Well, Journey loved my old Sable station wagon (or if not loved it, certainly was willing to hop in for an outing). Then we got the SUV, she didn't like the height but would get in. Then one day she changed her mind and absolutely, positively, no way no how. I got a ramp. She won't get on that (but Zeus and Star use it all the time now). I tried the ramp from the back which is fairly steep. I tried from the side and she doesn't give a rat's a** and won't walk on it. We tried leaving the ramp on the ground flat and she will step on it if she has to but prefers to walk around it. Bottom line, she just won't load. I do not know what changed her mind about the car so can't exactly address that particular fear or issue. So we're starting from the beginning and hoping we can overcome whatever made her upset. Pain doesn't appear to be an issue since she runs and plays otherwise, she has no stiffness going up and down stairs and seems generally healthy. She is a timid little girl who requires encouragement to try new things but once she understands she is happy, happy, happy. So, that's the story. One day she loaded one day she didn't. Wish I could explain it better but I don't really understand it myself. Everyone's help has been so welcome and appreciated. We are trying to make the car the place where all things good happen and where the yummy food comes from.
Almost forgot, she's 5 1/2 yrs old and we've had her since she was 3 yrs. She lived in many places because she was shown and then there were many breeding attempts which involved shipping (?) her to many parts of the country. She was unable to get pregnant and finally was placed with us. Also a side note, we have her mother whose one and only litter produced Journey. She couldn't carry to term after that litter and was placed with us. Then a couple of years later we got a call from rescue saying, "Star's daughter needs a home do you want her?" Oh yeah! All three dogs were adults when they came to us.