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How can I keep my 12 week beagle calm during an 8 hour car ride over Thanksgiving?

I have a 12 week beagle named Wizzard Iv had him since 8 weeks- and the day I brought him home he was good in the car everything was fine, he just sat there looking around. then there was some drama after the first week i had him, his previous owners had decided they wanted him back and they would give me another puppy from the litter he was born from, and I said no, and while out with my mom for my birthday dinner they came and took him and replaced him with another puppy, I called them talked to them told them it simply would not work out that If I couldn't have Wizzard I was sent interested in a puppy from them, even if they were free [because they were] So i returned the pup and they asked me if i had parvo in my yard i said no because iv never owned a dog before and iv lived in this house since it was built so they told me Wizzard was not eating or playing that they thought he had parvo so they gave him back to me said i can have him until he "goes" :I so i brought him home and that's when the car trouble started, he yelped and cried and just wouldn't be quiet, then when i took him to the vet he was crying/yelping and when i took him to petsmart, he was a little better but still was loud, with thanks giving coming up Im going to california to visit my family, for 3 days and hes coming with me, what would you recommend I do to show him the car isn't bad that its fun and such, I plan on starting this training with taking him to the park in the car so he sees that the car means good out comes, and that its okay. p.s he never had parvo when i brought him home he ate well and played he was a ball of energy! also, Im NOT going to have him boarded for those 3 days, its just out of the question for me, honestly. note: he is well trained in my opinion, he knows sit/lay down/roll over/shake he can walk well on a leash. he just has yet to learn quiet xD

Public Comments

1. you should keep him busy so hes not all nervous. have some treats and give to him. but not completely let him nibbly on it for a while soon he will be too distracted with food he won't pay attention to anything else.
2. I am first going to recommend you rethink the dog boarding idea. Two eight hour road trips (8 each way) are going to be pretty traumatic in that short a space of time for that young a dog. You can get tranquilizers from the Vet, but I would look for a friend or family member who could keep him or a Vet's office with a boarding facility.
3. I have 2 german shepherds who were both nervous of the car when they were younger so i got tips from a dog handler. It sounds to me as though your dog is scared of the car, so start from scratch, as if he has never been in a car before. 1) Open all the doors to the car (including the boot) and have someone that the dog is familiar with sit inside on the back seats holding a few treats for the dog which will be used as a reward if he goes in the car. 2) Then take the dog to the car on his lead and walk around the car slowly 3 or 4 times, allowing the dog to sniff as and when it wants to. 3) Show the dog the person inside the car and ask that person to shout the dog's name, encouraging him to go into the car, if he does, give him a treat. 4) If the dog doesn't go in the car walk around to another door and do step 3 again. 5) Only do this 3 or 4 times as you don't want the dog to feel intimidated. Follow these steps once or twice a day until the dog willingly goes into the car. Don't have the engine running at anytime while you do this as the dog may get scared. Once the dog has gone in the car, take it 5 - 15 minute journeys to a place he likes to go eg the beach, the park, for a walk, this way the dog feels that the car is a good thing as he gets a reward everytime he's in it.
4. Is he crate trained? Exercise & play with him first. Get him a little sleepy. Put him in the car in his secured crate. You can put a t-shirt or something that smells like you in the crate with him. Give him something to chew, like maybe a cow hoof or a bully stick. And go. If he whimpers or cries in the crate tell him quiet, but otherwise ignore it. Stop every 2-3 hours to take him out to potty on leash, give him a quick drink of water, back into his crate & continue on.