Teaching dog to jump into 4x4

[Heym SR20]

Slight segue but my recently acquired 2 years old Rua shivers, shakes and pants as soon as she (willingly) jumps in to the jeep - to the extent that I fear she may have a coronary! She loves dummy work and hunting but even refuses treats on the outward trip but takes them on the return and is (relatively) calm on the homeward journey.
She is an utter joy to be with, retrieving dummies - either launched with a .22 blank, hidden or dropped (today a 380 yard memory retrieve), hunts like a demon yet two months ago she was merely a child’s pet - so any thoughts re curing the shivers and shakes chaps?

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Put her bed in the car and let her spend day time snoozes in the car and / or put her dog bowl in the car and food time. She has clearly had some sort of trauma in the car in the past.

 

[Foxyboy43]

Put her bed in the car and let her spend day time snoozes in the car and / or put her dog bowl in the car and food time. She has clearly had some sort of trauma in the car in the past.

Thanks H. Tried those plus sitting with her with the doors open but no benefit.

 

[Heym SR20]

Thanks H. Tried those plus sitting with her with the doors open but no benefit.

I would just take her every where with you in the car. Our hound quickly falls asleep as soon as she gets in the car. Put a gun in the car and ahead sings most of the way!!

 

[disco_ike]

Mine jumps into the footwell then climb on the seat.

If it’s a pickup try it without the hood. Some dogs don’t like jumping if something is over their head. Mine all got on fine with the Disco 2 and side opening boot door but hated the jeep with a split up/down tailgate.

 

[jb1]

Every time they are taken out when returning to the truck we just say "In" they got used to the command "In" as long as the back was open they would jump in. Even if the back was open and a hundred yards off and give the "In" command they would run up to the truck and jump in.

 

[willie_gunn]

What is the best way to teach a dog to jump into a 4x4?
She is a 7 month old lab.
She wont be jumping out until she’s a bit older.

Get your car professionally valeted, preferably at great expense.

Can guarantee that any dog within a couple of miles will instantly want to jump in and clamber over the seats, carpet, dashboard…..

 

[Olaf]

Get your car professionally valeted, preferably at great expense.

Can guarantee that any dog within a couple of miles will instantly want to jump in and clamber over the seats, carpet, dashboard…..

I agree. However, a very important thing not yet mentioned in this thread is the type of vehicle that you expect your dog to happily jump into. If you have a Toyota and it’s not jumping in , you have a problem.
Dogs are not stupid, they have a way better sense of smell than humans, a very good hunting instinct and self preservation instinct.
If you’re expecting your furry friend to jump into your Range Rover or Landrover and it won’t do it…. You have a very intelligent dog.
Kindest regards, Olaf

 

[User00056]

any thoughts re curing the shivers and shakes chaps?

Over-excitement maybe? If that does prove to be the case repeated exposure to going in the car without the reward of actually going anywhere should calm her. She's a lovely dog by the way, and it looks like you have a fantastic bond with her

 

[Foxyboy43]

Over-excitement maybe? If that does prove to be the case repeated exposure to going in the car without the reward of actually going anywhere should calm her. She's a lovely dog by the way, and it looks like you have a fantastic bond with her

Thank you Q.
Rua is a smasher indeed but I don’t think it relates to excitement - even at the sight of my shooting vest she rolls on her back and won't leave her bed unless I put her lead on and drag/walk her to the Jimny then the wee rascal jumps straight in and the shivering etc. starts. Paradoxically she loves all aspects of dummy work and is a very fast learner for a dog who only a couple of months ago was a child’s pet - just wish I could get the reaction stopped!

 

[User00056]

I don’t think it relates to excitement

I'm baffled then

I can't think of anything else to try other than repeatedly exposure without making too big a fuss over it? It possibly relates to an experience she's had in the past, but it would take someone with a lot more knowledge than I have to get to the bottom of it. Hope you do though!

 

[HonestJohn]

Had a lab that was so scared of driving it was actually not nice, so stopped bringing him. He was fine until I parked the 4x4 head on into a big oak tree from black ice, after that day he could not be in a car basically. I did bring him shooting a few times a year, but I felt bad putting him in the car every time, although he loved coming shooting, but eventually when I was getting ready and packing the gear, he would run upstairs and hide under my desk, that was the end of him coming along because he would rather not go shooting than suffer the drive

 

[Foxyboy43]

I'm baffled then

I can't think of anything else to try other than repeatedly exposure without making too big a fuss over it? It possibly relates to an experience she's had in the past, but it would take someone with a lot more knowledge than I have to get to the bottom of it. Hope you do though!

Thanks Q.
Ongoing issue - just took her to the local shop - 3 mins drive - shivering, panting wreck!
The dog ain’t great either!

 

[Scotty99]

I’ve got the same issue with my WHV lad, he’ll jump fences and gates but has an issue jumping into the back of my FL2. I think jumping into confined spaces is the problem. I’m working on getting him to jump in in two stages, first onto a plastic caravan step and them into the vehicle which he manages well. It’s designed to build up confidence until he has enough confidence to do it in one.

 

[Foxyboy43]

I’ve got the same issue with my WHV lad, he’ll jump fences and gates but has an issue jumping into the back of my FL2. I think jumping into confined spaces is the problem. I’m working on getting him to jump in in two stages, first onto a plastic caravan step and them into the vehicle which he manages well. It’s designed to build up confidence until he has enough confidence to do it in one.

Frustrating innit? As soon as Rua gets near the Jimny she quite happily jumps aboard - shivering and shaking all the while!

 

[Scotty99]

Had a good result today. Was out training with him this morning and when I’d finished I decided to try getting him into the back of the FL2 without the step. So got a biscuit threw it into the back of the car and hey presto in he jumps. As with everything I’m dog training patience and perseverance pays off.

 

[MarinePMI]

We trained our Malinois using her desire to get up on the bed. Whenever she would look to get up, I would say "Load!" and pat the bed, and she'd jump up. After this, is was simple to open the back of the Land Rover, tap the cargo area and say "Load!" and she would jump up into the cargo area. After she got the meaning of the command, we switched the hand signal to a thumb and fist, pointing the thumb to the back of the Land Rover. After a couple times, she understood the hand signal, so a voice command was no longer necessary. That's what I love about Mali's; they take to hand signals quite easily.