Puppy Curriculum
Car Ride Introduction
Car sickness and car anxiety usually start with one bad first ride. We make sure the first ride is a good one.
Why it matters
Puppies who only ever ride to the vet learn that cars mean needles. Ours start with sitting in a parked car with the engine off, then running, then five-minute loops around Cold Spring, then a trip to a friendly place.
We ride with an empty stomach, a crate or littermate for comfort, and a treat at the destination — the same recipe we'll send you home with.
In practice
Building a happy passenger
Parked car
Sit in the car, engine off, with treats and a littermate.
Engine on
Sounds and vibration while eating a snack.
Short loops
Five to ten minutes around the neighbourhood, home before boredom or nausea.
A fun destination
A ride that ends somewhere good — a friend's yard, a farm store.
What it means for you
At home with your puppy
A calmer go-home day
Many of our puppies sleep the whole ride home.
Less car sickness
Gradual exposure reduces the nausea that becomes anxiety.
Adventures ahead
A dog who loves the car is a dog who goes to the lake with you.
Keep learning