Why does my dog suddenly fear car rides and hide? What can I do?

Question

Our 90 pound 2 yr old mixed breed dog has a problem riding in our used Rav 4 suv that we got recently. When we still had the Pilot, similar vehicles, there was no problem and he liked to go for random rides. Now when one of us calls him with a coat on near the garage door, he hides. He has never been injured in any car. What could it be? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 2 years and 2 months old | 90 lbs

Lauren Kennedy, DVM · Accepted Answer

This is probably not related to the car itself but more to a growing anxiety of cars in general. Continue trying to coax him into the car. Alsways make it a positive experience with lots of treats and praise. When you do get him in the car take him somewhere fun like the dog park or to get a treat. If his anxieties are occurring in other areas of his life he may be developing generalized anxiety and may benefit from anti-anxiety medication. If you think this is a possibility I would recommend discussing it with your vet. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Why does my dog suddenly fear car rides and hide? What can I do?

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