Pet Auto Safety

Are we there yet?

We will be traveling long distances this holiday season. If you plan on traveling with your dog for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas, be sure to get a pet travel safety device. Sephi and Maya wear a dog car harness but there are also pet auto barriers and pet car seats.

Maya in the photo above is wearing her dog car harness but her tether has been lengthened somewhat so that she can move around a bit more on the long road trips. For short everyday trips I keep the tether short and she is not able to put her head on the center console.

I also have the Extend-a-Seat in the back seat so that the floor is covered, which again allows Sephi and Maya a bit more maneuverability on long trips. Maya would not be able to rest her head on the console if the floor was not covered.

These are just a few of the pet travel safety devices available. Consider one for your pet this holiday season and have a happy holiday! 

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Remember the Animaniacs? I loved them! This was the best and most hilarious cartoon ever, in my opinion. I loved their small segments of Pinky and the Brain, Slappy Squirrel, Chicken Boo, and Good Idea Bad Idea, just to name a few.

So in remembrance of my favorite cartoon, I have put together a list of good ideas and bad ideas for pet travel safety, then also shared an Animaniacs video.

Good Idea
Keeping the car windows rolled up or putting BreezeGuard Window Screens on the car windows before rolling them down.
Bad Idea
Letting your dog hang his head out the window. He can be hit with flying debris such as roadside trash, rocks, or someone flicking their cigarette butt out the window. Also, if you have to swerve your car suddenly, your dog could fly out and be injured.

Good Idea
Having your dog ride in the back seat.
Bad Idea
Having your dog ride in the front seat. Airbags are not safe for dogs and most cars nowadays have passenger side airbags.

Good Idea
Having your dog be safely restrained in the car.
Bad Idea
Letting your dog roam around in the car or sit in your lap. A dog who is free to do as he chooses in the car can be a very dangerous distraction. Although there is no law that says your dog has to be restrained in the car, you can get a ticket for reckless driving. Or a worst case scenario, your dog could be seriously injured or killed in a car accident.

I know, it is not as funny as the Animaniacs version. But it is still good advice so protect your pet and practice pet travel 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.

Pet travel safety devices are not just for protecting your dog, they can also protect you.  In this article, “How Dog Seat Belts or Pet Car Seats Provide Pet Travel Safety“, it explains that a dog who is not secured in the car can cause a distraction to the driver of the car.  An unrestrained dog can also cause harm to the driver or passengers in the event of a car accident by becoming a dangerous projectile.

This article about pet travel safety also gives information on the types of products besides dog car harnesses that can be used to provide pet travel safety for you and your pet.

For more extensive information on pet travel safety devises, check out “How Dog Seat Belts or Pet Car Seats Provide Pet Travel Safety“.

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.

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.

AAA and Kurgo have conducted a survey of people who travel with their pets.  The statistics are staggering.  The two scariest are:

“More than two in five (42 percent) respondents stated they do not use a pet restraint because their dog is calm and they do not think he/she needs a restraint.”
and
“Nearly one in five respondents to AAA/Kurgo survey admit to taking hands off the wheel to keep dogs from climbing in front seat”

It is not clear on how many people were surveyed.  But if these numbers are correct, we have a lot more work to go with pet auto safety awareness.  You can see more pet auto safety statistics from AAA at AAANewsroom.net.

Also, you may be wondering who Kurgo is who helped conduct this survey.  Kurgo has created many pet auto safety travel products including the Backseat Pet Barrier and the Tru-Fit Smart Dog Car Harness which are both available at Pet Auto Safety.com.

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.

Separation Anxiety
When I a say separation anxiety, I am not talking about the dog who gets nervous when you leave him alone in the car.  Don’t leave your dog in the car unattended.  By separation anxiety in the car, I am talking about the dog who insists on trying to get in the front seat while you’re driving.  He may even try to get in your lap.  This is a dangerous distraction.

You can try the dog seatbelt to keep him in place.  Work with your dog wearing the dog seatbelt at home first so that he doesn’t try to chew it off.  He can wear his harness around the house under your supervision.  Play with him while he is wearing it.  Take him for walks in it.  This way, by the time he gets in the car with it, he may not realize he has it on.  Take him for short rides at first just to make sure he doesn’t try to chew the strap which connects his dog seatbelt to the car.

You can also consider a pet car barrier.  Depending on the size of your dog and your car, you can use the smaller canvas pet car barrier called the Front Seat Barrier by Outward Hound, or you can use the larger more extensive pet car barrier like the T-Flex pet car barrier or the Hatchbag Pet Net.  Be careful because a determined dog may be able to circumvent these devices.

You may also be able to help a dog with separation anxiety by having someone sit in the back seat with him.  Or try giving him his favorite toys or something familiar like his dog bed.  Be careful about giving him toys he can chew apart.  Trying to seat something in a moving vehicle is probably not a good idea for a dog.  You wouldn’t want him to choke on something if you have to make a sudden stop or turn.

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.