Kelsey Dickerson from the Arizona Humane Society explained that dogs can be very responsive to their owners’ moods and will often respond to their tone of voice, body language, and demeanor in any situation.

“It is always recommended to use positive reinforcement when your pet is exhibiting behavior that is wanted by giving them high-value treats, verbal praise, and love!” she explained. So if you want your dog to learn to love car rides, positive reinforcement is the way to go and you should steer clear of punishing your pet.

“It is especially important to never punish your pet after it has exhibited a behavior you do not like unless you are actually catching them in the act. When you punish a pet for something it did previously, they do not have the cognitive ability to understand what you are punishing them for and it may even increase the unwanted behavior by causing your pet to have extra stress and anxiety.”

One reason that dogs might avoid car rides is that they associate the trips with negative experiences. For instance—going to the vet or getting carsick.

Meanwhile, shelter dogs might have had traumatic experiences linked to cars that you don’t know about.

Whatever the reason why your dog might be afraid of cars, the steps that you can take to encourage your dog to join you on car rides are simple enough. They just require patience, love, and understanding.

If your dog is carsick, The Spruce Pets suggests that you get over-the-counter medicine to ease their motion sickness. Obviously, ask your vet for their advice first. Oh, and just to be safe, avoid going for a ride whenever your dog just ate.

However, if your dog is scared of car rides, you’ll have to put in much more effort. But the gist is simple: bit by bit, you have to help your dog associate rides with positive experiences. Treats, praise, toys, and belly rubs can help you ‘bribe’ your dog to approach the vehicle and then get inside.

The important thing is to make sure that your dog doesn’t feel trapped inside. Keep up the encouragement as you start up your engine; make sure to go for shorter trips first. And remember—you can’t rush these things, but soon enough your doggo will a happy car-riding goofball like the rest of ‘em.