A dog barking in the backseat of the car can be a real nuisance—and even a hazard—for human drivers. But for dogs, barking is a way of communicating. In order to put the kibosh on all that annoying barking, we first need to understand why our furry companion is barking to begin with.

The three main reasons dogs bark in the car are: anxiety, barrier aggression, and excitement. Once you know which culprit is behind your dog’s barking, you’ll be able to address it and create a safer and more enjoyable driving experience for both of you.

Tips for Combating Anxiety in the Car

Dogs are usually anxious in the car because they’ve developed a negative association with driving. They may have had a frightening car-related event that occurred in their past. Or they associate the car with going to scary places (perhaps the vet or groomer). A lack of driving experience also can cause a dog to be fearful.

To help your dog become more comfortable on the road, you will need to create more positive associations with the car. Here are a couple of ideas:

• Pair the car with something your dog loves, such as a favorite treat or toy. To keep treats easily accessible while driving, clip Kurgo’s Go Stuff It Dog Treat Bag to your passenger seat headrest or place Kurgo’s Kibble Carrier in the nearest drink holder.
• Start with short drives around the neighborhood and then back home, so your pup can start to predict where he is going and that he is always coming home. If your dog has a favorite location, such as a local park, take a few trips just to the park and home.

The main goal is to get your dog looking forward to riding in the car, instead of fearing it.

Tips for Combating Aggression and Frustration

Maybe you’ve noticed that your dog barks at certain stimuli that pass by the car, such as other dogs or people. If so, it wouldn’t be surprising if they bark at the same stimuli while walking on a leash in the neighborhood.

We call this barrier frustration. A dog that barks at certain objects in the car or on a leash is either (1) excited or frustrated that they can’t go say hello or (2) fearful or aggressive toward this object. Either way, to change the behavior you’ll need to create a more positive association with the “problem stimulus,” along with teaching the dog what to do when he sees it.

Here's an exercise that can help solve this type of barking issue:

Step 1: Find an environment where you can expect to see the stimuli (a park, a parking lot, etc.).

Step 2: Stop the car and get in the back seat with your dog.

Step 3: Every time your dog sees the stimuli, feed her a favorite treat. Use something very high value, like hot dog pieces, and save that treat for this exercise so it can remain special. Kurgo’s Mash N’ Stash Collapsible Bowl is perfect for dispensing car treats and can be easily stowed away in your glove compartment until your next drive.

During this exercise, you’re helping your dog create a more positive association with the stimuli. She’s also learning to look at you every time she sees it.

The goal of this drill is to teach your dog that if she looks at you when she sees the stimuli, good things will happen. I do not suggest using a verbal cue, such as “look” or “focus,” when conducting this exercise. In the future, you want to be able to safely drive without using any cues or treats.

This will take several lessons with lots of repetition. But before you know it, your dog will have what we call a “conditioned emotional response” to the stimuli, and the barking will decrease. You will then work up to being able to do this while being in the front seat of the car, and then while driving (without depending upon cues or treats).

Tips for Combating Excessive Excitement

Some dogs bark because they just love going places! These excitable dogs can be difficult to manage as they tend to move around a lot in the back seat. If this is the case for your dog, here are a few suggestions:

1. Use one of Kurgo’s car restraints, such as a crash-tested car safety harness, a car restraint, or a dog car seat (for small dogs) to keep your furry friend tethered to the seat. Not only will these devices create a safer driving environment for you, they’ll also keep your dog secure if you have to throw on the brakes.
2. Distract them with an interactive toy. This will give your dog something else to focus on, which will help her calm down.
3. Teach your dog a reliable “wait” command so she learns to sit still when you get to your location instead of bolting out of the car as soon as the door opens. Your dog should learn to sit calmly while you open the door, and only jump out when you give the release word, such as “OK.”

I recommend practicing this in your driveway at first, without the added distraction of being at her favorite location. It’s also important to ignore your dog’s barking while in the car, as you don’t want to reinforce the behavior by touching or talking to her.

There are many reasons why dogs bark in the car, but most of them can be corrected with the right behavioral modification plan. Once you’ve identified the root cause of the barking, you can begin working towards having a more peaceful and safer driving experience.

Kelly Sullivan is a certified professional canine behavior consultant from NH. She specializes in serious behavioral modification while using positive science-based techniques. She offers both private in home lessons as well as group classes and was voted # 1 dog trainer in NH for 2017. Learn more about Kelly at www.DoggonitNH.com