Category: Pet Travel

Tips for Safe Driving With Dogs

It is hard to find a dog who doesn’t love to go for a car ride.  Most owners enjoy taking their dog in the car.  Whether it is a ride to the dog park, a visit to grandma’s or a trip to the vet; your dog needs to be safe.  When driving down the street you can always see a dog with his head sticking  out the window or jumping from back to front to back seat or even sitting on the driver’s lap.  All very bad ideas that are very dangerous to both the driver and dog.

 

Here are some safety tips for driving with your dog.

 

  1. Do not allow pets in the front seat.  A major distraction is a pet sitting on your lap when you are trying to concentrate on driving. Even sitting in the passenger seat should not be allowed as your pet may obstruct your view of the road.
  2. Create separation.  There are a variety of car barriers available that will keep your pet out of the front seat.
  3. Restrain your pet with a safety harness or booster seat.  These items will keep your pet safely in place.  The Safety Seat shown to the left is designed to be quick and easy to put on your dog.  It is a vest harness with nylon web straps lined with cushiony fleece for comfort.  The car seatbelt simply slips through harness and there are no complicated buckles or straps to worry about.  Available is a variety of sizes:
    Large: 65-110 lbs Medium: 30-65  lbs Small: 15-30 lbs Xsmall: – under 15 lbs

Remember, car safety is important for both you and your traveling pet.

 

 

 

 

 

Untethered Pets are as Dangerous as Texting in Vehicles

More than 8 states now have laws requiring pets to be kenneled or tethered when in a car.

Pets are shown to be as distracting to drivers as cell phone usage and texting.  Many different types of pet barriers and safety devices are now available to the pet owner.

Why is it important to keep pets tethered when riding in cars?

  • A 60 lb. pet becomes a 2,700 lb. projectile at just 35 MPH. What people come to realize only too late is that animals act like flying missiles in an impact and can not only hurt themselves but hurt their human family members, too
  • Unrestrained pets delay emergency workers’ access to human occupants. Injured pets may bite first responders and rescue workers.
  • Pets may escape through a window or open door and cause a second accident.
  • Driver distraction is common when unrestrained pets are rambunctious.

“Pet restraint is a somewhat emerging issue,” AAA spokeswoman Heather Hunter says. “While some states do have legislation in place, there is much more to be done regarding tracking of these laws, filling gaps in states that do not yet have laws and education on the importance of restraining pets in moving vehicles, to protect the pet and all family members.”

Pictured in the upper right is Four Paws Safety Seats which are very easy to use and they are available in multiple sizes for the perfect fit.  For dogs that prefer to stay in back, there are wire mesh barriers available.

Animal protection and automobile safety officials nationwide are starting to unleash a new message:

Restrain your pet on the road.

 

Why Your Dog Needs a Seatbelt In the Car

Do you remember when kids didn’t need a seat belt in the car? If you are over 50, you never wore a seat as a kid.  Mainly because the cars did not have seats belts.  Even when seat belts appeared in cars, many people didn’t wear them.   Eventually lawmakers passed laws stating that children legally had to be restrained in a car seat, booster seat or seat belt depending on the child’s weight.  Now, even adults are legally required to wear seatbelts.

Only 17% of pet owners use animal restraints with their pets.  May different types of pet restraints are available include harnesses, booster seats and travel crates.  Using a pet restraint not only protects your pet, but also protects the car passengers.  You should think about your pet in the car the same as you think about a child in the car.

First, pets should never ride on the driver’s lap due to being a distraction, in addition interfering with steering or crawling on the floor and interfering with the foot pedal.   Pets should not ride in the front seat due to the risk of injury if the airbag deploys.

In a crash, an unrestrained dog will exert an unbelievable force on whatever it strikes.  An small 1o pound dog unrestrained  involved in a crash at 50mph will exert a force of 500 pounds.  The larger the dog, the larger issue.  An 80 pound dog unrestrained involved in a crash at 30mph will exert a force of at least 2400 pounds.  What this really means is that your dog becomes a flying missile.   He will definitely injure or even kill himself when lands.  Also, if he hits a car occupant, both will be injured.

The Solvit Pet Vehicle Safety Harness is available in sizes small to extra-large. Harness has heavy-duty straps attach to a fully-padded, fleece-lined safety vest.  The harness has full metal connectors at all the load-bearing points – no plastic buckles like others use. The safety leash is made from a special material that is strength-rated, but provides a slight amount of stretch to absorb shock in the case of a sudden stop. The  unique leash design integrates with the vehicle’s seat belt tensioning device,  providing range of motion while traveling, but in the case of a sudden stop it locks in place to keep pets secure. This design also makes it easy to load and unload your pet, and installs easily in ALL vehicles.

Older dogs will need time to get used to a restraint.   Initial trips should be short rides. Take him on short fun trips like to the park or to visit grandma to get him used to the restraint.   Eventually lengthen the duration of the trip.   Of course, younger dogs should trained to use a restraint on their first car ride.  This will allow him to consider the restraint in the car no different than the leash for a walk.    For even more years animals, particularly dogs, have been riding freely in vehicles. Although many have been hurt or killed as well, laws have not changed requiring people to strap their pets into vehicles.

Keep yourself and your pets safe by only driving with your pet when he is properly restrained.

*The the passenger seatbelt should NOT be used for a pet.

Are onions okay for dogs? Learn what happens when dogs ingest onions and why you should avoid feeding onions to your dog on articleinsider.com.

 

Tips on Traveling with Dogs

Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we go.

The holiday’s are quickly coming upon us and many of us will be traveling across town or across the country to visit family. What about Fido? Will he stay or will he go?  Manufacturers are becoming more innovative with Pet Travel Supplies and that in turn has made traveling with pets much easier.

Most dogs love jumping in the car and going for a drive. However, just because your dog is happy taking the passenger’s seat doesn’t mean you don’t have to take the necessary precautions to keep him safe while he’s in the car.

Here are some tips to help you keep your puppy safe while you’re behind the wheel.

  • No Beds: If you’ll be taking your dog for a drive in a pickup truck, don’t allow him to ride in the bed. Dogs can not only fall out of truck beds, but they can also jump from them. Also, never keep your dog tied to the bed of the truck. If he is tethered and jumps or falls, he could choke himself.
  • No Driver, No Dog: You should never leave your dog in an unattended car. In hot weather, your dog could suffocate or experience heat stroke. In cold weather, he could experience hypothermia. Even in the best of weather it isn’t a good idea to leave your dog alone in the car, as someone could steal him from your vehicle.
  • No Front Seat: If you have an airbag in your dashboard, you should not allow your dog to ride in the front passenger seat, as a deploying air bag could injure or even kill him. Air bags are designed to protect adults sitting approximately 20 inches from the dash. A dog’s head is generally much lower than an adult’s and could be much closer to the dash.
  • Secure Your Dog: Many dog owners allow their dogs to sit unsecured in the car. While this may be fun for your dog, it is also vary dangerous, both for dog and driver. Dogs can jump on the driver’s lap, get under the pedals or obscure the driver’s view. Also, in the event of an accident or sudden stop, you dog could be seriously injured.To keep your dog as safe as possible, keep him in a dog carrier or in a restraining harness. You should be able to find both of these items at your local pet store.
  • Ultimate Seat Leash by Hamilton
  • Watch Your Windows: Most dogs love to stick their heads out of the window when riding in a car. While your dog might enjoy sniffing the new smells and letting the wind blow his fur, an unrolled window puts your dog at risk.To keep objects from hitting your dog’s head and to keep him from leaping from the car, open the window a few inches only. This will allow him to sniff the air but will keep his neck inside the vehicle.

Dog Travel Accessories for Extended Trips
If you’ll be taking a long road trip with your dog, you’ll need to arm yourself with the proper dog travel accessories.

Take a look at this list of Pet Travel Accessories List – to get started.