Pet Auto Safety

In case of a car accident, airbags are a great safety device. Most cars nowadays have airbags for both the driver and the front passenger. But remember, airbags are made for adult people, not children or dogs. So if your dog rides in the car, be sure they are in an area that does not have airbags.

Most cars with passenger side airbags in the front seat only go off during a high impact car accident if there is someone sitting in that seat. Check with your car manufacturer to verify whether the passenger side airbags trigger automatically or only if there is a certain amount of weight in the seat. If your dog is a small dog, you may not need to worry about the airbag because the airbag sensor might not register anyone sitting in that seat. This is a safety feature that was set up to protect a child sitting in the front seat since you do not want the airbags to deploy for small children.

However, to be certain that the airbag does not deploy when your dog is in the front seat, check your car manual to see if the front passenger airbag can be disabled. If not, have your large dog ride in the back seat or have your small dog sit in a pet booster seat which hangs from the headrest of the seat rather than sits on the seat itself. With the pet booster seat hanging from the headrest, the airbag may not trigger since there is no weight in the seat.

Visit ASPCA.org for some great pet car travel tips.  They advise several safety features for your dog including securing them in a well-ventilated pet carrier, not letting your dog stick his head out the window, and not leaving your dog unattended in the car.  These are lots of great tips for pet car travel, many of which we have also stressed.  Two differences:

1) The pet carrier should be secured in the car.  Kennel straps from Pet Buckle are a great way to do this.  The kennel straps from Pet Buckle have been crash tested.

2) If your dog doesn’t like to ride in a pet carrier, have him wear a dog car harness or ride in a pet car seat.  A dog car harness or pet car seat can provide as much safety for your dog as a pet carrier that has been secured in the car.

Visit the ASPCA.org for great pet car travel tips and other great advise on pet care.  Feel free to make a donation to help this non-profit organization fight animal cruelty.

The biggest and best pet car seat we have seen thus far is the My Buddy pet car seat from Snoozer.  Snoozer makes many great pet travel products including the Lookout pet car seat.  The My Buddy pet car seat is different from the Lookout pet car seat in that it is much bigger and it can hold two or more small pets.

As one of the biggest pet car seat brands, the My Buddy pet car seat can hold up to 30 pounds and it is about 30 inches by 17 inches on the outside and about 25 inches by 12 inches on the inside.  It gives pets a boost of about 7 inches and is a total of 19 inches tall.  Compare this to the Kyjen pet car seat which is about 15 x 15 inches square.  This is great for dogs who want to sit or lay down in a curled ball.  For multiple small dogs or a small dog who wants to stretch out, the My Buddy pet car seat may be best.

The My Buddy pet car seat is easily secured with the seat belt of the car.  And it comes with two connector straps so that two dogs can be secured in the pet car seat.  So the My Buddy pet car seat is not just for quality comfort, it is great for superior safety as well.

Perhaps you have heard of the pet brand, Outward Hound.  They make lots of great outdoor gear for dogs including dog backpacks, pet strollers, portable water bowls, and, of course, pet automobile gear.  Our favorite Outward Hound products are the pet car seats.  There are the standard small pet car seats and the larger and padded Kyjen pet car seats (Kyjen is the company who owns the Outward Hound brand).

The Outward Hound pet car seats provide three points of safety for your dog.  First, the pet car seats are secured with strong nylon straps.  The top straps hang from the headrest of the seat while the bottom straps wrap around the body of the seat.  These straps can be adjusted so that the pet car seats are secure.

Second, the Outward Hound pet car seats have a strap on the inside which can clip onto the back of your dog’s harness.  This strap will keep your dog from jumping or flying out of the pet car seats.

Third, since the Outward Hound pet car seats are hanging from the headrest of the car rather than sitting on the seat itself, the airbags will not deploy in that seat should you and your pet be involved in a car accident.  This is a good thing since you do not want the airbags where your dog is sitting to deploy.  Airbags are designed for adult humans, not children or pets.

As with all Outward Hound brands, the pet car seats are of quality make and design.  If your dog loves to ride in the car, they will enjoy the Outward Hound pet car seats and be safe at the same time.

The Hyper Dog
The hyper dog generally loves to ride in the car.  He wants to be everywhere at once.  This is how my dog Maya is in the car.  For her, I have her wear a dog seatbelt.  Her dog seatbelt has the strap extended so that she has some mobility.  The strap isn’t long enough to allow her to get in the front seat, but it is long enough for her to reach one of the windows.  I also have the Extend-A-Seat to cover the floor so that she has more room to move around and there is no danger of her getting thrown onto the floor in a sudden stop.

For the hyper dog you can also try a pet car barrier.  As stressed in the previous post, be careful because a determined dog may be able to circumvent a pet car barrier.

You may also be able to help a hyper dog by not just taking him to fun places like the dog park, but also taking him to boring places like the bank drive through.  Or just drive around the block and come back home.  Perhaps if your dog isn’t always going somewhere fun when he is in the car, he may become desensitized by car rides.  A good example of how desensitization works would be if you got out your dog’s leash often throughout the day but didn’t take him for a walk.  He would eventually realize that the leash does not mean getting to go for a walk.

Pet travel safety is important.  But so is your dog’s comfort.  Working with your dog by helping him be desensitized to car rides or helping him not be so anxious in the car can provide him with both comfort and safety.  Pet travel safety is provided by your dog not being a distraction to the driver.  A dog seatbelt, a car seat for dogs, or a pet car barrier can also help with both comfort and safety.

The Car Sick Dog 
If your dog is like the scared dog, it tends to also make his car sick.  He is already nervous and the movements of the car don’t help.  Try the same techniques as or the scared dog (previous post).  Take him on short trips regularly to places he likes to go.  Drive carefully and don’t take turns to fast or stop too suddenly (if you can help it).

But some dogs who get car sick are not like the scared dog.  They are not as intimidated by a car ride and may even seem to enjoy it.  You can help keep this dog from being car sick by making sure he has a good view out the window and that he has fresh air.  Don’t let him stick his head out the window as that can be dangerous too, but have the windows down a little or put the air in your car on high.

If your dog is a small dog and can’t look out the window, consider a car seat for dogs.  With a car seat for dogs, your dog can be strapped in for safety, and you can put the window down all the way without fear of him flying out.  If your dog is too big for a car seat but too small to see out the window, consider a dog seatbelt and the Lookout Perch.  The Lookout Perch is a car seat for dogs where you dog has a thick cushion to sit on.  The cushion is thick enough to give your dog a boost up.

Ever heard of the Lookout and My Buddy pet car seats?  These are quality pet products made by Snoozer Pet Products.  So are the Roll Around Pet Carrier and the Snoozer Console pet car seats.  If you are looking for a comfortable way to keep your dog safe in the car, Snoozer pet products are the way to go.

The Lookout pet car seats, My Buddy pet car seats, and the Roll Around Pet Carrier are all strapped into the car with the seat belt system in the car.  The Lookout pet car seats and the My Buddy pet car seats have connecting straps which strap to the back of your dog’s harness.  This way, your dog stays in their pet car seat.  The Snoozer Console pet car seats also have connecting straps.  But instead of being strapped into the car with the car seat belt, the Snoozer Console pet car seats have straps which wrap around your car’s center console.

The Roll Around Pet Carrier does not have this connecting strap.  But your dog is kept safe because they are sipped into the carrier which is in turn strapped into the car with the car’s seat belt system.  The Roll Around Pet Carrier also has additional features which allow you to carry the pet carrier on your back or roll it around town with your dog resting comfortably inside.

Snoozer pet car seats are not only safe but comfortable too.  These products are tested for both safety and durability.  Pamper your pet with a Snoozer pet product and keep your pet both safe and comfortable as they travel around town in style.

Carrie, the owner of www.AllThingsDogBlog.com shares her experience with buying our products in a three part series called “Dog Safe Travel Around Town and on the Highway”.  On February 28th, she tells her experience about traveling with her pets.  She says about us, “After the beginning of All Things Dog Blog, I met a new friend through the blog. The owner of Pet Auto Safety, has introduced me to safer options that I never knew existed.”  Click here to visit her blog and read Part I of “Dog Safe Travel…”.

On March 8th, she posts Part II of her series and tells us a little bit more about her dog Oliver’s experience with his pet car seat (Oliver in his pet car seat pictured above).  Here is a partial quote from her blog, ” Transportation issues change when you risk a large dog stepping on a small dog in the back seat, so we’ve taken precautions to protect little Oliver.

Since Oliver’s inclination has always been to stay by my side (he is a ‘companion’ breed, after all), he’s much happier when in the front seat. There are only a few safe options for this scenario; we picked a raised car seat, pictured above. While there are different types, mine is a model that has 3 straps attaching it to the seat, so there’s a pretty fair backup system in place. An adjustable strap inside the seat area attaches to your dog’s harness with a clip. This gives you the ability to decide how much he can move around inside the seat.”  To read more, click here to visit her blog and read Part II of “Dog Safe Travel…”.

In Part III posted on March 16th, Carrie talks about Tanner’s experience with the Pet Buckle.  In her blog post, Carrie says, “My only surprise was that the buckles are as strong and secure as our human seatbelt buckles are. That loud click sent me a clear message: Tanner will be safe in this seatbelt. I liked that.”  Click here to visit her blog and read Part III of “Dog Safe Travel…”

Visit www.AllThingsDogBlog.com again for more great posts from Carrie.  She doesn’t just blog about pet auto safety, she blogs about All Things Dog! 

You want to keep your dog safe when they travel in the car, but you’re not sure which pet travel products are best.  There are several things to consider when looking for the right pet auto safety device for you and your dog, and we can help.  Review the list below along with a short description.  Feel free to review our blog further for more detailed information on the various pet travel products.

Dog’s Temperament: 
*Prefers Confinement – A pet travel crate is a good pet auto safety method, but a pet travel crate which is strapped in is even safer.
*Hates Confinement – You can use a dog seat belt which has a long tether or keep your dog in the back with a pet auto barrier.
*Likes to Look Out the Window – For small dogs, this may be difficult.  Your small dog can be strapped into a pet booster seat.  For bigger dogs, use a dog seat belt rather than a pet travel crate.
*Likes to Relax – For a dog who likes to relax, use a dog seat belt with a short tether which is safer than one with a long tether – or have them ride in a pet travel crate.  You can also consider a pet booster seat for a smaller dog.

Level of safety:  The safest pet auto safety methods are the dog seat belt or pet travel crates which are strapped in with a kennel restraint system.  Pet auto barriers are not as safe, although they do provide some level of protection in that they keep the dog from distracting the driver and they prevent the dog from getting thrown forward into the front in the event of a car accident.

What Kind of Vehicle and How Much Room:  Metal pet auto barriers are too big for a car.  However, there are canvas barriers and pet nets which are perfect for cars.  If you have a big dog, using a crate may not work, or if you have a big crate in the back of an SUV, you may have difficulty in strapping the crate in.  A dog seat belt will work in any vehicle with car seat belts.

Ease of Use:  Pet auto barriers may require installation.  A pet booster seat or pet travel crate may have some set up, but not as much as a pet auto barrier.  A dog seat belt has the lowest level of installation.  It may be difficult when you first put it on but once you get a hang of it, it is super easy.

Crate With Straps vs. Dog Seat Belt:  A study has not been done to see which method is safer.  However, a dog seat belt is safer than a crate which is not strapped in and a crate is safer than a dog seat belt which has a very long tether.  The shorter the tether on a dog seat belt, the safer it is for the dog.

Sandy from Colorado wrote to us about her dog’s experience with the Lookout Perch pet car seat:

“My dog loves the lookout perch car seat!  Bessie is too big for most car seats but since she has short legs I really wanted to find something for her.  I am so glad I found your website!  The lookout perch is perfect for her.  And I feel better knowing she is secure in the car.  I will send you a picture of Bessie in her seat soon.  For now, here is one of her at home.”

Our reply:

“Thank you Sandy and Bessie.  We are really glad you both like the Lookout Perch pet car seat!  Don’t forget that if you have passenger-side air bags to turn them off if Bessie is sitting in the front.  Happy New Year!”

The Lookout Perch pet car seat is strapped in and secured with the seat belt of the car.  There is an attaching strap which can clip onto the back of the dog’s harness.  Don’t clip it to the dog’s collar.  Purchase one of our dog car harnesses or get a regular walking harness from the pet store.