Car Safety for Your Dog

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Car Safety for Your Dog

dog in car We frequently seem to assume that our dogs are essentially indestructible when it comes to riding in cars. Half the time it’s just a quick hop into the back seat and that’s that. But there’s a lot more to dogs and cars, including safety and comfort, plus some simple cleaning solutions. Much of the time there’s just no getting around the need to learn how you’ll be regularly transporting your dogs, so take a moment and let’s look over general car safety when it comes to your dogs.

Depending on what sort of car you’ll be using, where your dog will need to be will also change. In most vehicles, the back seat is the safest place for your dog to be, both for you and for him. The front seat is usually pretty dangerous as it’s possible for your dog to want to leap onto your lap or jump under your feet or something, and while it’s possible for them to hop from the backseat into the front, you at least have a bit of warning there before they’re right on top of you.

There are actually harnesses built for dogs to buckle them in while driving, though you can simply just keep them secured from jumping around by tying them off to the seatbelts or something stable via a leash. If you plan to let them stick their head out the window, be aware of what kind of dog you have as it’s not uncommon for a perfectly reasonable dog to suddenly get the urge to bolt after something it sees and leap out of a moving vehicle, which can lead to a lot of troubles such as lost pets or seeing them hit by a passing car.

This is no riskier than when a dog has to ride in the back of a truck. The truck bed isn’t a bad place at all for a dog in most situations, as long as they are wearing a harness and said harness is strapped down to the point that the dog will not be capable of leaping out of the back of the truck on a whim, nor will he be flung from the back of the truck during a sudden turn or something similar. And yes, some dogs are stupid enough to accidentally fall out the back of a truck or out a window just from leaning and not paying attention to how you’re driving.

If you want to be 100% sure that your dog will be safe and will not accidentally cause you to lose control of the vehicle, a dog kennel can be purchased and used in the back of the car or truck, though the smaller the car, the more difficult it will be to fit something so large in, unless you also have a small dog. This crate will not only keep everyone safe, it will also keep the dog off of the seats, meaning they won’t become covered in fur so quickly. If you still want to protect the seats but don’t want to use a kennel, you can also get seat covers that guard them from hair and such.

All dogs love car rides it seems, but some do get motion sick, meaning they may become ill if they’re in a car for a long time or if you drive a bit erratically. Furthermore, if you plan on going somewhere that will require your pooch be left alone in the car, make sure that it’s not a hot day. Even cracking the windows won’t be enough to really provide your dog with ventilation and can result in your dog suffering a heat stroke. It’s best to just leave your dog at home on extremely hot days.

Taking your dog with you on trips in the car can be very enjoyable for everyone, but even the enjoyable things require safety now and then. Be smart with how you’re traveling with your dogs and don’t let any harm come to them or yourself while driving!