I am looking for some insight as to what might be going on Heinrich is a >1-1/2 year male GSD. He is always! eager to go for rides and he gets locked in with a harness more for our safety and his. First thing he does is gets very whiny/excited when we start off down the road and when he knows we are at our destination he goes from whining to frantic barking as we get out of the car. Once we get out he calms down then I have him sit before I let him out of the car.
If we stop at the store or we are in traffic he raises his hackles and barks at every person and animal he sees (its a loud bark for a confined space). Once we leave the car and he is still in it he doesn't care who comes near it. I am almost of the opinion that someone could get in and drive off with him and he wouldn't care. As soon as we get back in the car he's excited to see us and starts barking again at anyone that comes near the car.
I appreciate any insight anyone has but I can't use a kennel in my car it is to small and short of tinting all the windows black I can't restrict his vision.
Thanks,
Brian

Wow, this sounds awful.

Send the dog to me. I'll handle it.

Seriously, this sounds like a very NICE dog.
He enjoys going places with you, and is protective of his people and his vehicle. Be proud.

You could teach the quiet command, or if that fails, use a bark collar in the car.

Before you get him out of the car wait until he stops barking, it may only be a brief pause and you will have to be very quick to reward him for the quiet instead of the bark.

If you teach him to do something you prefer (like the "look at me" exercise, or down, or sit, the more the better) instead of barking he will have something to do instead of bark. If you have him do rapid fire exercises (rather than just a long down or sit) he will have to concentrate on you rather than the barking.

I use the same principle when I ride my horse past those killer mailboxes and culverts. If he is thinking about the step left, step right, flex left, flex right, collect, step left, step right, etc, etc, etc, etc, he can't also think about the other stuff. It works very well.

 Quote: Debbie Bruce

Before you get him out of the car wait until he stops barking, it may only be a brief pause and you will have to be very quick to reward him for the quiet instead of the bark.

This is good advice, but he says the dog is quiet as soon as the humans get out (dog still in car). So they let the dog out only after he has calmed down, but the problem only happens when the people are in the car.

Hm. This is a tough one. I have a similar problem wtih a dog that barks in his crate when he is excited (feeding time, etc). As soon as I come in the room he is quiet, so that I'll let him out. (he knows quiet=let out/fed). But if his reward is not imminent (i.e. I'm in the other room) he carries on. I will be interested in the advice you get here.

You would have to park and wait in the car with the dog until he is quiet and then quickly reward him for quiet.

I have actually heard of someone with this same problem who somehow solved with obedience training. The dog did OB every day, all his commands. Oddly, as a side effect, he stopped barking in the car. I believe this may have to do with the dog realizing he is not the one in control (the person is) and he can settle down and let humans handle things. Maybe he just needs brushing up on his pack leadership?