For the past month... Ender has started barking, whining, moaning, nearly meowing non-stop in the car... whenever we are going anywhere. We probably take short car rides about every other day. Either to the beach or dog park or vet (allways a positive experience for him though this week he goes to get neutered so his opinion of that place may change). It's like he's sooooo excited he can't handle the wait from the garage to wherever we are going. It can be deafening if he barks too close to our ears (in a small Toyota Corrolla) and we are very frustrated.
The only time he doesn't bark is if he has just spent 2 or more hours at a dog park and is too tired to do anything other than lay down in the back seat. If it is just normal exercise, he still gets very barky in the car though it does tend to be less.
I have tried to constantly tell him what a good boy he is when he is quiet. When he barks I have tried ignoring him... thinking he is seeking attention (he keeps doing it until we either laugh out of frustration or cry). I have tried "correcting" him by placing my hands on his snout and saying "no bark" (this is not violent but now he will avoid my arm's reach when he's barking so that's not effective). He will stop for a while... and appear to calm down (at least down to a high pitched whine instead of a full bark/yelp).
I was thinking about all of FallRiver's posts and thinking that maybe instead of trying to correct the behavior after it happens and expecting him to NOT do something... I should instead be trying to train him what I want him to do while we are in the car. Even though I don't care what he does back there as long as he doesn't bark in our ears, I'm thinking that perhaps he needs me to direct him to what to do.
What is strange is that I don't know why he started this all of a sudden in the first place. He used to ride just fine in the car... he would rest his head on Eric's shoulder or put his head between our arms or look out the window. And now he's a ping pong ball back there... a loud one! I *think* it's because we finally got his digestive issues under control so now he's feeling healthy.
Any suggestions? I thought it is possible he's fearful of something and I am reading him wrong and thinking it is excitement... but I highly doubt that... he has never shown the slightest bit of fear about anything other than jumping off a dock : .
The only time he doesn't bark is if he has just spent 2 or more hours at a dog park and is too tired to do anything other than lay down in the back seat. If it is just normal exercise, he still gets very barky in the car though it does tend to be less.
I have tried to constantly tell him what a good boy he is when he is quiet. When he barks I have tried ignoring him... thinking he is seeking attention (he keeps doing it until we either laugh out of frustration or cry). I have tried "correcting" him by placing my hands on his snout and saying "no bark" (this is not violent but now he will avoid my arm's reach when he's barking so that's not effective). He will stop for a while... and appear to calm down (at least down to a high pitched whine instead of a full bark/yelp).
I was thinking about all of FallRiver's posts and thinking that maybe instead of trying to correct the behavior after it happens and expecting him to NOT do something... I should instead be trying to train him what I want him to do while we are in the car. Even though I don't care what he does back there as long as he doesn't bark in our ears, I'm thinking that perhaps he needs me to direct him to what to do.
What is strange is that I don't know why he started this all of a sudden in the first place. He used to ride just fine in the car... he would rest his head on Eric's shoulder or put his head between our arms or look out the window. And now he's a ping pong ball back there... a loud one! I *think* it's because we finally got his digestive issues under control so now he's feeling healthy.
Any suggestions? I thought it is possible he's fearful of something and I am reading him wrong and thinking it is excitement... but I highly doubt that... he has never shown the slightest bit of fear about anything other than jumping off a dock : .