Lions, Tigers & Car Rides! Oh my!

Found something new to work on today. I decided to take the dogs to a secluded office complex up off Sand Hill Road (home of the venture capitalists) so I could walk them on leashes. This was a place we had taken Gladys as a very young puppy as we felt it probably has very little dog traffic and would be relatively safe. I just keep in mind Ian Dunbar's observation that far more dogs are euthanized due to problems stemming from lack of socialization than die of parvo.
I put Trigger's crate in the back of the 4-Runner and put Gladys' in its usual spot in the center of the back seat facing forward. Trigger was very quiet during our 10 minute ride and when we arrived, he was essentially catatonic and drooling slightly. When I opened the crate door it took him a little while to "come to" and emerge. He did walk very well on the leash, but when we reapproached the car he was visibly frightened. Randy and I have been watching Cesar Millan's, "The Dog Whisperer" on Naional Geographic Channel per the advice of our breeder, Michelle. Cesar deals with a lot of frightened dogs and his advice is to wait it out quietly with the dog until he relaxes. Only when the dog relaxes, does he advise you to share affection with it. He feels that when people baby the dog when it is fearful, that they are helping create and worsen the phobia. So I sat on the ground and paid attention to Gladys and gave her treats. Gradually Trigger came closer and offered tiny little nose touches for a bit of food. We spent time outside the car, then sitting in the car then having him sit in the crate in the front seat with the engine running, all the while rewarding him for his calm and nonfearful behavior. Trigger was so much happier on the ride home. He wasn't able to take treats while the car was moving but he was able to lie down in a relaxed position and was stayed responsive and tuned in to me.
This afternoon we will take another short car ride and then I will take Trigger into a store to meet some more people. For now, we'll all sit outside in the sun to enjoy raw, frozen beef knuckles together.
I am once again grateful to Gladys for her unflappable appetite, calm energy, and well-timed gentle snoring.