Many of you will be traveling by car to visit loved ones over the Thanksgiving Day week. Here is a blog entry from the Pet Haven blog that you should read before putting your dog in the car.
Did you know that the safest place for your dog to enjoy a ride with you is in a sturdy plastic crate? In a collision, the hard sides will help protect your dog, even if the crate itself rolls. Dogs have been known to survive a car crash only to escape from a damaged car and be hit on the road by another car. The new Honda Element has a dog friendly version complete with crate and ramp. Wow even car makers are being influenced by our canine pals.
Dogs should never ride in the front seat of a car with airbags. Even an impact at low speed can inflate the airbag, which can injure or even kill your canine friend. I recently heard of a beloved family dog who was mortally injured in just such an accident. If you child can not ride in the front seat why would you allow your best canine friend to sit there.
If you don’t have a crate or have a dog who will not ride in one, you can buy a safety harness that fastens to the car’s seatbelt. While not providing as much protection as a crate, it is a pretty good alternative and will keep the dog in place in a crash.
Besides protecting your dog in case of an accident, confining your dog to the backseat can help prevent one, too. A dog trying to sit on your lap while you are behind the wheel or burrowing down around your feet is a hazard and it is hard to correct inappropriate behavior while you are traveling on the freeway at 60 m.p.h.
Taking a car ride with your dog can be a lot of fun. Make it a safe time, too.
No comments:
Post a Comment