When we started talking about getting a puppy last summer, one of the things I pictured in my head was me taking my white lab out for rides. I do a lot of errands, and the kids aren't as interested in coming on dad errands as they used to be. I figured the dog would become my buddy. He'd become my wingman on Saturday mornings.

For some reason, though, all my dog does is whine incessantly when I take him out in the car. It's not that he's annoying me, I just feel bad. It's supposed to be an enjoyable thing for him, a way for him to get out of the house and see the world, but he's just not having it. Not yet, at least.

Every day when I'm out driving, I see happy dogs, sticking their heads out of the window, tongues and ears flapping in the wind, dog smiles on their faces.

What are these dog owners doing to make it an enjoyable experience for their dogs? Was it always that way? Did car rides start off rocky, and then the dogs slowly began to enjoy it more and more? How did they do it?

I wondered if he might feel unsecured in the car, so I tried bringing the crate and putting it in the back of the SUV. That didn't work, either. I let him sit free in the very back of the SUV, but he won't just lay down and relax, he is always roaming around and won't settle in.

I always pictured that this would be my bonding time with my dog, but I am feeling less and less optimistic that he'll ever look at a car ride as a treat.

Do any dog owners out there have any suggestions?

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