Pet Auto Safety

Imagine your best little friend riding at your side without being a distraction. The window is down, the breeze is flowing in, and your dog’s nose is to the wind. If you have a pet 30 pounds or less, then he can greatly benefit from a pet carseat. Safety is an obvious benefit and there are two aspects of safety to consider. Plus, there are two other benefits of dog car seats.

SAFETY
The first safety aspect of a pet carseat is that your dog is tethered in and can’t distract the driver. The second aspect is that since your dog is tethered in, he won’t fly forward into the dash or onto the floor in a sudden stop.

Most dog car seats come with a tether. The tether is to be attached to your pet’s harness, not his collar. For ultimate safety, use a dog car harness in conjunction with the safety seat instead of a regular walking harness.

The Sleepypods do not have tethers but this is because your dog (or even your cat) is enclosed inside of it. This pet carseat is then secured in the vehicle with the safety belt of the vehicle. Sleepypods have also had crash testing.

Important note regarding pets riding in the front:  Front passenger side airbags are not safe for dogs. Some airbags are designed to always deploy in the event of a front or rear end car accident while others will not deploy if there is not enough weight in the seat. So be sure to check your vehicle specifications regarding how the airbags work.

COMFORT
With all the turning and stopping you have to do, wouldn’t it be a more comfortable ride for your little dog if he didn’t have to continuously brace himself? Imagine making a quick stop, and instead of your pet sliding off onto the floor, he slides forward into the partition of his safety seat instead. The Snoozer and Lookouts have the most cushioning.

GIVE A BOOST
Some pet safety booster seats allow your furry friend to look out the car window. Sometimes, being able to see out the window can help with car sickness. Looking out the window is also a fun activity. Keep your pal entertained so that he doesn’t pester you.

Most dog car seats are for small dogs, 30 pounds and under. But there is at least one for larger dogs and that is the Full Bench Lookout Perch from Snoozer. Snoozer has a number of other different styles for smaller dogs, including the Lookout series and console seats. Sleepypods are for smaller dogs and even cats. There is also the Skybox and other booster seats from Kurgo. Check them all out and keep your best friend safe in the car.

This is our first Follow Up Friday blog hop. It has been an interesting week for us so I thought we would share what’s going on.

It’s a good thing Pierson hasn’t lost his winter coat yet, because it’s snowing in May!

Snow in May
It has been a strange week for weather. It was in the 80s Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday was in the 70s. Then Thursday it snowed! Poor Maya & Pierson don’t know whether to shed or grow more fur.

“Please let me wake up from this strange dream of snow in May.”

Canine Epilepsy
Pierson had a second seizure on Wednesday, May 1st. His first seizure was on January 10th of this year. Thankfully, his seizures were very short and don’t seem to happen often. The vet took some tests and was unable to determine the cause. This is a good thing, the vet says. It’s not head trauma, it’s not poison, and his blood tests came out normal. So he is just one of those dogs that have seizures. Seeing my pretty boy Pierson having a seizure is a scary thing, but seizures won’t shorten his life or lessen his quality of life. It is believed that dogs feel no pain during a seizure. And he gets back to his bouncy self within moments after the seizure.

Tomorrow for Pet Safety Saturday, I’m going to provide a link to an article I wrote in January about Pierson’s canine epilepsy. Be sure to stop by tomorrow.

Contest Winner
On a lighter note, Amy B. won the Bergan pet travel barrier. Congratulations Amy!

We will be holding another contest this month so stay tuned. What would you like to see in May’s giveaway contest?

Sharing Pet Safety Photos
You saw the Golden Doodle Spud’s photo earlier this week in his new Bergan dog car harness. Now we’ve seen a photo of another Doodle named Goldie wearing the Kurgo Tru-Fit pet car harness. We haven’t gotten permission to share the photo on our blog, but you can see it on DoodleKisses.

If you have photos of your dog riding in the car, share them with us. We’d love to post them here.

Teaching Pierson to Speak
I taught Pierson to speak last week. It was so easy that he learned it in one day. Two factors made it easy for him to learn: 1) Aussies are natural barkers, and 2) Aussies are super smart. I will hopefully have a video on American Dog Blog soon.

Check out more dog blog posts on the Follow Up Friday blog hop below:

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

When Mary G got back from her trip to Colorado with her Irish Setter Ruby, she sent as an email telling us how much Ruby loved her new Kurgo dog car harness and auto zip line:

“I love it,  she gave me no problems,  the zip line allows her to stand by turn around and then relay down like she always does,  then I just leave the harness on to walk her also-  much nicer and lighter weight than the harness I have used before

“Thanks so much,  glad I found you guys

“Mary G.”

Thank you, Mary for considering us for your pet travel needs and for telling us about you and Ruby’s experience. I bet Ruby had a lot of fun in Colorado. We’ve got to take our dogs there sometime.

The Kurgo dog car harness has been tested for safety and safely restrains almost any sized dog. The auto zip line allows the dog to be restrained but also gives them the freedom to move back and forth in the back seat. This is especially helpful for dogs who won’t sit still in the car and who may otherwise try to wiggle out of the harness.

This Pup is too Precious not to Protect.

Today’s Wordless Wednesday photo is of Gracie the Shih Tzu. Isn’t Gracie a cutie! Just look at that adorable fuzzy face. So what is Gracie doing? She is riding in the car and wearing the Kurgo Tru-Fit pet car harness. More specifically, she is wearing the extra small pet car harness. Gracie is very petite. In fact, her mom Cathy had trouble finding something that would fit her. The Kurgo extra-small was perfect. Gracie’s mom loves it. Maybe Grace does or doesn’t love it, but at least she is well-protected in the car. Thank you so much Cathy for sharing this wonderful photo of your dog Gracie!