Safety Tips For Traveling With Your Dog in a Car

Holiday time is coming up, and what could be better than bringing your furry four-legged friend with you! Pups love to be with their owners and many people like to take their beloved pets out in the car with them. This is a great way to get your dog out for some exercise and used to other people and environments. Your dog will love the car journey as it is fun being out and about, seeing new places and people. Although it is great to load the dog into the car and simply drive off, you need to ensure that you remember the basic safety issues of your dog being in the car.

If you decide that you want to take your dog in your car you need to remember that it is very unlikely he will want to sit down. The whole experience will be very exciting and this will lead to your dog jumping and leaping around. Your dog potentially is a lethal weapon on your backseat, he can go from a 50-pound dog to a 100-pound missile if you suddenly have to brake or swerve. If your dog flies forward and hits you or one of your passengers then it can be fatal. Also, dogs love to sit with their heads out of the car window, if they get the opportunity then they will often leap from the car whether it is stationary or not.

Would we put our children in the backseat of our vehicle without strapping them in safely? Of course not! So why then would we let our dog run free around the vehicle? In a collision at speeds of only 30mph, a 15lb dog can exert a force of up to 300lbs! Between 3 million and 5 million pets are killed each year in auto accidents, many of which could have been prevented by simply securing them in a safety restraint. The best thing to do with your dog ensures that they are wearing a dog seatbelt. Just like any other passenger in the car, the best thing for all is for everyone to be secured and safe in the car. Your dog will get used to the feeling of being secure and will soon get used to the seatbelt and will often lie down and go to sleep.

Ensure whatever type of dog seatbelt you purchase it is designed not only for the size of your dog but also the vehicle. There are several different sizes and styles that you can buy and depend on the size of your dog will usually determine the price. The best way for your dog to get used to wearing a dog seatbelt is when they are young, if they have worn one since they are puppies then they won't think anything of it. Try very short journeys with the seatbelt at first and let your dog get used to the way it feels. Ensure you treat your dog every time it behaves well while wearing the seatbelt, this will put a positive spin on the whole experience.