Pet Auto Safety

The Extend-a-Seat from Outward Hound is a simple pet product for your car that covers the floor of your car.  Its obvious use is that it gives your dog more room in the back seat.  But did you know that it also provides a form of protection?

Have you ever slammed on the brakes and your dog flew forward into the back of your chair?  Did he fall on the floor?  Someone told me once that their dog had gotten thrown forward in such an awkward way that he broke his leg.  And this was because of a fast stop, not a car accident.  Imagine an actual car accident where your dog gets thrown on the floor.  I was in a wreck once where my seat was pushed back.  If there had been a dog back there, he would have been squished.

If your dog won’t wear a dog seatbelt harness or doesn’t do well in a pet carrier, protect your dog in the car by covering the floor with an Extend-a-Seat.  My dogs wear a dog seatbelt harness but I also have the Extend-a-Seat.  This is because I have the strap of their dog seatbelt harness a little long so that they have more freedom to move around on long trips.  Our pets are important to us.  Keep them safe and don’t wait for the worst to happen before you consider their safety.

Disclosure – Unless your dog is also wearing a dog seatbelt harness, the Extend-a-Seat may not protect your dog much in an actual car accident.  Getting thrown forward out the windshield is still a very real possibility.

***The Extend-a-Seat has been replaced by the Kurgo Backseat Bridge. Both products are essentially the same except Kurgo’s products have a lifetime guarantee and the Backseat Bridge is reversable black or tan.

Since most manufacturers of the pet car barrier do not state which barriers fit into which vehicles, finding the right metal pet car barrier for your can be difficult.  This is true for the manufacturer who provides the metal pet car barrier products on our website, Pet Auto Safety.com.

If you are not sure if the metal pet car barrier products on Pet Auto Safety.com are right for you, we welcome you to check out other pet car barrier products on other sites.  Amazon.com has a selection of pet car barrier products from various manufacturers.  You can visit our Amazon.com a-Store for more metal pet car barrier products to choose from.

* Always be sure to measure the inside of your vehicle to make sure that the pet car barrier you want to purchase will fit within those dimensions.

The manufacturer has discontinued the paw print dog seatbelts.  As of the date of this post, we still have all sizes available.  However, this could change at any moment.

The paw print dog seatbelts work just the same as our standard dog seatbelts.  They have two pieces – the harness piece and the strap piece.  The strap piece attaches to the harness on one end and buckles directly into the seat belt receptacle of your car at the other end.  The only difference between the paw print dog seatbelts and the standard dog seatbelts, besides the color, is that the paw print dog seatbelts have a little bit of a thicker material due to the sewed on design of paw prints.

Both these dog seatbelts help to protect your dog in the event of a car accident.  If the paw print dog seatbelts are gone by the time you read this post, the standard dog seatbelts are just as good though not as fashionable.

Trips to the beach, the dog park and other weekend excursions can be a lot of fun for both you and your canine companion! Most dogs love the chance to get out of the house and socialize with fellow doggy companions. However, if your lovable pooch suffers from car sickness, these outings can become an unpleasant experience for both owner and pet.  

Unlike people, canine car sickness is not always caused by motion.  A carsick pooch is very likely feeling ill from the anxiety caused by a strange situation. Cars can be loud and scary for a dog that hasn’t had very much exposure to car travel. Symptoms of travel anxiety include drooling, pacing, trembling, whining, yawning and vomiting. Thankfully, owners can do a couple of things to ease this stressful situation:

•If your dog isn’t used to car rides, start with drives around the block. Slowly progress to longer car trips as your pup gets used to the situation.

•Avoid feeding your dog less than one hour prior to travel- this might lessen the feeling of nausea.

• Keep your car on the cool side by turning your air conditioning up or lowering the windows a little. A hot, stuffy car can contribute to your pet’s nausea and discomfort.

•Try an over-the-counter stress reliever for dogs like Homeopet Travel Anxiety Drops. These types of products might help a mildly affected pooch feel at ease while inside a moving vehicle.  

If your dog’s car sickness is severe or does not lessen over time, contact your pet’s veterinarian. A prescription medication to treat vomiting like Cerenia may be prescribed.

Many people like to take their pets with them when they travel.  But what will you do with your dog when you have to go inside a building, such as a grocery store, where he does not belong?  You may have to leave him in the car.

Leaving a dog along in the car is unsafe for two major reasons.  First, the car heats up quickly even if it is not hot outside and the windows are down.  Second, someone could steal your dog.  When people see our Breeze Guard Window Screens, they hope that they have found the solution to these two major problems.  However, this is a common misconception.

Here is a good question often asked by our customers for the Breeze Guard Window Screens:
“The two top fitting around the door frame on the outside looks like cloth… Is it safe to leave valuables in the car? (Like my dog) …can’t they just cut the straps?”

Our reply:
“Thank you for contacting us regarding the Breeze Guard Window Screens. The pieces fitting around the door frame are strong velcro-like pieces. They are much more durable than regular velcro. Someone could cut the straps but it wouldn’t be any more difficult or easier than jimmying the car open or breaking a window. Non-professional criminals are looking for an easy-in such as an unlocked door while more professional criminals have the same tools for unlocking car doors as tow truck drivers or lock smiths. Because of these criminals it is never safe to leave your valuables, especially your pet, in the car.

“The Breeze Guard Window Screens are not intended to be theft guards. They are intended to keep your dog from putting his head out of the window and getting hit by flying road debris, from jumping out the window while the car is in motion, or from accidentally getting tossed out the window in the event of a car accident or emergency car maneuver.

“We hope this information has been helpful.  Thank you for considering us for your pet auto safety needs.  Please let us know if you have any additional questions or concerns.”

Another thing we could have replied to this customer was that even with the Breeze Guard Window Screens, the car can still get very hot inside.  Leaving the windows down in your car can alleviate the heat a little bit, but it is no substitute for air conditioning or a nice fast breeze coming through an open window when the car is in motion.

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.

Outward Hound Port-a-Bowl and the Handi-Drink are great pet travel water bowl brands for your dog.  Whenever you take your dog out this summer, you want to make sure he stays cool and hydrated.  Many places don’t have bowls of fresh water lying around for your dog so you may want to bring your own pet travel water bowl.

The Outward Hound Port-a-Bowl pet travel water bowl fits easily in your pocket.  When your dog is ready to drink, simply unfold the pet travel water bowl, set it on the ground, and fill it with water.  When your dog is done, dump out the remaining water, shake it off, and put it back in your pocket.

The Handi-Drink pet travel water bowl comes with both a plastic bowl and a water bottle.  The bowl is long and fits around the bottle and both bowl and bottle clip on your belt for easy carrying.  When your dog is ready for a drink, simply flip open the pet travel water bowl and let the water flow.

Keeping your buddy cool this summer is very important.  Go swimming, boating, to the park, and enjoy the sunshine.  But help your dog stay cool and hydrated with a pet travel water bowl.

We see it all the time – dogs riding in the back of a pickup.  We cringe when we see a dog standing on the pickup bed rails with his head hanging out.  We gasp when the pickup takes a sharp turn and the dog struggles to maintain his balance.  Some of us have actually seen a dog get thrown from the back of a pickup.  In some cases, the dog died instantly when he hit the pavement and in some cases he was killed when he was immediately struck by another car.  It is a tragic way to lose a beloved pet.

We here at Pet Auto Safety.com prefer that dogs do not ride in the back of the pickup.  But if you must, please consider having your dog tethered in the back of the pickup with the K9 Truck Tether.  In some places, such a tether may even be required by law.

The K9 Truck Tether will allow your dog some maneuverability in the back of the truck, but not enough to allow him to stand on the rails or get thrown out.  It is made with nylon webbing and steel hardware.  And it has a swivel buckle which will help keep your dog from getting tangled in the webbing.

Because the K9 Truck Tether is made by Kurgo, it is a very high quality product.  It has been travel and strength tested.  While it would be safer for your dog to ride in the cab of a truck wearing his dog car harness, the K9 Truck Tether is at least safer than wearing no pet restraint at all.

When it is time to take a family vacation, don’t forget your pets.  If you’re travelling too far, leave your pets with a friend, a good boarding kennel, or hire a pet sitter.  But if your destination is a drive away, take your dog with you when you travel.  Here are some great reasons why:

Pet Friendly Hotels
Numerous pet friendly hotels make it easy.  Hotels all over the United States are opening their rooms to people traveling with their pets.  Some charge a nominal fee, some no fee at all.  And many have no restrictions on size or breed.

No Worries
There is no need to worry about whether your dog is being taken care of by your friend, the boarding kennel, or pet sitter.  If your dog travels with you, there will be no need to call anyone to see how your dog is doing.  You can enjoy your vacation together.

No Separation Anxiety or Depression
Your pet being left along for long hours waiting for your friend or pet sitter to come by can be a very depressing situation for your dog.  Some dogs get severe separation anxiety and tear things up.  Boarding kennels can be very stressful to your dog with all the barking going on and the strange smells and strange people.  If your dog travels with you, you will not need to worry about your dog having separation anxiety issues or going into depression.

Easy-going Companion
At least one of your traveling companions will not complain and be willing to do anything and go anywhere you want to go.  If you want to relax by the beach, your buddy is there.  If you want to go hiking or swimming, your dog will most likely want to go too.  If you ever get bored on your vacation, just take a look at your dog.  He is enjoying all the simple pleasures whether it is just taking a nap, enjoying the special time with family, or sniffing the fresh air and seeing the new sights.

Traveling with your dog can sometimes be a chore.  Some dogs don’t do well in the car.  But there are plenty of remedies to help.  Be sure he is secure in a dog car seatbelt or other dog car safety product.  If your dog tends to get car sick, be sure he has a good view out the window.  Small dogs can see out and be secure in a pet car seat.  And the more you take your dog with you when you travel, the more he will get used to it and look forward to more vacations!

The Hatchbag Pet Net is installed in your vehicle with a dual lock hardware kit.  The kit includes six each of 1″ mounting squares, dual lock circles attached to a black cord, and spring loaded barrel locks (pictured below).

The mounting squares have adhesive on one side and a very strong velcro-like material on the other (pictured below).  Be assured that this is no ordinary velcro.  It is very strong and cannot be pulled apart once attached to the dual lock circle.  Please note the special cleaning instructions.  The silicone or oil cleaners used on vinyl will prevent the adhesives from sticking.  Sot the vinyl must be cleaned with lacquer thinner.  The adhesives must be put in place and pressed for about 20 seconds, then left to cure for about 24 hours.

Once the mounting squares are in place, take the dual lock circle and firmly press it onto the velco-like material on the square (pictured below).  Pull the cord to make sure the two pieces are strongly attached.  These two pieces will always remain in your car until you permanently remove the adhesives with adhesive remover.

Now you are ready to attach the Hatchbag Pet Net.  The Hatchbag Pet Net has six eyelets.  There is one at each corner and two one either side in the middle.  Take the cords from the dual lock circles and thread it through the eyelet twice.  Then take the barrel lock and press it down so that it reveals another hole (pictured below).

Lastly, pull the cord of the dual lock circles through the hole of the barrel lock until the barrel lock is snug against the Hatchbag Pet Net.  Release the barrel lock and the cord will stay in place (pictured below).

To remove the Hatchbag Pet Net, simply release the barrel locks.  Leave the dual lock circles with the dangling cord in place.

Please note, the Hatchbag Pet Net is designed to keep your dog from being thrown into the front seat in the event of a car accident.  The Hatchbag Pet Net will also deter most dogs from trying to jump or climb into the front seat.  However, a determined dog may be able to circumvent the Hatchbag Pet Net at the sides.