How do I get a puppy used to car rides?

Let the puppy climb in and out of the parked car a few times over several days, dropping treats inside the crate or on the seat so the space itself becomes a place good things happen. Keep these first sessions under 5 minutes and end them before the puppy gets restless, so the car stays associated with a pleasant, low-pressure experience.

Once the puppy settles calmly with the engine off, try sitting together with the engine running but the car still parked, then move to a very short drive, perhaps just around the block, before working up to longer trips over the following week or two. A calm, praise-filled tone from you during these early drives helps a puppy read the experience as safe rather than alarming.

Try not to make the very first few car trips ones that end somewhere stressful, like a first vaccination visit, since a puppy that only associates the car with the vet can develop lasting anxiety about travel. Mixing in short trips to fun places, like a friend's garden or a quiet park, alongside any necessary vet visits helps balance out that early association.

Some drooling, whining, or a bit of car sickness in the first several trips is common in young puppies and often improves on its own as the balance system matures and the puppy gains more positive experience with travel. Consistent, patient, short exposures generally work better than pushing through a single long trip hoping the puppy will simply adjust.