How to Get Your Puppy Used to the Car

Most owners think about toilet training, puppy biting, first walks and sleep when they bring a new puppy home. But one life skill is often forgotten until it becomes a problem: car travel.

If you want to know how to get your puppy used to the car, the best time to start is before you need them to travel regularly. Those first few experiences around the car can influence how your puppy feels about travelling for years to come.

The goal is not for your puppy to simply tolerate the car. The goal is for the car to become a safe, familiar and positive place where good things happen. Ideally, your puppy sees the car and thinks, “brilliant, what are we doing today?”

Why Puppies Can Learn to Dislike the Car

For many puppies, the first major car journey happens when they leave their breeder. That is a big emotional day. They may be leaving their littermates, familiar smells, familiar people and everything they have ever known.

Then they are placed in a car with people they may have only just met. The car moves, brakes, turns, vibrates and makes strange noises. Some puppies also feel travel sick. Add in a slightly enthusiastic driving style, and it is easy to see how a puppy could decide the car is not their favourite place.

That does not mean the first journey has “ruined” anything. It simply means we want to make sure the positive experiences quickly start to outweigh any negative ones.

This is where positive association work comes in.

Make the Car an Amazing Place to Be

The simplest starting point is this: make the car an amazing place to be before you ask your puppy to travel anywhere.

For me, that often starts with feeding meals in the car. Not driving anywhere. Not starting the engine. Not doing anything exciting. Just letting the puppy eat, relax and learn that the car is a place where nice things happen.

• Feed one of your puppy’s meals in the stationary car.
• Use a LickiMat for calm licking.
• Use a Kong or Toppl for longer-lasting enrichment.
• Offer a safe chew while the car is stationary.
• Keep the session short and relaxed.

The key is that nothing scary needs to happen. The puppy is not being rushed. They are not being forced through anything. They are simply learning that being in the car predicts good things.

If you are currently waiting for vaccinations, this is also a brilliant way to use those early weeks. Your puppy may not be ready for normal walks yet, but you can still build confidence, familiarity and positive associations.

For more ideas during this stage, read How to Expose a Puppy Before Vaccinations and First Few Weeks With Your Puppy.

Step-by-Step: How to Get Your Puppy Used to the Car

Do not rush straight from “eating in the car” to “three-hour road trip to Scotland.” That is how we accidentally undo good confidence-building work.

Instead, build the picture gradually.

1. Boot open: Feed your puppy in the boot with the boot open while you stay nearby.
2. Boot closed: Once your puppy is relaxed, close the boot while you stay close and visible.
3. You in the car: Sit in the back seat or front seat while your puppy enjoys their food or enrichment.
4. Engine on: Turn the engine on while the car stays completely still.
5. Very short journey: Try a tiny trip round the block.
6. Build duration: Gradually increase journey length only if your puppy stays relaxed.

At each stage, watch your puppy. If they stop eating, freeze, pant, whine, drool, try to escape or look worried, that is useful information. It probably means the step was too big.

Go back to the previous stage and make it easier. Confidence grows when your puppy feels safe, not when they are pushed through something they are not ready for.

Use the Car for Calm Socialisation Too

Once your puppy is comfortable being in the car, you can use it as part of calm socialisation.

For example, you could drive to a quiet car park, open the boot, sit with your puppy and let them enjoy a LickiMat or Kong while they calmly watch the world go by. People, dogs, bikes, children, cars, pushchairs and everyday life can all be observed from a safe distance.

This is very different from throwing your puppy into busy interactions and hoping they cope. Socialisation is not about meeting everything. It is about helping your puppy feel safe, calm and confident around everyday life.

If you want to explore this further, read Puppy Socialisation Guide Playlist, Puppy Familiarisation: Calm Socialisation Done Right and Puppy First Walks: What To Expect.

Protect Your Puppy’s Growing Body

Car confidence is important, but so is protecting your puppy’s growing joints.

For young puppies, I would lift them in and out of the car rather than asking them to jump. As they get older and more coordinated, you can start to teach a gradual entry.

• Start by lifting your puppy in and out.
• When they are older, teach them to place their front paws on the bumper.
• Support the back end as they climb in.
• Only allow full jumping in and out when they are physically ready.
• Consider ramp training for dogs who need extra support.

This is especially important for larger breeds, fast-growing puppies and dogs who may be worried about the physical act of getting in or out of the car.

You may also find these helpful: Puppy Safety: Stairs, Cars & Jumping Risks, Dog Car Ramp Training and Stop Dog Jumping Out of Car Boot.

A Quick Note on Car Safety

This article is mainly about positive associations, but safety matters too.

In the UK, Rule 57 of the Highway Code says dogs and other animals should be suitably restrained in a vehicle so they cannot distract the driver or injure themselves or others if you stop quickly.

For some dogs, that may mean travelling in the boot behind a secure dog guard. For others, it may mean a suitable crate or a crash-tested car harness on the back seat.

A normal walking harness is not the same thing as a crash-tested car harness. It is also best to avoid travelling with dogs loose in the car or on the front passenger seat, especially where airbags are fitted.

For a fuller breakdown, read Dog Car Travel Safety Guide.

What If Your Dog Already Hates the Car?

If your dog already dislikes the car, the first step is not to keep taking them on car journeys and hoping they get used to it.

Where possible, temporarily reduce unnecessary car journeys while you rebuild confidence. If every journey is stressful, every journey is another opportunity for your dog to practise feeling worried, sick or trapped in the car.

Instead, go right back to basics.

• Spend time near the car without getting in.
• Walk calmly around the car.
• Feed meals near the car first if needed.
• Progress to feeding meals in the stationary car.
• Keep the boot or doors open at first if that helps your dog feel safer.
• Add the engine only when your dog is relaxed.
• Start movement with very short journeys.

Work Out Why Your Dog Dislikes the Car

“My dog hates the car” can mean several different things. The right plan depends on the reason.

• Travel sickness: If your dog feels nauseous, training alone will not make nausea enjoyable. Speak to your vet.
• Pain or discomfort: Jumping in, jumping out, tight spaces or awkward positions may be uncomfortable.
• Previous bad experiences: Sudden braking, long journeys, vet trips or frightening events can all create negative associations.
• Separation-related worries: Some dogs dislike being further away from their owner in the boot or back seat.
• Movement and balance: Sliding around, sharp braking or fast cornering can make the car feel unsafe.
• Destination prediction: If the car only ever means vet, groomer or kennels, your dog may learn to worry before you even start the engine.

Once you know why your dog is struggling, you can make the plan more specific. For example, a dog who feels sick may need veterinary support. A dog who is worried about jumping in may need ramp training or confidence games. A dog who worries when separated from you may need a different setup and a slower progression.

If your dog has a strong fear response around the car, professional support can help you avoid accidentally making the problem worse.

What About Puppy Travel Sickness?

Some puppies dislike the car because they feel sick. That is very different from simply needing more positive association work.

If your puppy regularly drools heavily, vomits, pants, looks miserable or becomes distressed on journeys, speak to your vet. Feeling nauseous every time you travel is not something we can solve with a LickiMat alone.

For planned journeys, it may also help to avoid feeding a full meal immediately before travelling. If you are collecting a puppy from a breeder, it is worth asking whether they can avoid feeding the puppy right before the journey home.

Some owners use small amounts of ginger-based foods before travel, but if sickness is a regular issue, I would always speak to your vet rather than relying on home remedies. The goal is to make your puppy feel better, not just hope they grow out of it while quietly redecorating the boot.

The Horse Trailer Example

I am currently doing similar work with a horse and trailer training. The principle is exactly the same.

Before asking the horse to travel, I want the trailer to feel safe. So we start with feeding on the trailer while everything is open and easy. Then we gradually build up to closing one part, then another, then adding the engine, then very short journeys.

The horse version is bigger, hairier and considerably more expensive when it goes wrong, but the learning principle is the same: confidence is built gradually.

Common Mistakes When Getting a Puppy Used to the Car

• Only using the car when you need to go somewhere. Build positive associations before travel becomes necessary.
• Moving too quickly. A relaxed puppy in a stationary car is a better starting point than a stressed puppy on a long journey.
• Only driving to unpleasant places. Mix in calm, positive experiences where possible.
• Ignoring travel sickness. If your puppy feels sick, get veterinary advice.
• Letting the puppy slide around. Smooth driving matters. No Lewis Hamilton auditions with a baby puppy in the boot.
• Forcing them in. If your puppy is worried, make the step easier rather than pushing harder.

Helpful Products for Car Confidence

You do not need lots of equipment to get your puppy used to the car, but a few well-chosen items can make the process easier.

• LickiMat ideas can help create calm, stationary car sessions.
• Toppl ideas are useful for longer-lasting enrichment.
• Kong recipes can help build duration gradually.
• Frozen enrichment can be useful for calm, stationary sessions.
• Safe chews can be helpful when the car is stationary.

I would avoid giving chews while the car is moving because of the choking risk. Chews are best used while parked and supervised.

If you are unsure about chew safety, read Prevent Choking During Chew Time.

Need Help With Your Puppy?

If you are bringing home a puppy soon, or you have recently welcomed one, car confidence is just one piece of the puzzle.

The first few weeks are full of questions: toilet training, biting, sleep, socialisation, first walks, settling, confidence and everyday life skills. You do not have to figure it all out on your own.

At Heath’s Personal Dog Training, we offer force-free puppy support across Essex and Hertfordshire, including puppy classes, consultations and online training options.

View HPDT dog training services in Essex and Hertfordshire

If you would like structured puppy guidance you can work through at home, you may also find the Perfect Puppy Online Course helpful.

How to Get Your Puppy Used to the Car: FAQs

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