How to get him to jump in the car?

[u/Few-Beautiful-8252]

It’s not a matter if he can. He clears the couch, the beds, pretty much anything he can jump. But he won’t jump in the car. He did it once but now he wants me to pick him up. He’s gotten too heavy for me to do it. I have tried throwing treats in and toys. What else can I do? He loves car rides so I need him to jump in.

[u/Kinomi_Bazu]

Yours doesn’t automatically jump in even when you don’t want him to? Sounds like a factory reset is in order.

Does he associate the car with only the vet? Try taking to doggie park?

[u/Few-Beautiful-8252 → u/Kinomi_Bazu]

I know lol. He loves the car so much so he doesn’t associate it with any negatives. Usually he gets to go to grandmas house or on a hike. He just wants me to pick him up.

[u/Helpful_Mongoose_786 → u/Few-Beautiful-8252]

Practice jumping up on other things, in the town Inlive in, we are close to rail road tracks, and the city has kindly put park benches on the.corner, we are near a line switch and sometimes the trains sit for a long time, my shepherd is trained to jump up on the bench and smile at the cars passing by waving at him, hi sits up straight and tall, with ears perked, and lookse wants you to pet him, but that is not the case, and he waits horseless go command. like h

[u/Longjumping_Law2385 → u/Kinomi_Bazu]

Seriously! I take mine outside for a walk and they’re literally dragging me to the car 😂🤣

[u/Anonymous_and_Lost40]

If he won't jump up into the car, then take him back inside. Go back outside to the car and try again. He will eventually get the picture that if he doesn't get into the car himself, then he doesn't get to go for a ride.

[u/Few-Beautiful-8252 → u/Anonymous_and_Lost40]

Ok this is good I’ll try that

[u/Ok-Abroad-8683 → u/Few-Beautiful-8252]

In addition to this, I would get him excited before you go out the door, then run with him to the car and make it natural to finish the run by jumping in the car (have hatch or door already open). This works for mine when he doesn’t want to get in.

Probably already said, but verify he has no sprained muscles or other mredical issues.

[u/tumulus_innit]

Sit in the car yourself and get him to jump in to see you. He probably thinks he isn't allowed because you've been lifting him in.

[u/AccurateCampaign4900]

It was a process for me. I put his front paws up in the cab. Gave him the "up" command. Then i lifted his back paws until he reflexively climbed up. It took several sessions of this until he felt confident.

You might also make sure you take them somewhere fun like the park. So they associate the car with play time instead of say, a vet visit.

[u/Few-Beautiful-8252 → u/AccurateCampaign4900]

I tried to do it this way and he cried lol. He just wants me to lift him. He’s gained a lot and it’s too much

[u/AccurateCampaign4900 → u/Few-Beautiful-8252]

Yea, sometimes you've got to be the parent and persist.

[u/Epiceman → u/AccurateCampaign4900]

My boy jumps his front end in the back of our SUV, then I reach my hand down and hold it steady for him to step up onto with his back paw, then as he starts to lift his other paw I give his whole butt-end a boost.

We have it down to a pretty good routine now ☺️

[u/Soulboardr]

Funny, I have a 9 year old GSD who can still jump a 6-foot fence if she really wants to, but has never, ever jumped in my truck on her own even though going for rides is her favorite.

I say she likes to “have the door held for her”, which is really me picking up her butt once she has her front paws in. I think she likes the attention.

[u/azl410 → u/Soulboardr]

Same with us! Ours is almost 9 and never has jumped into the car. She’ll jump out just fine and can basically scale a vertical wall. At this point we’ve just given up 😅 luckily she’s only 45lbs and not too heavy to lift.

[u/randomusername1919 → u/azl410]

Mine was 90. Luckily he would get in and out of the car himself.

[u/Few-Beautiful-8252 → u/Soulboardr]

I think this is exactly what it is 😭 he wants to be pampered

[u/goobergirI]

How high is the car in comparison to say the couch? My dog uses a little stool to jump in. When she was old enough she was athletic enough she probably could do it without but she never hesitated after I gave her the stool.

[u/Few-Beautiful-8252 → u/goobergirI]

The car isn’t as tall as the couch. He could easily jump 4-5 foot if he wanted to.

[u/DeesEyes]

Somewhere along the line my old shepherd did the same thing. And I unknowingly had trained that mindset! I’ve been much more conscious with my new one! So when she started getting the same vibe I realized it was cuz I yelled at her for going in the garage. She had followed me to the trash without me realizing it. And I locked her in the garage. She now knows she’s only allowed in the garage with her leash on. Maybe start with that as well. Recognize the pattern, or create a new one!

[u/spirit_of_a_goat]

Treats worked for me.

[u/Misknowmer]

My dog wouldn’t jump in my car - found out she needed TPLO surgery 😭

[u/Worldly-Sun-3811 → u/Misknowmer]

This is why I pick mine up and won’t even let them jump. Worries me too much

[u/Misknowmer → u/Worldly-Sun-3811]

I’ve always had to lift her - she’s only 4

[u/Turbulent_Ad_1779]

Try having a high value treat that he knows you have then starting back about 10 ft. start running to opened car door and throw in treat. Tell him jump!

[u/CaseyLouLou2]

It’s possible that he got hurt once jumping in the car and now has an aversion. Maybe he bumped a toe or landed funny. It might be tough to convince him to do it now.

Could you get a platform to use as a way for him to get in?

[u/BlitzAmigo]

Does he chase a ball?
Open door. Toss ball in.
If not does he like steak?
Open door. Toss in steak bite.
Wait.

[u/cheddah_-]

That’s hilarious because both of mine will jump in the passenger or backseat even if there’s no room at all, when I’m literally just packing the car. They’re always so eager for a car ride

[u/decooperhc]

Teach him a command. We use "load up" for our boy. He'll jump right in anyway but it's a good opportunity to work on impulse control. So I have him sit and wait for the command before he loads up. I've also been teaching him "up" to get him to jump up on stuff when we're out walking. Fun and engaging but also useful.

[u/dogbowl14]

Treats. It’s always treats.

[u/Technical-Problem650]

Mine was hesitant to jump in the car I started throwing treats back there and he would jump in after them. Now I just make the hand motion like I’m throwing something in there and he jumps in.

[u/Bool_The_End]

I got into a bad accident unfort w my dog in the car. Airbags and all (yes he was in the very back and leashed in w his harness. Zero injury to him). And it took him a good few months to even get into a car again. That was years ago and I get it, it was awful. But he finally did it might just take time.

[u/abyssal-isopod86]

I love his blue eye!

What is he crossed with?

[u/hesaid-shesaid-123]

Keep him on a leash, apply pressure, praise, give a treat and lots of praising after he jumps in. Also even with just putting his paws on the car is a step worth praising.

Sometimes motion jump in is better when teaching them to do it. Some dogs need the momentum.

[u/togangarden]

Maybe practice jumping on other surfaces will help bridge the gap? My GSD took awhile to start hopping in the car, so we taught her the “hop” command with other things (benches, playgrounds, big rocks) and she eventually worked up her nerve to do it with the car. I honestly think she just was scared to jump into an enclosed vehicle, now she only hesitates to hop in when the car is running (we try to avoid that anyway because of the exhaust fumes). She loves her car rides and tries to be a brave girl for us.

[u/DoomOfChaos]

Lol, my jackass was the same. I changed it by having him "sit" a few feet from the door and then tossing his toy while encouraging him to JUMP UP

[u/whiterain5863]

We have to open the other door so he can see through. Even then he waits to be picked up most of the time…. And it’s absolutely bs because when the dog walker comes he jumps in without looking back. Punk!

[u/yngws]

Chicken.

[u/libra_nrg]

I bought some stairs for mine

[u/Commercial-Force-980]

Do you use a specific command when you want him to get in the car? My girl knows to wait until I tell her to load, then she hops right in. a

[u/GardenWitchMom]

Kosher hotdogs. (Cut onto tiny pieces )

Or whatever high value treats they love.

[u/PCanon127]

Our Bouvier refused to jump in even though she could clearly see jump about 5 feet straight up. It took several sessions of sitting at the back of the car with really good treats to overcome her reluctance.

[u/gsdsareawesome]

If you are trying to get him to jump into the back seat of the car, most dogs don't like to get in because it looks dark and confined. Open the door on the other side and let him go all the way through. After that he'll probably jump in even if the door is shut.

[u/Medicivich]

Treats on the seat.

[u/Brapbarian]

I dry freeze beef livers and that was my motivational tool when I first got her. I would let her smell it then let her see me toss it into the travel crate and I just tell her to load up and put her in the crate. After about 3-5 times doing that she would load up but she expected the treat. I slowly weened her off the treat.