Why Do Dogs Like Car Rides?

Many dogs like car rides because of the smells that come through the window, the time with their people, and the places a ride has led before, such as a park or a beach. Paul McGreevy, writing for Inverse, puts the other side this way: "Most dogs don't like to travel, and those that do have usually had to learn to like it."

Do Your Dogs Like Car Rides?

Is your dog crazy about riding in the car? McGreevy writes that whether or not dogs like to travel "might depend a lot on the individual dogs and their life experience." For some dogs, getting in the car is tied to a trip to the park or beach. For others, it is tied to a scary visit to the vet. The sections below cover what a good ride gives a dog.

The Nose Knows

A dog's nose holds up to 300 million receptacles for picking up scent, which Purina describes as olfactory receptors. Purina gives about six million for a human nose, and says a dog's sense of smell is around 10,000 to 100,000 times better than ours, depending on the breed or type. With a window cracked open and the car moving, the scents coming in keep changing.

Past the window go the smells of greasy fast food wrappers, musty park benches, aromatic trash cans, and other dogs' "calling cards." For a dog, that is a long list of things to read.

Time With Their People

McGreevy writes that "dogs probably see the humans they live with as their social group." He adds that many dogs are "clearly joyful" exploring new places with their social group, but that when alone, "their response may be very different." A ride in the family car is a trip the dog takes with that group. Our guide to why a dog picks one person has more on dogs that want to be with a favorite person.

Moving Things To Watch

Hill's Pet Nutrition says dogs have evolved away from being predators the way wolves are, but most have kept the ability and desire for hunting, and that the drive shows up in different ways in different breeds. A car window shows a dog birds, squirrels, and other animals moving by.

The Spirit Of Adventure

Action 4 Dogs, a UK dog training business, calls curiosity a sign of social health and well-being in a dog, and says dogs are naturally curious. McGreevy writes that for some dogs, a car is a way "to encounter a cascade of odors, see new dogs, or score a stimulating walk in a new territory." That is a lot more going on than waiting at home for the mailman to show up.

Promise Of A Treat

Many dogs also learn that a drive can end with a delicious snack. VCA Animal Hospitals suggests praise and a food reward for good behavior while a dog learns to ride.

How To Keep A Dog Safe In A Moving Car

The American Kennel Club (AKC) says dogs shouldn't ride on the driver's lap or unrestrained in the car, and that a dog in a vehicle should be in a dog crate or secured with a crash-tested dog seat belt. It says a seat belt is a good choice when the vehicle is too small for an appropriately sized crate, and that child locks should be on when a belted dog rides in the back seat, so the dog can't paw at the door and open a window by accident.

A second AKC article lists what can happen to a dog that is not restrained. The dog can climb into the driver's lap and block the view of traffic, move near the brake or accelerator pedal, and be seriously injured by an airbag or thrown into the windshield in a crash or sudden stop. That article also mentions equipment that has been crash-tested and certified by the Center for Pet Safety (CPS).

CPS is a nonprofit. Its certified products page says that manufacturers in the program make a voluntary commitment to meet independently developed safety standards, monitor product quality control, and be truthful in marketing. The page lists certified safety harnesses, pet travel carriers, and travel crates.

The AKC also says a dog should never ride in the back of a pickup truck, whether loose, tethered, or crated, and that this is illegal in many areas. California Vehicle Code section 23117 allows a driver to carry an animal in the load space of a vehicle on a highway only if the space is enclosed or has side and tail racks at least 46 inches high, the vehicle has installed means of preventing the animal from being discharged, the animal is cross tethered to the vehicle, or the animal is in a secured container or cage. In every case the animal must be kept from being thrown, falling, or jumping from the vehicle. The section does not apply to the transport of livestock or to dogs used for ranching or farming.

Dogs And Heat In A Parked Car

The National Weather Service says it is "NEVER safe to leave a child, disabled person or pet locked in a car, even in the winter." A study in Pediatrics measured the temperature inside a dark sedan on 16 clear, sunny days, with outside temperatures from 72 to 96 degrees Fahrenheit. On average the inside temperature rose about 40 degrees, and even on the coolest day it reached 117 degrees. About 80 percent of the rise came in the first 30 minutes. The authors designed the study around the risk to infants, and what they measured was the car.

On two of those days the researchers opened the windows 1.5 inches. The rate of rise was 3.4 degrees per 5 minutes with the windows closed and 3.1 degrees with them open, and the study reports that cracking the windows did not decrease the rate of temperature rise or the maximum temperature. The AKC says dogs can develop heatstroke in minutes, and that in many states leaving a dog unattended in a vehicle is illegal.

One more worth adding: check their ID before you set off. A door opening in an unfamiliar car park is one of the most common ways dogs go missing, and dog ID tags scan straight to your contact details so a stranger can reach you in seconds instead of hunting for a vet with a microchip reader.

If you're planning on taking your pooch out for a car ride, why not do it in style? Check out some of our cool dog t-shirts!

Why Dogs Love Car Rides FAQ

Do all dogs like car rides?

No. VCA Animal Hospitals says many adult dogs become anxious or even nauseous during travel because of a lack of conditioning and the unusual things they sense inside a moving vehicle. Dogs that travel only once or twice a year, typically to the veterinarian, often associate the car ride with the stressful experience that follows. VCA also says you cannot force a dog to get over its anxiety.

Do puppies like car rides?

Whether a puppy will love or hate car rides depends on what it has been through. VCA says motion or car sickness is more common in younger dogs than in adults, possibly because the parts of the inner ear involved in balance are not fully developed, and that puppies often outgrow it by about 1 year old. VCA also says a puppy with a traumatic or frightening first ride may link future travel with that event. McGreevy writes that many puppies and dogs not used to cars will get carsick.

How do you get dogs used to car rides?

VCA's veterinarians give these steps for a dog that is anxious or gets carsick:

• Start with the car parked. Put your dog in the car, start the engine, and sit for a few minutes. The next day, back out of the driveway and return. Then try a trip around the block, and work up to riding comfortably for 20 to 30 minutes.

• Reward calm behavior. Offer praise and a food reward, and do not scold a dog that howls or whines. VCA says visible anxiety is a sign to stop and start again another day.

• Practice with the carrier first. VCA recommends getting your dog used to its carrier before getting into the car, and adding a t-shirt or blanket with your scent.

• Keep the car cool and quiet. VCA suggests soft classical music and a cool temperature, plus fresh water whenever possible.

• Think about food timing. If it is not too stressful for your dog, VCA says to withhold food for up to 8 hours before travel.

• Offer a special trip toy. A new toy that your dog only gets while traveling can help it link travel with fun.

• Talk to your veterinarian if your dog still struggles. VCA lists calming products and medications that a vet can choose from, and says to consult your veterinarian before starting any medication or supplement, even a non-prescription one.

How can I tell if my dog is carsick?

VCA lists whining and pacing, excessive drooling, smacking or licking lips, lethargy or inactivity, vomiting, and defecation as signs of motion sickness. If you think your dog is going to vomit, VCA says stopping the car and taking him for a walk may help temporarily relieve his stress. Some dogs have a medical condition such as a middle or inner ear infection or vestibular disease that makes them prone to nausea.

Is it safe for dogs to stick their head out the window?

The AKC says to keep windows completely rolled up or only cracked open, and never to let a dog ride with its head out the window. It says a dog can be injured jumping out of the car, or have its eyes injured by flying debris. A second AKC article adds ear, face, and mouth injuries from airborne objects, shrubs, and branches, and says an unrestrained dog at an open window can fall out in a collision or an abrupt turn.

Sources

• Paul McGreevy, Some Dogs Hate Car Rides and Others Love Them: Here Are the Reasons Why, Inverse, June 18, 2019
• Purina UK, dog sense of smell
• Hill's Pet Nutrition, All About Prey Drive in Dogs
• Action 4 Dogs, Why Curiosity is a Sign of Health in Your Dog
• VCA Animal Hospitals, Motion Sickness in Dogs
• American Kennel Club, Dog Car Safety: Training Your Dog to Ride in the Car, updated Feb 23, 2026
• American Kennel Club, Can I Leave My Dog in the Car If I Crack a Window?, updated Jun 22, 2026
• Center for Pet Safety, CPS Certified Products
• California Vehicle Code section 23117
• National Weather Service, Heat Safety Tips and Resources
• McLaren, Null, and Quinn, Heat stress from enclosed vehicles, Pediatrics, 2005