Anxious dog in the car: what to do for calmer journeys?

Car anxiety is not simply classic « travel sickness ». It can combine several factors: an unpleasant physical sensation (motion sickness), unusual noises and vibrations, the loss of olfactory landmarks, spatial confinement, a negative association with a past experience (a painful visit to the vet, a stressful first journey after adoption).

Physical signs: excessive panting without exertion, heavy drooling, trembling, vomiting, diarrhoea.

Behavioural signs: whining, barking, restlessness, attempts to escape, motionless prostration, refusal to get in.

If any of these signs is marked, the advice of your usual vet is the first step to take.

The Highway Code, article R412-1, requires that the transport of an animal impede neither driving nor visibility. Several solutions are accepted:

• Transport crate secured in the boot (recommended for small and medium builds).
• Safety harness attached to the seat belt (CE approval, crash testing recommended).
• Dog guard between the cabin and the boot.
• Separation net for estate or SUV type vehicles.

Carrying a dog loose on the seat or on the driver's lap is an offence (fixed fine, loss of licence points).

For an anxious dog, the lasting solution is behavioural. The principle: rebuild a positive association with the car, step by step.

1. Approach the car without getting in. A few days of walks around the stationary car, with a treat and a stroke at the moment of touching the door.
2. Get in without starting the engine. Short sessions (2-5 minutes) in the stationary car, with a reward, then getting out voluntarily.
3. Start the engine without driving. Turn on the ignition, listen for a few minutes, get out.
4. Very short journeys. A few hundred metres towards a pleasant place (a park, a walk).
5. Gradually lengthen them. Always alternating short pleasant journeys with only a few longer ones.

The watchword: patience. Desensitisation can take several weeks or even months. A canine behaviourist (who can be found via the Conseil national de l'Ordre des vétérinaires) can support the work.

• A light meal 3-4 hours before departure, to avoid vomiting.
• An energetic walk beforehand, to discharge nervous energy.
• The usual blanket in the crate or on the seat (a familiar smell).
• Breaks every two hours on long journeys (getting out, water, stretching legs).
• A moderate cabin temperature (18-22 °C), good ventilation.
• Smooth driving: avoid sharp acceleration and late braking.

Several veterinary medicines hold a marketing authorisation (AMM) for travel sickness or anxiety in dogs. They appear in the ANMV index of veterinary SPCs. Among the molecules used: maropitant (an anti-emetic specific to dogs), sileo (dexmedetomidine, with an AMM for noise anxiety), trazodone and gabapentin (off-label in animals, prescribed within the therapeutic cascade provided for by European regulation 2019/6).

None of these products can be bought over the counter. All require a veterinary prescription with a dosage suited to the weight and profile of the animal.

Several food supplements for dogs combine plant extracts (valerian, passionflower, chamomile, lemon balm) and amino acids (L-tryptophan). They are sold over the counter, but their use should be validated by the vet: possible interactions with ongoing treatments, contraindications depending on state of health.

ANSES points out that food supplements for animals must comply with European animal feed regulations, without therapeutic claims.

No CBD product for dogs has obtained a veterinary AMM issued by the ANMV or by the EMA. The marketing of products labelled « for dogs » sits in a legal grey area: authorised if it claims no therapeutic purpose, but with no official veterinary framework.

A vet may prescribe CBD off-label within the therapeutic cascade provided for by EU regulation 2019/6, under their personal responsibility, where no authorised veterinary medicine is suitable.

Claims prohibited for CBD products for dogs: « anti-anxiety », « against separation anxiety », « pain relief ». Authorised commercial vocabulary: comfort, soothing, wellbeing.

If you are considering CBD for your dog:

• Ask your usual vet for advice before any use.
• Choose a product with an independent certificate of analysis (CoA): purity, absence of THC (favour a 99 % isolate), absence of contaminants.
• Check the base used (salmon oil suited to dogs; MCT oil to be avoided in cases of liver disease).
• Start with a small quantity and observe tolerance.
• Never combine it with another treatment without veterinary advice.

CBD is not a veterinary medicine. In cases of persistent anxiety or pain in your animal, consult a vet.

• Marked anxiety, repeated vomiting, persistent refusal to get in.
• A regression in a dog that was previously calm in the car (consider a medical cause).
• A long journey or a trip abroad planned.
• Failure of desensitisation techniques after several weeks.

The vet will be able to rule out a medical cause (pain, an ear infection, a vestibular problem) and, if needed, prescribe a suitable treatment or refer you to a behaviourist.

• Identify the physical and behavioural signs of car anxiety.
• Comply with the Highway Code: crate, approved harness, dog guard or net.
• Gradual desensitisation: patience comes before urgency.
• Veterinary medicines: on prescription, never self-administered.
• CBD for dogs: a legal grey area, veterinary advice essential before any use.

Can you give a human anxiolytic to your dog?

No. Pharmacokinetics in dogs differ from those in humans: there are risks of serious poisoning. Human benzodiazepines (Lexomil, Xanax) are not advised without a specific veterinary prescription.

Does CBD replace a veterinary treatment?

No. CBD has no veterinary AMM in France. For marked or recurrent anxiety, veterinary care (and, where appropriate, work with a behaviourist) remains the indicated route.

How much CBD should be given to a dog?

This question can only be addressed with your vet. No official dosage is a reference in France. Observed practices vary considerably depending on weight, age, state of health and concomitant treatments.

My dog vomits every time in the car: motion sickness or anxiety?

Both can occur together. Maropitant (Cerenia, on prescription) is the anti-emetic specific to dogs. Behavioural desensitisation acts on the anxious part. Veterinary advice is needed to tell them apart.

Which approved accessories should be chosen for transport?

Harnesses with R-129 approval or that have passed independent crash tests (Center for Pet Safety) offer the best guarantees. For crates, favour IATA certified models if you are considering air travel.

To discover our selection of hemp-based wellbeing products for adults, [see our stress and anxiety catalogue](/categorie-produit).

• EU regulation 2019/6 on veterinary medicinal products (cascade) — primary
• EFSA Journal 2026 — Update statement CBD novel food — primary
• ANMV — Index of veterinary SPCs (no approved veterinary CBD) — primary