car to start with. Help them to feel comfortable in the car with their harness on. Use treats, and play games whilst in the car, this will help them to associate the car with good things. Start with short trips, possibly to the park or the pet shop, and gradually build up the journeys so that they last longer. Give your dog an item of clothing with your scent on, or their favourite toy or blanket to keep them calm during the journey. Secure your dog, you can use a harness or a dog cage, which will help them to feel calmer. Exercise your dog before a long journey, this will help them to burn off excess energy and help them to settle during the journey.

To calm an overexcited dog in the car, teach your dog to ride in the car calmly and comfortably so your travel companion becomes a first-rate passenger. This can be achieved through desensitization and counter-conditioning, which changes your dog’s emotional response from negative to positive by having great stuff happen near and inside the car. Depending on how severely your dog reacts, you might have to teach your dog to ride in the car starting from 10 feet away, while the car is parked in the driveway. You can also start with your dog on the back seat. At each stage of the process, give your dog something beloved like a special toy, delicious treats, or a meal. Only move closer when your dog is completely relaxed at the current stage. If your dog stops eating or playing, you’ve moved too fast. Be patient and move at your dog’s pace. Once your dog is comfortable in the car, you can add motion to the mix, starting with short distances and building up the time spent driving by short increments, making every trip as pleasant as possible. Praise your dog while you drive and use encouraging cheerful banter. For dogs that still experience motion sickness or anxiety, keep the temperature inside the car cool, lower the windows for fresh air, and limit your dog’s food and water for a few hours before the trip. Exercise your dog about twenty minutes before your trip to decrease stress and consider using dog pheromones to relax your dog.

To calm an overexcited dog in the car, you must be in control of the direction of your walks - you go first and the dog walks behind. The dog must see that you are in the decision-making process of where you go and are headed. I like to start off training the dog when the car is not moving in the driveway. So first you need to teach the dog to stay in the back seat behind you. Once the dog understands he is not allowed in the front seat, we need to teach him to lie down on the back seat. This can be the challenging part. Sometimes getting a doggie seat belt and attaching him to a harness can be very helpful. After you have been able to keep the dog in a down stay position while driving in the empty parking lot or deserted street, its time to take him for a short ride. Now try driving to his favorite destination like the dog park. Once you get there, park the car and wait until he is quiet and calm before you let him out. You see, don’t reward him for being crazy and whining. Only let him out when he is in a calm state of mind. If you only put your dog in the car when you are taking him to a dog park or fun place, it can many times aggravate this behavior. In this case take him in the car often, but don’t let him out when you get to the destination. He will soon realize that the car ride does not always mean we are going for fun somewhere.