Pet Auto Safety

Duncan’s dad shared a wonderful photo of Duncan wearing his new Bergan dog car harness. Don’t you just love that sweet face! And what a beautiful color Duncan’s coat is.

Duncan is ready to ride in his new Bergan dog car harness.

Duncan’s owner had this to say, “We drove 910 miles on Friday and he was great.  He did manage to slip out of the front of the harness twice but I don’t think I had it tight enough.”

Yes, that can happen. Unfortunately, the tighter you make the harness, the more likely a dog will try to get out of it. And if you make it too tight, the dog could hurt himself trying to get out of it. Duncan’s owner believes Duncan will not try to get out of it once he gets used to it. That’s right. It just takes a little practice.

Thank you, Duncan’s dad for sharing!!!

For more Wordless Wednesday pet photos, check out the blog hop below:

I want to share a short tale about a cute GoldenDoodle named Spud. Spud’s mom had purchased a dog car harness from another company and had a scary experience with it. The tether broke when she stopped suddenly. Poor Spud could have been hurt. Obviously, Spud needed a better pet seat belt so we sent Spud’s mom the safety tested Bergan brand. Here is the photo she took of Spud wearing it. Isn’t he adorable!

Spud is a regular at www.DoodleKisses.com. Here is a direct link to the article that Spud’s mom wrote on Doodle Kisses about her pet seat belt experience – DoodleKisses.

Here is Spud running around with a ball. I just love how cute his ears are when they’re airborne like that.

Spud’s floppy ears are so cute!

Not all dog car harness brands are created equally. A few have not even had testing. For tested brands, consider the Bergan brand like the one Spud is wearing. Also consider PetBuckle, Kurgo Tru-Fit with enhanced strength, and the Roadie Ruff Rider. We have these available on the Dog Seat Belts page of our retail site. Spud’s new Bergan harness and tether has been safety tested to withstand 2,500 pounds of force.

For more Wordless Wednesday pet photos, check out the blog hop below:

Does your dog try to climb in the
front seat when you drive?

Help keep your dog in the back seat with the Bergan pet travel barrier.

Does your dog try to get in your lap?

If your dog won’t tolerate a pet seat belt or dog carrier, enter the contest giveaway to win a Bergan pet travel barrier.

Bergan makes a great car barrier that is easy to install. Simply wrap the straps around the headrest and seat body of the car. If you are wary about purchasing a dog car barrier made out of canvas cloth and netting material, enter our contest giveaway in the month of April for a chance to win one!

To enter, you must have a shipping address within the Continental US. We do not ship outside the US. If you meet this criteria, like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter, tweet about the giveaway, and/or leave a blost post comment. You do not have to do all four entries, but each method gives you another chance to win. You can increase your chances of winning even more by tweeting about the giveaway once a day, every day.

This contest ends April 30th, 2013, 11:59PM EST. We will select a winner on May 1st or 2nd using Random.org. The winner will be notified by email, through Facebook, and/or Twitter. If the winner does not respond within three business days, we will select another winner.

If you’d like to go ahead and order a Bergan pet travel barrier, visit our site at PetAutoSafety.com/bergan-pet-travel-barrier. Please note, that the dog car barrier may not be effective in preventing determined dogs from getting in the front seat. Consider the size of your dog (smaller dogs are less likely to get over the barrier) and his tenacity. For our other pet travel supplies, start at the PetAutoSafety home page. Feel free to enter discount code, petfriend, for 10% off.

Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

First, let me announce the winner of the Pet Travel Calm from the March contest giveaway. Congratulations to Danielle M. and her dog Sissy!

Now, let’s introduce one of our previos winners, Shelley and her dog Kandy. Shelley won the Bergan dog car harness in February. Just look at what a cutie Kandy is. Tell me what you think of her ears. ♥

Here’s Kandy in the car wearing her Bergan dog seat belt.

Kandy’s ears remind me of little angel wings.

Kandy is sitting comfortably in the car and ready to ride safe.

What would you like to see as a giveaway for April?

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Which dog seat belt is right for your pet?

Since we have now added the Ruff Rider Roadie and are phasing out the Guardian Gear / Cruising Companion brand dog seat belts, we are doing a new comparison. We now have four quality brands of dog car harnesses to choose from:  Bergan, Kurgo Tru-Fit, Pet Buckle, and Roadie. Which one is best? They are all great, but each has a different style and feature. Compare them below:

Quality
Quality is hard to quantify. All of these four brands are well-made with strong materials. While some or all parts may have been constructed outside the United States, each of the companies that make these brands has strict quality control measures in place to ensure that each and every dog seat belt meets the same high standards.

Safety
Since each of these brands has been tested by a different strength and crash test specialist, it is difficult to determine which dog seat belt brand is the safest. We are confident in the safety and crash testing of each of these brands.
* Bergan was tested using the V9DT Pet Safety Durability standard.
* Kurgo Tru-Fit enhanced version was tested by the New Hampshire Materials Laboratory, Inc.
* Pet Buckle was tested by the Center for Advanced Product Evaluation (CAPE).
* Roadie Ruff Rider was tested by both the Commercial Test Labs and the Allianz Insurance Crash Research Center.

Fit
Can dogs get out of them? Yes to all. A determined dog can get out of any pet travel harness. Keeping the seat belt harness too tight will not prevent this and will likely only make a dog more determined to get out of it. So when we look at how it fits, we are looking for any loose spots or any place that doesn’t adjust well.
* Bergan – Fits well and adjustable at both the neck and sides, although the chest piece may be a little long for some dogs.
* Kurgo Tru-Fit – Fits well and is adjustable at both the neck and sides.
* Pet Buckle – Fits well on small dogs or large dogs. It does not fit medium-sized dogs.
* Ruff Rider Roadie – Fits well, and all except the smaller sizes are adjustable at both the neck and sides.

How it Works
* Bergan – Uses an adjustable length tether with a carabiner clip to attach directly to the seat belt webbing of the car.
* Kurgo Tru-Fit – Uses a loop that the seat belt of the car goes through.
* Pet Buckle – Uses a loop tether for the seat belt of the car to go through. An adjustable length Kwik Connect tether may be included. This tether clips directly onto the latchbar between the seat cushions of vehicles 2001 and later.
* Ruff Rider Roadie – Uses a loop tether for the seat belt of the car to go through.

How the carabiner clip on the Bergan tether works with the seat belt in your car.

How the Kurgo Tru-Fit tether loop works with the seat belt of your car. The Ruff Rider and Pet Buckle works in a similar way.

How the Kwik-Connect tether of the Pet Buckle works in your car.

Ease of Use
In trying out each of these brands, we have not found one that is particularly easier to put on than the others. All take a little thought when putting them on for the first time, but once you get a hang of it all of them are easy.

Distinguishing Features
* Bergan – Padded chest piece; since no loop tether, tangling is less likely.
* Kurgo Tru-Fit – Slightly padded; enhanced version has steel buckles; allows for harness to also be used as a walking harness.
* Pet Buckle – Metal buckles; if the Kwik-Connect tether is used, tangling is less likely.
* Ruff Rider Roadie – No plastic parts; tested to ensure there is no pressure on dog’s throat; pleated design on straps under dog’s legs to prevent irritation; tether and harness is one piece and tether can be used as a short walking leash.

Price
Listed from least expensive to most expensive:
* Bergan
* Kurgo Tru-Fit
* Pet Buckle
* Roadie Ruff Rider

If you have any questions regarding any other differences in these pet travel harness brands, please email us at naturebydawn@aol.com. We have had the opportunity to use these on our own dogs, including my own:  Sephi wore the Kurgo, Maya wears the Kurgo with a Bergan tether (to prevent tangling), and Pierson wears the Bergan.

Sephi is wearing the Kurgo Tru-Fit Smart dog seat belt.

My dogs are a very important part of my family and I love them dearly. So I show them how much I care by protecting them in the car. You can do the same. If you’re concerned your dog won’t want to wear a dog seat belt or if you are skeptical about their use, enter to win one. You have nothing to lose!

In this month of love, we are giving away one Kurgo Tru-Fit dog car harness or one Bergan dog car harness in any size.  To enter, put your entries in the Rafflecopter below. You can enter by commenting on this blog post about why your dog needs a dog seat belt. Also enter by liking our Facebook page and by following us on Twitter. Increase your chances further by liking our YouTube video and pinning our photo of Maya wearing her dog seat belt on Pinterest.

* Delivery to the continental US residents only, so please US entrants only.
* Contest ends on Thursday, February 28th at 11:59pm.
* One winner will be chosen at random by the Rafflecopter on March 1st and announced on our blog on March 2nd or 3rd.
* The winner can select from the available sizes of either a Kurgo Tru-Fit brand or Bergan brand dog seat belt.
* If you are a winner by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter, you must still be liking us and following us by the end of the contest.

Both the Kurgo and the Bergan brands have been safety tested. For details on testing, visit our PetAutoSafety.com site.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bentley is enjoying the Slumber Pet Couch / Cargo cover he won in our November contest.

Thank you Larrielle for sending us a photo of your dog Bentley on the Slumber Pet couch / cargo cover!

The Slumber Pet couch and cargo cover was the prize of our first contest giveaway. It was held a couple of months ago in November. We don’t have any more of these products available but we are now giving away a dog car harness from your choice of either the Bergan brand or Kurgo Tru-Fit brand. Visit http://www.petautosafetyblog.com/pet-auto-travel-safety/1708-win-dog-car-harness-new-year/ for details on the January 2013 giveaway.

For more great pet photos on the Wordless Wednesday blog hop, check out the other great dog bloggers below.

It’s almost time for the new year – 2013! What is your New Year’s resolution? Me, I’m going to try to exercise more and eat healthier. I get plenty of walks with the dogs but I need to do more. My dogs Maya and Pierson want to learn more tricks. Pierson also wants to keep his teeth cleaner so that I will stop brushing them. So what is your New Year’s resolution?

How about keeping your pets safer in the car? Perhaps your dog is good in the car, like my Pierson. Pierson just sits there very quietly. But he is my baby boy and I want to keep him safe for in case I have to stop suddenly or swerve out of the way of something in the road or away from a crazy driver. Pierson wears his Bergan dog car harness and I have the back seat floor covered with the Kurgo Backseat Bridge.

Pierson is wearing the Bergan dog car harness. The Backseat Bridge covers the floor of the car.

Perhaps your dog is crazy in the car like my Labrador Maya. Maya LOVES to ride in the car. Even if I am taking her to the vet, she is super excited both on the ride there and on the ride back. She wears the Kurgo Tru-Fit smart dog seat belt but uses the Bergan replacement tether. I like the Bergan replacement tether because Maya likes to move around a lot and will get herself tangled in the loop tether provided with the Kurgo Tru-Fit.

Maya is wearing a red Kurgo Tru-Fit car harness.

If your dog is crazy in the car like my Maya, consider the Bergan brand dog car harness or even the Pet Buckle brand. For a small dog, make sure to get the one with the Kwik Connect tether included. Otherwise it uses a loop tether similar to the one from Kurgo. For a large dog, our large Pet Buckle travel kit comes with both the harness and the Kwik Connect tether.

The Pet Buckle dog seat belt and Kwik-Connect tether.

If you don’t think your dog will tolerate a dog seat belt, consider a pet travel crate strapped in with the safety tested kennel restraints from Pet Buckle. Or use a pet car barrier. After all, our pets are family. We want to keep them safe like family. And pet travel safety supplies are easier than ever to get and most of them have been safety tested.

A pet crate strapped in with kennel restraints helps to protect your dog or cat in the car.

So practice pet travel safety and have a Happy New Year with your pets!

New Year’s Resolution – Protect your four-legged family member in the car with a dog seat belt. Enter to win a Kurgo Tru-Fit dog car harness or a Bergan dog car harness for your dog by entering the Rafflecopter entries below. Comment, like, and follow your way to a safer pet. Open to US entrants only. The contest ends on Sunday, January 20th at 11:59pm. One winner will be chosen at random on the 21st and announced between the 21st and 23rd. The winner can select from the available sizes of either a Kurgo Tru-Fit brand or Bergan brand dog seat belt.

Sephi is wearing the Kurgo dog car harness.

Maya is wearing a red Kurgo Tru-Fit car harness.

The Kurgo Tru-Fit brand uses a loop system tether. The seat belt of your car goes through the loop on the harness in order to secure your pet in the car. The loop system keeps your dog more secure. It doesn’t allow for your dog to move around much so if your dog will try to move around while wearing the Kurgo brand, he may get tangled in the loop system. This brand is best for dogs that simply like to sit or lay down in the car. The Kurgo harness is slightly padded. Red is shown above with our dog Maya but we only have black available at this time for this contest. BTW, Maya has to use a Bergan tether with her Kurgo harness because she does like to move around a lot in the car.

Pierson is wearing the Bergan dog car harness.

The Bergan tether attaches to the seat belt of your car.

The padded chest piece of the Bergan brand is a little longer than that of the Kurgo brand. The tether of the Bergan brand attaches directly to the seat belt webbing of your car. This allows your dog to move around more. The shorter you keep the tether (which is adjustable in length) the safer your dog. But if your dog likes to move around a lot despite the harness, the Bergan tether may be better for them than the Kurgo loop tether.

Both the Kurgo and the Bergan have been safety tested for strength. Feel free to check out their pages for more information on each brand – Kurgo and Bergan. If you are not a winner but would like to purchase a dog seat belt, feel free to use discount code petfriend for 10% off.

Thanks for entering!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sephi is wearing the Kurgo dog car harness.

Pierson is wearing the Bergan dog car harness.

December’s giveaway will be relatively short since the contest ends at 11:59pm, December 16th. We will choose a winner on the 17th because we want the winner to receive their prize before Christmas!

A winner will be chosen at random by our Rafflecopter below. Enter by posting a comment, following us on Twitter, liking us on Facebook, or tweeting about the giveaway. You can tween multiple times for multiple entries. US residents only, please. Sorry, we don’t ship outside the continental US.

The winner will get to choose from any size of either the Kurgo brand or Began brand dog car harness. We will ship the prize to the winner via USPS Priority Mail in hopes that it will arrive before Christmas.

If you are not a winner, feel free to use discount code holidaypet to receive 15% off your purchase. That is holidaypet, all lowercase and all one word.

Paws up for good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway