Anxious Dogs in Cars: How to Calm Your Dog for Stress-Free Rides

Last updated on April 2nd, 2026 at 09:34 pm

If your dog shakes, pants, drools, or refuses to even get in the car, you’re not alone. My dog, Henry, used to suffer from anxiety in the car as well.

Dealing with anxious dogs in cars can turn even a quick trip into a stressful mess (for both of you). Most car anxiety in dogs is fixable with the right combination of training, comfort, and a few simple tweaks.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly how to calm your dog in the car, without expensive solutions or overwhelming training plans.

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Table of Contents

Why Are Dogs Anxious in Cars? (And How to Identify the Cause)

There could be many reasons why your dog suffers anxiety in your car.

Causes

Any breed can suffer from dog car sickness or be anxious in cars. Other issues which may contribute to your dog’s car restlessness can include:

Feeling trapped
Motion of the car moving
Sound of the car, passing cars, or loud noises
Not being able to see out
Sound of the car door shutting
Jiggling of car keys
Car scent
Inner ear infection
Past traumatic negative experiences related to a vehicle, such as a car accident

Breeds

Some anxiety while riding in the car could be due to your dog’s breed. Yes, unfortunately, certain breeds are more prone to challenges when traveling. These breeds include:

Beagle
Boxers
Border terrier
Border collie
Bulldog
Dachshund
Golden Retriever
Labrador Retriever
Pug
Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Root Cause

You may not be able to pinpoint the exact cause without help from an animal behaviorist. However, you can certainly identify factors that make your dog’s anxiety worse.

For example, if the weather is bad and I need to turn on my windshield wipers, my dog, Henry, will get more anxious. Thus, I know the noise and weather are triggers for him.

Signs of Car Anxiety in Dogs (and How to Tell If It’s Motion Sickness)

a white dog is part of the anxious dogs in cars as she pants in the back seat of a car waiting to go for a car ride

General Anxiety Symptoms

If you have an anxious dog while on a road trip, you may notice such symptoms as:

Panting
Excessive drooling
Yawning
Chewing
Not being able to sit
Whining
Barking
Growling
Licking paws
Shaking or trembling
Digging into a car seat or a kennel
Vomiting

Signs It May Be Motion Sickness Instead

a dog looks out the back of the car as he's one of many anxious dogs in cars

While anxiety may include carsickness, it doesn’t necessarily. These symptoms can include:

Excessively licking lips
Drooling
Whining
Panting
Defecating
Urinating
Vomiting

How to Calm Anxious Dogs in Cars (Start With These First)

a little dog is secured in a crate and the back seat of a car as a she is part of the many anxious dogs in cars

Your dog may respond differently to different remedies. However, here are some ideas that have helped my dog and other dogs significantly.

Exercise before departure. This will help release excess energy.
Feed 1–2 hours before you leave in your car. This will reduce vomiting.
Talk calmly. Throughout the trip, continue to talk calmly to your dog. This helps to reassure your pup.
Keep the air flowing. Allowing your dog to stay cool is essential for motion sickness and anxiety issues. Cool air will help.
Let your pup see out. This simple trick can help tremendously for dogs with anxiety and carsickness. Heck, it helps with humans and carsickness.
Encourage lying down. Giving your dog enough room to lie down will help as well. For example, my dog will lie down and sleep for an hour or so.

Helpful Products to Calm Anxious Dogs in Cars

If your dog struggles even with short car rides, these simple tools can make a big difference in helping them feel safe and calm.

Heartbeat toy – It mimics a calming heartbeat sound and reduces stress. It works great for Henry.
Cooling vest – This prevents overheating (which worsens anxiety). It’s been a huge help for Henry.
Harness – Safer and more secure than collars. I never attach a leash or safety to anything other than a harness.
Dog car safety belt – Reduces the chance of ejection and injury or being lost in an accident.
Calming treats – These support relaxation naturally. They work amazingly well for Henry.

Create a Calm Car Environment for Your Dog

Yes, how you set up your dog’s space in the car can matter.

Use a cooling vest. When your dog is anxious, his temperature increases. So, keeping him cooler is a good starting point.
Secure your dog while traveling. Make sure you use a dog seat belt to ensure your pup is safely secured in your car seat. This can help prevent your furry friend from being ejected if there’s a car accident.
Heartbeat dog toys are a game-changer. Admittedly, I was uncertain of this idea, especially since Henry doesn’t like toys. But the sound helps to calm him. I place it near him, he’ll calm down, and often nap.
Use a calming aid. Finding a supplement that can help calm and reduce your dog’s stress while on a care journey is a major benefit. I give Henry these calm mushroom treats (which he loves) about 30-60 minutes before we leave on a trip.
Shady spot. If at all possible, keep your dog in a shady spot within your car. This will keep your dog’s temperature down and calmer.
Calm music. Playing some kind of calm music can help as well. It’s the soothing beats that help. With this in mind, steer clear of music with big booming beats or that is overly loud. This can amp up anxiety.

Also, securing your dog is required while traveling in many locations. You can do this with a safety leash or with a traveling crate or kennel.

Note: I highly recommend a dog harness to use with your dog seat belt.

Training Techniques to Reduce Car Anxiety in Dogs

First, keep in mind that you are driving with an anxious pup. So, drive carefully. Remember how carefully you drove when you took your driving test? Drive that way.

To help, imagine there’s a box of eggs on your hood, and you can’t drop them. That means no quick stops or abrupt turns.

The bonus is that if you have a car insurance app, you may see your premiums decrease as your driving improves.

Desensitizing

a puppy gets used to riding in the car and not be scared

The idea of turning your dog from a scaredy cat to a zen pup in the car is making the car ride a positive association. This means desensitizing your dog to car anxiety with short 5-10 minute trips around the block or to the dog park. Then slowly build up as the anxiety decreases. However, reward calmer behavior with treats and loves.

Positive reinforcement

Building on the idea of desensitizing is positive reinforcement. If your dog doesn’t suffer from carsickness or at least vomiting, then offer your pup a treat with each successful step.

For example, sitting in the car rather than standing should be rewarded. Not whining deserves a reward. Not panting also should warrant a reward.

Basically, when your dog can go a short distance, even to the end of the driveway, without exhibiting signs of anxiety, he should be rewarded. You can give your furry buddy treats, but don’t forget loving pets and a happy-toned and encouraging voice as well. This is how you help your furry companion with behavior modification.

This strategy will let your dog know that car travel is a good thing and has a positive association with a car ride.

Stop frequently

*Henry goes for a short walk after a car ride.*

Also, you will still want to stop frequently to let your dog walk, have a potty break, and know that the ride isn’t endless. I like to stop about every hour. The bonus of stopping more is that your body doesn’t hurt as much when you arrive at your destination.

Water is important

Every time you stop, encourage your dog to drink a bit of water. Dehydration can cause your dog to exhibit other signs of sickness that you want to avoid.

Note: Some dogs do well with anxiety shirts like Thundershirt. But honestly, a cooling vest, heartbeat toy, and calm aid do the trick for Henry.

The Hidden Costs of Car Anxiety in Dogs (and How to Save Money)

This one may surprise you, but yes, there are monetary benefits for helping your dog with car anxiety or carsickness. Consider the following for a moment:

Issue	Approximate cost
Not boarding your dog while on vacation	$25 – 85/per night
Pet sitting	$23 – 74/per visit
Dog-walker	$20 – 30/per walk
Cleaning your car with vomit, urine, or feces	$200 – 350
Not worrying about your dog while on vacation	BEYOND WORDS!!!
Having a calm traveling buddy with good pet health	PRICELESS!!!

Helpful Resources for Anxious Dogs:

FAQs About Anxious Dogs in Cars

Why is my dog suddenly anxious in the car?

Your dog could be anxious from the car movement or noise. It could even be past trauma or your dog’s breed that is causing car anxiety. If you want to get to the real reason, you can talk with your vet or consult an animal behaviorist.

Can dogs get over car anxiety?

Some dogs do appear to “grow” out of car anxiety. But to be honest, it could be that their dog parents implement more calming environments and use training techniques to help with anxiety.

Should I feed my dog before a car ride?

No. If your dog has a tendency to get car sick, it can trigger it.

Are calming treats safe?

Always talk to your vet before adding any treats. For Henry, these calming treats are safe and effective.

Helping Your Anxious Dog Enjoy Car Rides Again

Unfortunately, anxious dogs in cars and even dog car sickness are relatively common. But how you help your best furry buddy deal with it is not so common.

For example, you may find that just one of these tricks, such as desensitizing your dog or a calm mushroom treat, will be all that’s needed. However, you may need to experiment with finding the correct combination of these tricks for your dog.

But if you continue to have issues, then consult your veterinarian or an animal behavior specialist for assistance. As for Henry, the combination that works well for him is being able to see out, being secure, stopping frequently, staying hydrated, having a cooling vest on, keeping the fan or A/C, his heartbeat toy, and a calm mushroom treat. Knowing the traveling tricks for your pup can make your adventures a lot more fun.