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Most dogs get very excited when they know they are going or getting to the dog park. Little do people realize, the danger of the dog park is within meters of where you park your car.
If your dog has the tendency to fly out of the car upon opening the door, you are putting your dog at risk of getting hurt or even killed by another vehicle.
Here are some guidelines I give my clients.

1. Don’t always park in the same spot. Mix it up
2. Until your dog is trained and knows what is expected, have the leash and collar on your dog upon arrival.
3. When opening the door or back gate of your vehicle, do not let the dog jump out! Use the door to your advantage. Open the door slightly and slowly. If the dog goes to jump out, quickly close the door. You do need to be careful not to close it on their feet though! Repeat this until the dog understands that he or she can’t just jump out. They will learn to respect the power of the door and you. You can even tell your dog to “STAY!” until you deem it safe for your dog to exit. Again, until the dog knows the expectations, make sure you take the leash and lead the dog out of the vehicle. This way you are taking control of the situation. Keep holding the leash until you are well away from the parking lot distractions.
4. When returning to the vehicle, put the leash back on the dog a safe distance from the lot. Depending on the dog, this can range anywhere from 200 yards to 50 yards away.
5. When entering the vehicle, you can get your dog to sit until you are ready for it to get in. You can then give a verbal command like “Go to the car/truck” and lead the dog in, until it knows that command.