Dog that hates the car: a survey of 907 owners isolates what actually makes the difference
Published by Planète Pets · managing editor: Clément Lacaille · how our guides are written
Does one dog in four really have a problem with the car? An Italian survey of several hundred owners measured how often negative car-travel reactions actually occur, and above all, what explains them (see the study). Find our other guidance in the travel and safety section.
76% of dogs always react well, but not all of them
Chiara Mariti and colleagues, at the University of Pisa, surveyed 907 dog owners using a 16-question questionnaire about their dog's behaviour in the car. The result: 76.2% of dogs always responded positively to car transport, but 23.8% of the sample had shown, or currently showed, a problem, including 6.7% that always reacted negatively.
Early habituation and vet-only use, two factors that carry real weight
Two findings stood out clearly. First, dogs habituated to the car from puppyhood — 86% of the sample — developed problems far less often than the rest: 6.3% versus 24.1% among dogs habituated later. Second, dogs that only rode in the car to go to the vet reacted negatively far more often: 46.4% versus 22.7% among dogs also transported for other outings.
What this study does not show
The survey relies on owner reports, not a physiological measure such as cortisol: it says nothing about the precise mechanism behind these differences, only about their statistical association. It also does not prove that habituating an already fearful adult dog is enough to fix the problem — most dogs in the sample had been habituated early, not retrained later in life. Finally, among owners of problem dogs, 48.7% had sought no advice at all and 96.3% had given no treatment, leaving a good part of the topic unexplored by this survey.
What it changes for a puppy, or a dog that dislikes the car
- Stacking up short, positive trips from the moment a puppy arrives, rather than waiting for a first real journey, is the lever these data support most strongly for avoiding a problem in adulthood.
- Not reserving the car for vet trips alone limits the negative association that a single repeated trip can create long-term — a principle echoed in our article on car habituation in adult dogs, where repetition alone did not always lower measured stress.
- A dog already fearful in the car deserves professional advice rather than a homemade fix, when the vast majority of owners in this survey sought none at all.
- Securing the dog with a crash-tested harness or crate remains essential regardless of behaviour — see our comparison of the car safety harness.
Frequently asked questions
At what age should I habituate a puppy to the car?
As early as possible, according to this survey: 86% of the dogs in the sample had been habituated from puppyhood, with a far lower rate of problems in adulthood.
Why does my dog hate the car when it rides in it often?
If those trips are limited to vet visits, that repeated association alone can be enough to explain a negative reaction, according to this survey of 907 dogs.
Can an adult dog still learn to like the car?
This survey does not specifically test retraining an already fearful dog; it mainly shows how strong early habituation is, which does not rule out gradual work with an adult dog, ideally with professional help. Find all our guides on the dog hub.
This guide is part of Planète Pets’s Dogs universe. Our advice is general in nature: for any health concern, your veterinarian remains the only reference.