When you own a dog, you consider them as part of your family. Wherever you go, they go too. However, driving with a dog in the car can be a major form of distracted driving. If you cannot focus 100% of your attention on the road, you are in danger of yourself and everyone around you. But that doesn't mean that you can't your dog with you on a road trip. Below are some tips to have a safer travel with your pet.
Training Your Pet To Ride The Car
If your dog is afraid to ride in the car, don't rush it. Instead, teach them to become acclimated to the car. What you can do is bring your dog as close to the car as possible without making him or her be afraid of it. Whenever you see your dog looking at the car or is voluntary walking up it give them treats. This takes a lot of time and patience to get them be comfortable riding in the car. Don't force them as it will make them be more afraid to ride in it.
There are times when your dog is extremely excited to ride. This can be very distracting and dangerous particularly if they aren't secured or not in a dog crate. They hyperactivity are associated with the things they have encountered while in the car like for example when you bring them to somewhere fun like a dog park, or when they meet new dogs. Luckily, getting your dog to calm down is a lot easier- the key here is patience. If anytime your dog gets overly excited, bring them out to the car as if you are going somewhere. Then turn around and walk back in the house. Repeat this process several times so that your dog won't get excited when you walk them out to the car. When your dog is calm, that's the time you are ready to go for a drive with them. Also, don't forget to calmly praise him or her if they have done a good job.
Keep Them In The Back Seat
Airbags aren't made for dogs. Even if there are dog seats complete with custom dog seat belts, it won't be enough to contain the sudden impact force of an airbag during a collision. This could either injure or kill your pet and the smaller the are, the more airbags are fatal to them.
Invest in a Pet Restraint
A pet restraint is one of the best investment to have when traveling with your pet. Just like us, our dogs need seatbelts too. Big dog or small, these can become projectiles in a crash that can harm you or other members of the family in the car. The restraint will let your pet stay put while in transport.
Our pet seat cover comes with free 2 seat belts - perfect for restraining your dog while on the trip.
Never Leave Them In Cars
If you love your pet, don't leave them unattended in the car. The temperature in enclosed cars can rise quickly for just a few minutes - even on a mild day! Pets that are left inside can risk heatstroke. Cold cars are as dangerous as well. A car can rapidly cool down in a cold weather turning your car into a refrigerator.
Below is a video showing how long you can leave your dog in car:
Driving with a dog can be dangerous, but we can mitigate that danger by using couple of measures to keep them safe. It is possible to have a safe drive with your dog - you just need a lot of paitence to train them to be acclimated to car rides.
What about you? Do you drive with your dog? What are the things you've done to keep them safe?