Archive for the 'Travel Tips' Category
Now that summer is over, you may not be taking your dog with you in the car as much. But if you do, don’t forget to keep them safe. Remember these simple pet travel tips:
- Don’t let your dog put their head out the window - even flying debris like leaves can do damage to your dog’s eye at 60mph.
- Have your dog wear a dog seat belt.
- Keep first aid kit for you and your dog in the car.
- Keep a blanket in the car.
- Keep drinking water in the car.
- Keep your dog’s leash handy and don’t let them out of their dog seat belt until they are safely restrained on the leash.
- Don’t let your dog ride in the front seat of the car unless your car does not have passenger side airbags or unless the passenger side airbags have been disabled.
- Do not leave your dog in the car, even in cool weather.
- Don’t let your dog ride in the back of a pick up without proper restraints. (A rope does not count as a proper restraining. For the proper product to keep your dog safe in the back of the pick up, visit http://www.petautosafety.com/product/00054-K).
You want your dog to wear a dog car harness in order to keep him safe, but you are afraid he will chew on it. In fact, you’ve seen him try to chew on it when you went to the drive-through at McDonalds. You are planning a long road trip with your dog in November to see your family, but you are not sure what to do about your dog chewing on their dog car harness. Well, we have a few tips:
- Get your dog used to wearing the dog car harness by allowing your dog to wear the dog car harness around the house. Only let them wear it when you are able to watch them. When you see them chewing on the dog car harness, say “no” or “eh eh”. Do fun activities with your dog while they are wearing the dog car harness. If you have a dog car harness in which the seat belt attachment can be removed, take them for a walk with their dog car harness on. Or play fetch with them.
- Take your dog on short trips while they wear their dog car harness. If possible, have someone sit in the back seat with them to give them the “no” command or by distracting them with a squeaky toy. Be sure that your short trips are not to someplace where you would have to leave your dog alone in the car. You can go to a bank or fast food drive-through, to the park, or to a pet store where your dog is allowed to go inside with you.
- Spray the dog car harness with bitter apple sprayor another anti-chew but safe spray. Or make your own spray by mixing water with cayenne pepper or peppermint.
- Wrap the nylon straps of the dog car harness with tin foil. Your dog will most likely not want to chew on tin foil. However, if they do still try to chew with the foil, remove the foil immediately and try another method.
I have read various sources on the internet which state that AAA (American Automobile Association) reported 30,000 accidents a year are caused by dogs being a distraction inside of the vehicle. Every bit of research I have done with traffic reporting systems, such as NHTSA, have no statistics on how many car accidents are caused by dogs inside the vehicle. So I was curious about this supposed research done by AAA. After tedious searching on AAA’s site, I found nothing and contacted AAA directly. I received a reply a PR Manager with AAA who kindly advised that there is NO SUCH REPORT from AAA. If a car accident is reported as being caused by an animal, it is not generally reported as to whether the accident was caused from the driver swerving to miss an animal in the road, or whether the accident was caused from the driver being distracted by an animal inside the car. Not only that, the statistics report accidents caused by animals, and are not generally specific as to which kind of animal. For all the reports say, it could have been a deer in the road.
AAA was kind enough to send me a report which they did make on traveling with pets. To read more about their report, visit our Pet Auto Safety website.
There are two major reasons a dog should wear a dog seat belt. The first is preventative. A dog wearing a dog sear belt is less likely able to distract the driver and cause a car accident. The second reason is for the same reason people wear seat belts - so they don’t get tossed about or thrown from the vehicle should a car accident occur.
Besides the obvious reasons your dog should wear a seat belt in the car, here is another. What if you get in a car accident and the dog is okay? The dog is still going to be terrified, right? And what do you think a terrified dog is going to do if there is an open window or door? They are going to escape run. They are confused, possibly hurt, and terribly frighted. They have no idea what happened or why. All they know is that something very very bad just happened. Here are a couple of articles we found of dogs escaping after a car accident. At least two of them are known to be okay after a long ordeal of being lost and alone. But one has yet to find their way home. If you live in the area of Bonaire, Georgia, please help Sam get home.
http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2009/10/dog_missing_aft.php
If your dog sits in the back seat, please remember that sometimes the cool air you get in the front seat just doesn’t reach to the back seat area very well. The summer heat can be very dangerous to your dog, especially in an enclosed area.
So how can you help your dog keep cool when in the back seat? Make sure they have plenty of water. But also check out the Kool Kennel A/C. The Kool Kennel A/C emits more than 20 degrees F cooler air. And you can put Kool Kennel A/C anywhere in the back area of the car just for your hot dog. You can even put the Kool Kennel A/C in the crate for your crated dog.
Remember, we never recommend that you leave your dog in the car unattended. Even if left for only a few minutes with the windows down, the heat can kill your dog. So only use the Kool Kennel A/C when you are traveling. If you have to stop somewhere, take your dog out of the car with you.
If your dog is sitting in your lap when you drive, this is not only a danger to you, but also to your dog. Your dog may hold still and simply snuggle up in your lap, but what if you have to stop suddenly? Your dog will most likely get thrown onto the floor under the pedals.
If your dog looks out the window when you drive, your dog may fly out of the window if you stop too quickly. You don’t have to slam on the brakes for your small dog to get thrown.
A dog in your lap is a very real danger. So please keep your pet off your lap when you drive. If your dog insists on trying to sit in your lap, this can be a distraction too. Try putting your dog in a pet car seat or a dog seat belt harness. A pet car seat for a dog can be as safe as a baby seat is for a child. And a dog seat belt harness can be as safe for a dog as it is for a person.
Another important thing for pet owners to remember is to pick up after the pet. This is a very easy thing to do. Plastic grocery bags are great for picking up your pet’s little messes. Simply put your hand in the bag, pick up the mess, then turn the bag inside out over the mess. Tie it off and discard it in the nearest trash can. There are also several pet wate bags on the market. Some pet waste bags are even biodegradable. Your neighbors will appreciate you picking up after your dog. People playing in parks will be grateful as well.
Practice these five pet travel tips every time you take your dog in public. Keep your dog on a leash and keep them under control. Don’t take your pet into places where they don’t belong and never leave your pet unattended. Be sure to pick up after your pet. These practices not only help in making a public experience pleasant for everyone, but they keep your pet safe as well.
Do not leave your dog unattended in a public place, even if they are tied up or left in the car. Not only could this be considered illegal in some cities, but it could also be dangerous. The temperature on the inside of the car can get much hotter than the temperature outside. If your pet is tied up outside, they could get loose and inadvertently run into the street while trying to find you. Your pet could also be frightened without you there to protect them and may try to bite someone. And whether your pet is inside the car or tied up, someone who does not like animals could be cruel to your pet and even hurt them. If your dog is friendly and approachable, someone may steal them.
Do not take your dog into public buildings unless specifically allowed. This includes public park restrooms. Many buildings will have signs specifically prohibiting pets, but not having a sign does not automatically mean that your pet is allowed inside. Pet owners need to remember that many people are allergic to dogs. Taking your pet into an enclosed building could cause severe allergic reactions in people even after your pet has gone. If you are traveling and stopping at a rest stop, please note that dogs are prohibited from all restrooms at the rest stops. Also, rest stops may have designated pet areas for your pet to take care of their business.
Controlling your dog while in public is very important. If you have a difficult time controlling a dog that struggles against the leash, they could pull away and end up running into the street. Or your pet may chase another dog or jump on some unsuspecting adult or child. A dog that is difficult to control may need more training before going in public. To be able to control your dog in public, you need to know how to control them at home. If you are not familiar with how to train your dog, take them to obedience school. The teachers of those classes do not train your dog for you, rather they teach you how to understand and train your pet yourself.
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