t’s not surprising that dogs are are sometimes not happy travelling in a car, in fact some become very distressed. If you think about it the first time that a dog is in a car is the day that he is taken away from his mum the second time is probably to visit the veterinary surgeon, a total stranger who sticks a thermometer up puppies bottom, shoves a worm tablet down his throat and pushes a needle into his neck. The third time is a repeat performance of the second so it shouldn’t come as a shock that puppy doesn’t have the car very high on his list of jolly things to do. So what do we do about it? Like everything when it comes to animals if we make the experience as stress free as possible and as pleasurable as we can then we get a favourable result so whether you are getting your pet used to the car or if your dog is unhappy with the car then give this a try. First week: sit with dog in the car, few minutes at a time several times a day don’t turn the engine on, just sit, cuddles and treats are in order as long as dog shows no signs of distress Second week: same as the first week but with the engine running but not going anywhere. Third week: try driving a few metres every day slowly increasing the distance each time. Fourth week: By now dog is beginning to realise that going out in the car is a pleasurable experience and you should be able to increase the distance accordingly. R

There is nothing in which birds differ from man than the way in which they build and yet leave the landscape as It was before.

Robert Lynd