FREE UK DELIVERY ON ORDERS OVER £39.99

Training Video: Dealing with puppy travel sickness

Updated 20 February 2025

Read time: 2 mins

Pooch and Mutt's expert trainer, Jon, is here to explain the causes of travel sickness in puppies and how you can help them through it.

Just like children, dogs can have travel sickness when they're young and then grow out of it when they get older. But for some, it can last till adulthood. Travel sickness can certainly be a hiccup when transporting your puppy from A to B, but there are a few steps you can take to get your puppy accustomed to travelling so journeys can be smooth sailing.

Helping puppies with travel sickness

Firstly, you need to create a positive association with the car. You can get your puppy used to going in the car even when you're not going on a journey.

You can feed them in the car or take them into the car for treats. Develop this by starting the car while they are in it but for now, keep the exposure relatively brief and positive.
After a couple of introductory sessions to the car, you can begin taking them on short trips. This can even just be down the road. Through this process, you will quickly find out if your puppy is going to be fine in the car or suffer from travel sickness.
Signs of travel sickness in puppies are easy to spot, and it isn't always sickness. It can also be excessive drooling and signs of anxiety.
If travel sickness doesn't subside with positive association, then there are a few things you can prepare before a journey.

Avoid feeding your pup for approximately 3 hours before travelling. They will still drool and be uncomfortable, but they and you won’t have the unpleasant experience of being physically sick.
Using a crate to transport your puppy in the car also helps. This isolates any mess and makes it easier to clean up during or after the journey. They also keep your puppy safer during transit and if there was to be an accident. Many on the market are crash-tested.
If you don't use a crate, and your puppy sits on the back seat, make sure they are strapped in with an attachable lead or harness. Sometimes, looking out the window can help alleviate a dog's travel sickness, as well as airflow coming from a slightly opened window.
Some puppies may never grow out of travel sickness, and if this is the case, be sure to speak to your vet about any medications that may be able to help when it comes to unavoidable journeys.