When people say their dog hates the car, I always want to ask one question: What part of the car ride?
My Dachshund, Otter, doesn’t hate the car. He happily jumps into my SUV, enjoys neighborhood drives, and is usually comfortable while we travel through town at lower speeds.
Then we merge onto the highway.
Once we reach freeway speeds, he starts panting, shifting positions, looking around, and struggling to settle. He doesn’t usually whine or howl, but his restlessness makes it clear that something is bothering him.
For a while, I thought of this as general car anxiety. The more closely I watched him, though, the more obvious it became that the car itself wasn’t the problem.
Something about highway travel was.
That distinction changed how I approached the issue. Instead of asking, “How do I help my dog stop being anxious in the car?” I started asking, “What changes when we reach highway speeds?”
There is very little scientific research specifically about dogs who are comfortable during slower drives but become anxious on the highway. This article is not a definitive explanation. It is a case study based on my observations, reasonable hypotheses, and the experiments I have tried with Otter.
First, Define the Problem More Precisely
Dogs can struggle in the car because of motion sickness, fear, physical discomfort, negative associations, or a combination of factors.
If you are not sure what your dog is experiencing, start with my article, Why Your Dog Gets Sick, Shakes, or Whines in the Car (and What to Do). It explains the differences between motion sickness and car anxiety and offers practical ways to address both.
Otter’s pattern did not fit a simple dislike of riding in the car.
He was not reluctant to get in. He did not become worried when the engine started. He could travel through town without showing the same distress.
I considered whether he had learned that the highway predicted a long or unpleasant trip. That did not fully fit because the behavior occurred whether we were going hiking, camping, visiting somewhere familiar, or taking a short freeway trip.
I also considered frustration with being restrained in his booster seat. Some dogs become more agitated when they cannot move freely or reach their person. But Otter uses the same booster seat around town without a problem.
When I tried other configurations for car travel, he was more anxious, not less.
The strongest pattern was speed. His restlessness began on the highway and often decreased after we exited.
That led me to focus on what changes inside and around the vehicle at higher speeds.
What Changes at Highway Speeds?
A vehicle traveling 30 miles per hour creates a very different sensory environment from one traveling 65 or 75.
Road and tire noise increase. Wind moves around the vehicle differently. Vibrations may become stronger or change in frequency. The scenery outside the windows moves much faster.
Traffic also becomes more intense. Cars and trucks pass closely. Large vehicles create sudden bursts of sound and pressure. Crosswinds may cause the vehicle to move slightly within the lane.
We may barely notice these changes because we understand and expect them. A dog experiences the same sounds, movements, and sensations without that context.
My suspicion is that highway anxiety may not always be caused by one obvious trigger. Several manageable stressors may combine until the dog can no longer settle comfortably.
A little road noise may be manageable. A small amount of vibration may be manageable. Fast-moving scenery may be manageable.
All of them together may be too much for a noise-sensitive or easily overstimulated dog.
That is a hypothesis, not an established explanation. But it fits Otter’s behavior better than the idea that he simply hates riding in the car.
My Best Guess Is That Noise Matters Most
Otter is sensitive to noise in other situations, so I began paying more attention to what I could hear inside my SUV.
I drive a Toyota 4Runner with all-season tires and a rooftop tent. It is not especially quiet at freeway speeds.
Different road surfaces create noticeably different sounds. Smooth asphalt produces a steady hum, while rough pavement creates a much louder and harsher roar inside the vehicle.
Wind also makes a difference.
When we encounter a strong crosswind, air sometimes moves across the rooftop tent in a way that creates a high-pitched whistle. Otter often becomes more agitated when that happens.
I cannot prove he is reacting to that specific sound. I may also notice it more because I am already looking for an explanation. Still, the pattern has repeated often enough that I take it seriously.
Vehicle acoustics may explain why a dog is comfortable in one car but anxious in another. Tires, insulation, roof racks, rooftop tents, cargo boxes, vehicle shape, and where the dog sits could all change the sound and vibration reaching them.
Noise may not be the only factor affecting Otter, but it remains my leading theory, so I set out on a quest to figure out what would help with the noise and make him more comfortable during car travel.
What Didn’t Help
Using a crate instead
Because I suspected road noise, I thought a crate might create a quieter, more enclosed environment.
I bought a Diggs inflatable travel crate because I thought the softer sides might muffle sound and vibration.
Otter freaked out because he doesn’t love being in his crate to begin with and he had never been crated in the car.
I didn’t even bother trying a wire crate. I knew any crate was a no-go for him, and it would not have decreased the noise level.
Dog seats in other postions
I also replaced his booster seat with a dog bed on the back seat, then tried placing the bed on the floor. Neither setup helped.
It is possible that these changes affected how he experienced motion or vibration. It is also possible that I added another stressor by removing the familiar booster seat he was accustomed to using.
Ear protection for dogs
I also tried canine ear protection.
Finding effective ear protection small enough for a Dachshund is difficult. The options I tried did not fit especially well, Otter disliked wearing them, and I worried about him getting too warm in summer.
Frequent short breaks
Some articles suggest taking frequent breaks so a dog can get out to sniff, move around, drink water, and reset.
This doesn’t work for Otter though. He usually settles in the car after about 30 minutes, even if nothing else changes in regard to speed and road noise.
If I constantly stop, get him out for a short break, and then put him back in, then the process of settling starts all over again.
None of these experiments solved the problem, but they were still useful. They ruled out some assumptions and reminded me that a logical idea can still be wrong for the individual dog.
What Did Help?
A sniff walk before the car ride
The most effective thing I have tried happens before Otter gets into the car.
If I take him on a sniff walk for at least 15-20 minutes before we leave, he is often far less bothered by highway travel.
The difference is dramatic.
The walk gives him time to move, explore, sniff, and engage in natural behavior, which can help him lower his overall stress level before we begin and leave him more ready to rest.
Unfortunately, it is not always practical. Sometimes I have to leave early, the weather is poor, or I do not have an extra half hour.
Still, this experiment taught me that helping a dog through a stressful situation may begin well before the stressful situation starts.
Music, but not the music I expected
I began playing music because I hoped it would soften or partially cover the road noise.
At first, I searched for music marketed as calming for dogs. I didn’t enjoy the classical music and most of it was so slow, it made me sleepy. In the end, it didn’t help Otter settle anyway.
I had to find something that helped him but that I also enjoyed. Now, I forgo podcasts in the car and pick music that is less buzzy, tappy, whiny, or has a deep hum (one of his primary sound triggers).
He seems to do well with Indigo Girls, Brandi Carlile, some country music, and even Tool. These are not all genres I would have predicted, but they create a relatively consistent layer of sound without a lot of unusual effects.
I even created him is own road trip mixtape on Spotify.
The lesson was not that a particular artist calmed Otter. It was that the details of the sound matter more than whether something is marketed as calming.
Driving slower
Once I began thinking that sound, vibration, and airflow were contributing to Otter’s discomfort, speed became an obvious variable to test.
I naturally tend to drive between 70 and 80 miles per hour on the freeway. When Otter is with me, I stay closer to 60 or 65 and spend more time in the right lane.
He is noticeably more comfortable.
Driving slower may reduce tire noise, wind noise, vibration, visual intensity, or the effects of crosswinds. I do not know which change matters most.
What I do know is that he is usually less restless and better able to settle. The trip rarely takes much longer, so slowing down is an easy adjustment with a meaningful benefit.
Longer, meaningful breaks
The exception to this is breaks that are 45-60 minutes long and involve a walk or hike in nature, usually off leash for him.
When we stop for longer breaks that physically tire him out and allow for a longer period of decompression, he typically doesn’t go through the 30-minute settling period again.
Supplements and Medication
Many articles and veterinarians are quick to recommend medication like Trazadone, or calming supplements, for stressful car rides. I’ve tried both for Otter.
BravePaws calming chews (affiliate link) made the biggest difference for Otter without making him drowsy. Note: Otter, although he is picky and does not like eating them but I usually had success crumbling them and hiding them in food as if they were pills.
I chose to try them because some of the ingredients have evidence supporting their use for stress and noise sensitivity.
They didn’t eliminate the restless behavior, but they lowered the intensity enough that he had a better chance of settling.
Trazadone helped, but it also had made him sleepy when given at a high enough dose (the recommended dose) to have a measurable effect.
I wasn’t a fan and he didn’t seem to be either. It did take some of the edge off for him though.
Generally, I don’t use calming aids and modify other environmental and lifestyle factors instead. However, I would absolutely go that route if I had a dog who really struggled in the car.
If you want to explore the route of medication or supplements to help, discuss it with your veterinarian.
Final Thoughts
I would love to say that I solved Otter’s highway anxiety. I have not, but we have made great progress!
I found several things that made a meaningful difference – a long sniff walk before leaving, driving slower, a carefully selected music playlist. The changes reduced Otter’s anxiety and made it more manageable.
The most important thing I learned from Otter’s highway anxiety is that vague descriptions lead to vague solutions.
“My dog hates the car” was not an accurate description of his problem.
He liked getting into the car. He enjoyed driving around town. He could settle at lower speeds. He didn’t hate the car itself.
The key to figuring out the cause of his anxiety was asking myself a lot of questions, keenly observing what happens before he gets in the car, the timing of when he got agitated, and trial and error of potential solutions
My hope is that by sharing my experience, I will help you and your Dachshund too.
