Doggy Training Help Please

[friedgreentomato]

Hi doggy owners, I want to be able to take Colin with me in the car a lot, but I have concerns about him jumping out when I open the door.

Do you have an easy to follow exercise/guide to follow for me please.

At the moment I know he sits, and gives paws I pick him up on Wednesday and I need to get this thing right before I take him on a trip to England.

Cheers

[Traci66]

Use a travel cage or a special dog harness, it is not safe to have a dog sitting loose in the ca.

[friedgreentomato]

He will be in the boot with a guard to stop him getting loose, a cage would restrict him movements too much - he's a big dog and my car is not that big to take a cage.

[EcclesCake]

Not my area of expertise but.....

Could you have him tethered in the car and then when you open the boot he can't escape while you put the lead on. Through a period of training you could do away with the lead once he has learnt that opening the boot doesn't mean 'run for the hills'.

[friedgreentomato]

Eccles thanks - that is what I will do initally but I really would like to training him so that I can trust him when I open the boot.

My friends dog that I have looked after is brill and just sits there waiting for the lead to be clipped on!!

[RATTER15]

Teach him to "STAY" so when you open the door he sits and waits, practice this in the car in a safe environment. The Sit and Stay commands are about the most important commands to teach any dog anyway.

[EcclesCake]

That's what I was thinking. Have him tethered to begin with, train him to sit and wait while you put on the lead, after a while he knows that boot opens and he sits waiting for the lead to be put on or eventually for the command for him to get out the car.

I think we're suggesting the same thing?!?

[Barmaid]

Is it worth considering proper doggy training classes? Also helps dogs become "socialised".

[Ratty2E]

Mine have 'seat belts' or harnesses that clip into the rear seat belt but you really need to teach 'wait'. Are you going to take him to training classes? If you are then that should be one of the things taught. Basically you need have him sit then say 'wait' and be able to walk away and then call him to come. You need to start small i.e. just a few steps. I also use 'wait' when we go for walks so I open the door and they wait till I go out first and then they can follow when I say 'come' and at every road we come to they wait till i say we can cross. It's a useful command and a basic for obedience.

[friedgreentomato]

Thanks guys, I was hoping to train him myself but I realise it has been sometime since I have trained a dog - a long long time!!

I am concerned as I am driving to England 2 weeks after I get him and I want him to be safe getting in and out.

Cheers for your help

[jakep]

My boot has two metal rings coming through the carpet that are attached to the chassis. I have a lead through these and then clip that lead onto dogs' collar - we have two dogs.
They are good but I don't ever want to be in an 'if only' situation eg broken down with two spooked doggies.

[friedgreentomato]

jakep - does that leave them enough room to move around in the boot?

[jakep]

Yes, the leads through the hoops are extra long ones, must be about 5 ft

[jakep]

Just been out to car. Fixed leads are almost six feet in all. Made by Rogz

[friedgreentomato]

Cheers for that will look in hubbies car when he gets home - I know mine has nothing lik that but will look for other suitable items to attach the lead to.

[daisymay]

Tethering a dog on a long lead can be very dangerous, excitable dogs can leap around in a moving car and strangle themselves. I always train my dogs to respond to the command 'Wait' - it has a sharper sound than 'Stay'- I start off at home when they want to go outside or by the front door. I've always had rescue dogs and it works in no time. Best of luck with your's.

[friedgreentomato]

Thanks Daisymay

[woofgang]

I used bench tethers in a car till one of my dogs got wrapped in it and panicked, I had to stop on the side of the road and deal with a dog in a panic, i would never do it again. My dogs always travel in a cage in the car, they know to "wait" when I open the cage door until I let them go. personally I wouldn't rely on a command, things like loose cats and wasp stings do happen....If your car is big enough for the dog, in general its big enough for a cage!

[lankeela]

I know of very many dogs that have escaped either during the journey to their new home of within a very short time. Please don't take any chances until he has been with you for long enough to know you and respond to you calling him should the worst happen. Hold him by the collar while you thread the lead through the bars of the dog guard, put the end of the lead through the handle loop and then clip the lead back onto his collar. This will give him room to move but stop him actually jumping out on opening the car boot. Take an extra lead with you so when you need to get him out you can clip the second lead on before releasing the first lead (in fact you could leave that one in there for next time). Also ensure he is either microchipped or tattooed before you get him just in case. Also get a dog tag for his collar with your phone number on which you can put on as soon as you get him

[lankeela]

You can also get custom made tailgate guards from companies such as MMG.

[lankeela]

http://www.mmgguards.co.uk/