Cars can give your dog - peace, quiet, familiarity and safety
By far the best place for dogs to stay both before and straight after a training session is in the owner's car. The dog is very familiar with this environment and will feel safe from any "dangers" (eg. unknown dogs, strangers, etc) and feel able to relax and recall what it has just learnt (see Latent Learning). However, as the large notice above reminds us, if there is any possibility of your dog becoming overheated, dehydrated, or is in danger of any physical or mental distress, you must not leave your dog in a vehicle. There are alternative solutions in these circumstances (see Alternatives further down this page).

How to make the car relaxing and peaceful for your dog
Understandably, many dogs regard their owner's car as part of their home territory and feel compelled to guard it by barking at any dog or human that passes by. Obviously this not only causes the dog excitement and stress, it also is a major distraction to the dog and prevents it relaxing and latently learning. This is also true for those dogs that can see (and sometimes hear) the training area, making them frustrated that other dogs are being trained rather than themselves. To overcome both these problems of over stimulation of sights and sounds, here are a number of recommended options -