Monday, March 7, 2011

Car safety

Today in a few of the dog training yahoo groups I am a member of, this issue of driving safely with dogs kept coming up. The posts in particular center around atypical dogs that have extreme shyness or reactivity. All the more reason to travel safely though! These posts got me thinking though, that not everyone may be aware that securing a dog while driving is something every dog owner should do.

My two travel in wire crates. That way they are secure and I can see through the crate in my review mirror. Prior to having the crates and my dog mobile, I had an Xterra that could not fit two appropriate size crates for my dogs. I taught them that their place was in the cargo area by putting them back there and repeating the process if they jumped over (hollering at them to "get back" while driving). However, if I was not in the car, I would always come back to a dog in the driver seat. This scenario was not fun when I was taking turns herding sheep with the dogs and coming back to the car meant the driver seat covered in mud and sheep poo from Miss Lucy scampering into the front while Lex was getting his turn on sheep!

After that I turned to a vehicle barrier that is a metal divider pressure mounted between the back seat and cargo area. This worked for a while but the cargo area was getting trashed with mud, sheep poo, grass etc and so were the back windows. After a while the pressure mount began to degrade my ceiling and Lucy figured out how to take her paw and pull the barrier back on them, thus falling on them both while I was driving!

It was after a few scary moments of sudden "crash!" and cries from the dogs I turned to using wire crates. An appropriate size crate fit just fine for one dog. The other dog (Lex) had to suffer in a crate for a slightly smaller dog. Sometimes I traded off who was in the smaller crate. I assuaged my guilt by telling myself I have seen many a dog stuffed in a small crate for agility or flyball matches and our car rides were never too long. Lucky for me (and them), I got my dream car with plenty of crate room in June 2010.

My new car fit two crates side by side fit for two large german shepherds! Finally my two could lounge and be driven about in style! What if you cannot afford the luxury of tailoring your car buying to your dog?
Why secure your dog in the car anyway?

If a dog is not secure in the car he can interfere with the driver by getting in the driver's lap, attempt to look out the driver's window, put his paws on the dash or center console and slide about the car. In the event of an accident a dog that isn't secured can fly out the window and injure himself or even survive and run away in fright from the emergency crew (I have known this to happen). Dogs that are secured are also not a distraction and the dog learns a routine, thus making him more comfortable with trips.

Products
- Seat belt harness: this keeps any size dog in one place and prevents flying through the windshield
- Zip-line: if you feel cruel that your dog is affixed to one place, there is a zip-line that attaches from handle to handle on the backseat ceiling to hook the harness to, giving the dog more backseat access, but still preventing him from accessing the driver and flying out the window.

- Booster seat: designed for dogs under 20 pounds, this keeps small dogs in one place and allows them to see out the window.

- Hammock: this attaches to the front seat and backseat headrests to create a hammock for the dog to lay in. Does not help in the case of an accident and pretty much takes up the whole backseat.

- Crate: if you have room, this is the best option. Keeps pet contained, keeps mess contained and prevents fly-outs in an accident.

- Mesh vehicle barrier: this goes behind the front seat headrest to keep a dog in the back. Will not help with larger dogs that can push down the mesh and will be a mild help in case of an accident.

- Metal vehicle barrier: only works for SUV's, Subarus or Minivans (must get extra bars for minivans). Keeps dogs contained and helps in case of an accident.

It used to be most of these items had to be special ordered online. Petco wised up though, and they now carry a variety of all the options! Happy driving and stay safe!

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