Dogs and diesel trucks?

[FISHER ED]

Have any of you out there with diesel trucks evey notice your dog being "shy" around the vehicle when it is running. I use to have a gasser and my Lab would have no problem being around it when it was running. He would jump in and out no problem and show no concern what-so-ever. Now that we got a diesle last fall he absoultely hates it. Whenever it is running he will do all he can to avoid the truck. I have to grab him and lift him into the truck because he has no intention to jump in himself, or get close to it in any way. When the truck isn't running, he has no problems with it.

I assume it is either the exhaust or the whine of the turbo that is getting to him. Just wondering if anyone else has noticed this in their dogs and if they have eventually gotten use to it. I feel bad for my little guy as he has the "I'm gonna get a beating" look to him whenever I ask him to get come near the truck. Which he doesn't.. Thanks in advance. Ed

[Eric Wettschreck]

I have an old 83 chev with a 6.2 diesel. Dale, my lab, absolutely loves it. It's loud, smelly, smokey, rusty, no heat, but the radio still works. I can't even start it without Dale going spastic.

Dale was raised with this truck and is used to it.

Jeffrey, my GSP puppy hates it. Everytime I start it Jeffrey goes running for the dog house. I assume it's because it's loud and smelly and smokey and the heat doesn't work.

[LABS4ME]

I think if your dog is conditioned to a diesel you'll have no problems... dogs that aren't used to them hate them, especially the exhaust. Even a gas engine's exhaust on a cold day makes dogs walk around the contrail.. I think it is imprinted in their minds to avoid smoke (fire) at all cost. I know my dogs love what ever vehicle is running, no matter what the engine, but they will never walk through an exhaust plume.

Good Luck!

Ken

[setterguy]

My older dog loves my deisel. The younger one doesn't seem to mind until she actually gets in. She will lay down on the floor in the backseat and just tremble for the first 10 minutes. After that she seems to do ok. She never used to do that when I had a gas truck.

[Gissert]

My dog (lab) loves my Cummins powered Dodge. She will vault right into the cab if I don't pay attention when I open the door.

In fact, she seems to like motorized vehicles, period. She will hop up on the back rack of the ATV, whining for me to start it.

I acclimitized her to vehicles as soon as we got her, and she never exhibited any fear towards them.

[Gill]

Just put a milkbone in the front seat...shouldn't take too long.

[Dotch]

Have had a lab, a sheltie and now several border collies who have all ridden in diesel pickups. Never any problem and the lab had to switch from a small rice burner to a Dodge CTD. As Gill suggested, would be surprised if a lab couldn't be bribed with food. Mine was a beer drinker, too!