Dogs and Car Safety

With the weather warming up in the US and summer trips on the horizon, I thought I’d cover some dog car safety, including management and training. If your dog struggles with being comfortable in the car, you can read my post on that here.

If you’re traveling, short or long distances, with your dog in your car, here’s some things to keep in mind:

1. Don’t let your dog ride in your lap.  Not only is this a huge distraction to the driver and incredibly unsafe, but in some states it may even be against the law.
2. Don’t let your dog ride unsecured. According to a 2010 AAA survey, 20 percent of people admitted to driving with pets loose in the car and 31 percent said doing so was a distraction. Dogs should ride secured with a harness in the backseat or in a secure crate to prevent becoming a projectile in an accident, and to not be a distraction to the driver.  Research your purchases, as some harnesses and crates only prevent distraction and are not actual crash protection, like childrens’ car seats. The Center for Pet Safety does crash tests to test out products.  My favorite crash test rated harness (and the one we used for both Barbo and BooBoo) is the Sleepypod Sport.  You can see the videos of iit being tested here.  MIMVariocage is crash test rated and is a great crate option.  Don’t think that crash test rating makes a difference?  View the video of a regular travel crate secured with a seatbelt here.
3. Keep your dog’s microchip information current.  In the event of an accident, if your dog were to be separated from you, a microchip, or GPS tracker like Whistle or Fi, can help possibly reunite you.
4. Keep a dog first aid kit in your car.  You can purchase one or make your own. If your kit includes any medication, be sure to update it regularly, as heat can cause many meds to lose their efficacy.
5. Know where the local animal emergency hospital is, especially if you’re traveling out of your immediate area and are away from your vet. And consider having my Companion Animal Advance Care Directive completed, in case you need it.
6. Train a solid Wait with open car door, so your dog doesn’t jump out into traffic or other dangerous situations. Watch Houston learning this skill here.
   
7. Use extra caution when dog and baby/toddler both share the back seat.  Toddlers and babies can be unintentionally grabby, and if your dog and child are sharing a tight space, this could scare or hurt your dog, causing him to growl or bite.  A divider like an inflatable seat divider or Backseat Wally (currently unavailable) can help, or if you have multiple rows, I suggest they be confined in different rows. Or an adult can can sit in the backseat and be the buffer!
8. Don’t leave dogs in hot cars.  As the weather warms, remember, cars heat up very fast, even with the windows cracked.  Dogs in hot cars are subject to heat stroke or death, so use caution and common sense.

If you’d like some help on training wait or anything else, I can help you!  See all of my service offerings here.  And side note, if you dog gets carsick, talk to your vet.  There are medications that can help make the ride enjoyable for everyone!

Happy spring! Stay safe!