Pet Auto Safety

One of the many new products we added to our site from Cruising Companion™ include the Cruising Companion™ Quilted Car Seat Covers. The Cruising Companion™ Quilted Car Seat Covers are made from soft quilted fabric and have extra cushioning for added comfort. They come in two colors and two sizes. The colors of the Cruising Companion™ Quilted Car Seat Covers include a satin black and a rich-colored satin blue. You can fit the Cruising Companion™ Quilted Car Seat Covers to the back seat or to the single seat in the front. Please note, however, that if your dog sits on the Cruising Companion™ Quilted Single Car Seat Covers in the front seat, you need to make sure to turn off the airbags. Airbags are designed for adults, not children or pets.

Did you know that Pet Auto Safety.com also owns Animal Figurine Store.com? Animal Figurine Store.com has been an active and successful site for as long as Pet Auto Safety.com (2006). We have recently expanded our animal figurines to include more dog figurines just for our dog loving friends. In fact, we have so many dog figurines available that we had to make subpages for each dog breed group.

Our dog figurines include sporting dog figurines, hound dog figurines, working dog figurines, terrier dog figurines, toy dog figurines, non-sporting dog figurines, herding dog figurines, and miscellanious dog figurines. Miscellaneous dog figurines would include dog figurines which do not fit into any one of the AKS groups or dog figurines which are only representation of dogs, but not any specific breed.

You can get a 10% discount on our dog figurines by entering discount code, naturefriend, while placing your order.

Animal Haven is the largest no-kill animal shelter in the greater Kansas City area. Their euthenasia rate was only 8% in 2008 because this shelter does everything they can to reunite lost pets with their owners and to find a happy home for homeless pets - even for homeless pets with health or temperament issues.

I recently made my first visit to the shelter and really liked what I saw. The entire facility was clean. There are volunteers everywhere taking shelter dogs for a walk or socializing with the cats. Animal Haven has large outdoor pens for the dogs to get more play room during the day. (The outdoor pens are only used during the day and during fair weather conditions. The dogs are housed in comfortable indoor pens at all other times.) The area for the cats was also clean and comfortable. During the day, some were let out to wander and play in the cat play area.

Animal Haven has a wonderful veterinary team. They will treat most sick and injured animals rather than euthenize them. Animal Haven has professional dog trainers train the dogs in order to help curb some bad habits or to do basic training. The dog training really makes the dogs more adoptable.

Animal Haven has many volunteer opportunities and has lots of other pet-related services to offer. Check out their website at http://www.animalhavenkc.org.

The other day, I thought it would be interesting to see if my dogs could find hidden treats. So I showed them a handful of treats, then made them sit and stay in the hall while I hid the treats in various places in the living room. Then I gave the release command, Okay, and they came running. Both stood in front of me waiting for a treat so I said “Find the treats” and pointed around the room. Maya caught on quickly and started sniffing around while Sephi looked around but didn’t make much effort. Even when Maya found her first treat, Sephi didn’t catch on. But the game was on for Maya! Within 10 minutes Maya found all the treats.

We have been playing this game every day since. Maya loves it. As a lab, she needs both mental and physical stimulation. When weather is bad, I at least can get in the mental stimulation indoors.

I am calling this game “Treat Tracking”. It is a fun way to keep your dog from getting bored. This game is great for dogs who use their noses as well as their eyes. Just don’t forget where you put the treats so you can make sure your dog found them all.

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.

One of the best pet travel tips for traveling with your dog is to always have your dog on a leash. The main importance of this is that you don’t want your dog to get away from you and get lost in a place they are not familiar with. Keep your pet’s leash short if you are around a lot of people. Some people are frightened of or strongly dislike dogs and may act defensively in response when a dog approaches them. Also, know your dog’s behavior. Avoid those things that you know your dog reacts negatively to whether it be children, other pets, or even noise. Adults generally know not to approach a dog without asking you first, but children may not. If you are not sure how your dog will behave around people or children, be especially attentive and prepared to pull your dog away from the situation. Even if you and your pet are in an off-leash area, always monitor your dog’s behavior. If you see your dog jumping on people or being a bully to other dogs, put your dog on a leash.

As pet owners, we have a responsibility to take care of our pets. But if we want to take our pet for a walk in the neighborhood or to play in the park, we also have a responsibility to the public. Not everyone appreciates our pets as much as we do. So in order for both ourselves and our pets to enjoy the social experience, there are a few pet travel tips we need to remember.  There will be five parts posted in the month of May about our Pet Travel Tips/Pet Etiquette series.  Keep checking out our blog.

Pet Travel Tips Part I - Use a Leash
Pet Travel Tips Part II - Control Your Pet
Pet Travel Tips Part III - Avoid Public Buildings
Pet Travel Tips Part IV - Do Not Leave Your Dog Unattended
Pet Travel Tips Part V - Pick Up After Your Pet