jump in the car

[Coco Chow]

It started a few weeks ago, when Coco decided she didn't want to leave the park in the morning anymore , she started to refuse to jump in the car for the ride back home. Then it started to happen more and more on other occasions, and now she just won't jump in it anymore anywhere.
She doesn't want to go near the car when she hears the door opening.
When I open the door for her, she doesn't want to stay in front of it, she makes a U-turn.
When I keep her in front of the car asking her to please jump in it, she sits.

I have to lift her big fat front paws from the ground and put them in the car, then I have to push her big fat butt in it. She's not a light little puppy anymore and it's NOT fun.

I know she's not in pain because she jumps on and off the bed with pleasure everyday, she jumps on the couch for a cuddle every night and she runs and jumps during the zoomies too.

Any idea what I could do to make her jump in the damn car more easily??

[LEO's mum]

Call me weak, but I bribe LEO into doing things alot. Put/Throw a treat on to the car seat or where ever you want her to go. She'll contemplate, but normally it works. I do this to get her into the car, get her out of Starbucks, get into the house, just make her walk in the way I want her to walk......

[Coco Chow]

I wish I could!
But Coco has a special strict anti-allergenic diet: Z/D kibble, and Z/D can food *only*...
I already tried to bribe her with a kibble: I said "Coco, look!" and I put the kibble in the car: she jumped right away, sniffed it, and turned her nose on it. The second time I've tried, she didn't lift her butt from the ground!

[aware]

Try her favorite toy?

[Rogansmommy]

What is she allergic to? If it's not cheese - use cheese. If it's not chicken, use chicken. Stuff like that. Something that she will ONLY get for jumping into the car. Somewhere along the lines, she decided that driving in the car is BORING. You need to show her that it's fun and worth her while again.

[Judy Fox]

Elodie!!
Just deal with it!!
Just think though, what beautiful fat paws she has - and a wonderful almost grown up Chow Ladies stubborn turn of mind. Don't you just love them!!

[chowpups]

My last dog did the same thing ( my husband commented it must be my driving shes afraid of ..). We have an SUV so the jump up and down was getting to her .. We made a ramp from a piece of wood and put the sticky strips you put on the bottom of tubs for slipping on it and she walked right up it and down .. Of course that may not be your problem if you have a regular car??

[sweetpea]

I have the opposite problem with Gracie. If she thinks her ride was too short, she will refuse to get out! lol, I spent five minutes yesterday trying to convince her that she had a long enough ride. I finally had to make her get out of the car. Once they make their minds up to something, it's tough changing it.

[Auddymay]

Get another Chow. That way, they will always want to go because one will not be able to stand by while the other goes on an adventure. Then, you can do like we did a couple days ago. Pip and Lil were so excited to go, Pip jumped in the driver's seat, then over to the passenger side. Wouldn't budge. Then I opened the back door and Lily jumped in as Pip decided to move to her usual spot. How the two did not crash I will never know.

[Sirchow]

I think that chows are creatures of habit rather than simply stubborn. I know with bramble if something upsets her more than once then the habit is formed and cannot be broken easilly. This can work in their favour if you can persuade them to do something they don't want to do more than three times then that becomes the habbit unless something happens to change that. Ok that was a mouthful but you get the idea. So I would suggest for Coco that you walk her past the car and don't try to put her in it. Walk as far away as you have to to get her to pass. Take a selection of treats eg salmon, squeeky toys and anything else she will be distracted by and keep passing by the car going closer each time but distracting her from her habbit as she gets closest to the car. Then when that works open the door a few inches and do the same and just keep increasing the door open and working towards the goal. When you eventually get her in the car don't drive her anywhere let her sit and then make her get out. Try that for a few days till the new habbit is formed. Good luck and tell her from me she is cutting off her nose to spite her face. Don't know what the french equivalent of that saying is!

[Coco Chow]

Thank you all for your ideas.
Coco is not really praise or toy motivated, so it will have to be food.
Oh I 'm going to be so happy to carry wet food in a Ziplock in my handbag I can't wait...

Her "I won't get in" attitude really settled after we took her to the eye vet to take her stiches out after her first entropion surgery, which was apparently really a bad experience for her, she was not calm that day and it took so long to take them out.
I think she now thinks "if I don't jump in the car, I'm not going to the vet" or something like that. I have to erase that thinking with a new "if I jump in the car, I might get a good treat" idea I guess .
Moody chow ...

[Judy Fox]

BAG-CHOW!!

[Judy Fox]

Absolutely! I call Milly Bag-Chow after the cartoon " Bag-Puss ".

I tell ya' - we could make our fortunes if we produced a film featuring a Chow and called it "Bag-Chow ".

[summer_rose03]

I don't really have any suggestions, but Frisco used to think anytime my car door opened that he got to go somewhere (mine was the only car he ever really rode in). Then he would jump and refuse to come out. We used to have to chase him to back and forth from the front to the back.

Carter on the other hand, refuses to get in the car when his brother, Cash, is also in the back seat. He balks at it, and finally reluctantly jumps in. I guess he just doesn't like sharing his back seat, even though he has plenty of room and his bro doesn't bother him at all.

Prescription Science Diet does make a Z/D hypo dog and cat treat. Try to find those and use them for getting in and out of the car.

[Coco Chow]

Prescription Science Diet does make a Z/D hypo dog and cat treat. Try to find those and use them for getting in and out of the car.

Thanks but actually they don't for Z/D .
They only make treats for:
* Prescription Diet™ b/d™ Canine
* Prescription Diet™ c/d™ Canine
* Prescription Diet™ g/d™ Canine
* Prescription Diet™ h/d™ Canine
* Prescription Diet™ k/d™ Canine
* Prescription Diet™ r/d™ Canine
* Prescription Diet™ w/d™ Canine

They say on their website:
"For dogs fed a Prescription Diet product that is not listed above, we suggest making a homemade treat using the Prescription Diet food you feed your dog."

[Coco Chow]

FYI I've been carrying a ziploc with pieces of her wet food around in my purse , and when I told Coco to "jump in the car and I'll give you a treat", she has jumped 100% of the time so far...

[LEO's mum]

[Judy Fox]

As I said before BAG-CHOW!!

(but don't you just love her attitude!!)

[Sirchow]

Well done Coco. I hope the stitch removal went OK and hopefully she will forget about her car aversion now.

[gebower]

I just bought doggie steps for my two Chows. Max is 75-80 lb. two year old Chow now and I have a Trailblazer. I paid $65.00 for the steps but it's good to up to 150 lbs. It works. I just had to get him used to using steps now instead of "trying" to jump up in the SUV. I'm glad I got it. They've got some FLIMSY steps too that I wouldn't buy. This is heavy duty vinyl, light, and even has removable step carpeting on it that is washable.
I would suggest bringing some tasty snacks with you light small pieces of chicken to use only when you're leaving and throw a piece in the car. They'll go.
I bought the steps because we're moving from Michigan to Tucson, Arizona in two weeks and I just couldn't see lugging big Max, (he is BIG for a Chow) in and out of the SUV. He doesn't like it either, being picked up. The steps are working out great.
One thing else I found with him now is that he is a powerhouse of muscle. I have a choke chain on him, 24 inch, because with a regular collar he can get away from you no matter how strong you are and he also wriggle out a regular collar and almost got killed on the highway trying to catch him again. With a choke chain collar, he can't wriggle out of that. I see why the Chinese used them for sled dogs. They are SO strong.
I put in a pet barrier in the SUV too so they can't jump in the front seat while you're driving. My wife will be driving the SUV with the Chows and I'll be driving the Uhaul truck with a her Jimmy on a trailer. It should be an experience. Oh, I also bought a travel water dish for the Chowkids too.