Sudden fear of car travel

As I was parking at home on Tuesday morning Ledger screamed in the back. I fully checked him and all of the boot space and all seems to be in order but on the two occasions since then that I have tried to get him in the car he has just refused. He pulls away on the lead, ears go back and he has the big sad puppy eyes and starts violently shaking. I've tried reassuring and coaxing, firm commands and when he gets to this point no amount of treats have an effect.

The first time I ended up picking him up and putting him in the boot (getting late for work) the second dad sat in the back and called him up but I then had to unpeal him off dad. Once in the boot and we are travelling he doesn't seem to behaving any different it's just getting him in there!

I'm going to try in a moment just going and sitting in the back with him, put a toy in there and just spend some time without shutting the door and driving off to see if that helps but has anyone else got any ideas as I don't want his fear to escalate any further

I think all you can do is what you're already doing. You can't go back to find out what went wrong the first time, so getting him in for a minute or two without going anywhere seems to be your best bet. Then build it up gradually.

I think you are on the right track as well. We sometimes use food to lure Suki into the back after the dog park because she doesn't want to go home.

Well bribery with cooked chicken works to get him in there but he still seems more stressed and I even drove slower than normal :S going to try him back on a bit of rescue remedy as he needed it for obedience classes and then will try some adaptil spray as that might be useful anyway with bonfire season coming up and he had a dap collar when he was in the rescue centre (cant believe that was nearly a year ago)

Good luck have you tried putting a bone or antler in the back to keep him occupied?

Kong with peanut butter seems to be doing the trick its just too tempting and overrules his shaking

Glad you found something that works

Spoke too soon! He now starts shaking as soon as I pick up his lead if I have a peanut butter filled kong in my other hand.

Let him travel in the front seat last night he got into the car but was still shaking, rescue remedy is having no effect so going to try DAP spray

Have you tried a short to medium walk before you put him in the car?

yep 90% of the time we have a spin around the park or if we are at my parents he is encouraged to 'go toilet'

going to try a few 'fun' trips out incase he is associating the car with me going to work (I drop him off at my parents on the way) and then just been reading into thundershirts so have another option if DAP doesn't work (which I'm hoping it will as he had a DAP collar in the rescue centre)

He could very well be doing that. Suki thinks we are going to the dog park every time she gets in the car and is displeased if she figures out we are going somewhere else.

The very first time Meiko was in a car is when I brought him home, I put him on the front seat with a blanket I took from his last owner and all he did was try to get in the back. He used to get travel sick when he was a puppy (we travel for motorsport every weekend) but we worked on what and when to feed him those days and he isn't sick anymore.

18 months later and he still hates the car, no amount of training, bribery or distraction works. The only middle ground we have is that Meiko will only travel in the back of the car and after a great deal off huffing, he will get in the car himself. I tried to put him in the front a few times because of shopping bags and such like but he goes nuts and climbs into the back. Once there he'll go to sleep, I have no idea what the fuss is about.

Sorted it finally after a couple of months of having him in the passenger seat in a harness I got a new car! Well not really I swapped with my dad so now have a Focus estate and now have absolutely no problems getting him in the back infact I couldn't get him out yesterday! Difference is from a sitting position he can still see me or out of the window so I guess he is just more comfortable

Pleased to hear you got this sorted. It can be a bit noisy in the car sometimes.