When I got my puppy and the first time I tried to get him in the car, he seemed really interested in following the treat and got half way in and then couldn't get his hind legs up. I understand that because he'd never been in a car before.
However, after that first ride home, he's been TERRIFIED of cars ever since. He doesn't get sick in them, but he's obviously stressed out. I've tried getting him to follow treats, but he'd rather slip his collar than get in or go near the car. I also crack the windows for him and try to drive as smooth as possible, and we always go somewhere he loves--whether it be to the dog park, a friend's house (who has a couple of large dogs that Teddy LOVES to play with), the pet store, the vet (he LOVES the vet), and home to food and treats. He obviously loves where the car takes him, just not the process of getting into the car.
I think it may be an indication that I'm a bad driver and he hates the ride, but it's kind of hard considering I have a relatively old car that is a manual. It's going to be bumpy no matter what. He's also getting big very quickly, and pretty soon I won't be able to lift him into the car.
Has anyone else had similar experiences? Does anyone have any ideas on how train him to get over this fear of the car? Should I resort to bribing him into the car with fast food or something (I don't even know if that would work at this point!). Any help would be great.