Hello, hope you are having a wuffderful day!
Only a pet owner will fully understand this dilemma; not finding a proper care for your pup while you are away. Most of the times, you have to take your dog with you, which is a delightful experience. But along with it come security concerns.
A dog riding on the back seat of your car may invite some risks. These risks should not be taken lightly. We have compiled a list of seven safety tips for when you are driving with a dog on board.
1. Make sure seatbelts and harnesses are secure
It won’t hurt that you tug seatbelt once in a while to make sure it is still properly attached. It is care safety 101, but many people underestimate the importance of seatbelts.
You must understand that riding in car is different for dogs, so you need to be extra careful. He may wriggle a lot due to excitement, you never know. Just pulling the belt hard once or twice to ensure it is secure should do the trick.
2. If your dog is small, he can ride in the front but on one condition
Small pups can ride in the front but air bag and seatbelts should be working properly. Also you must make sure that your pup cannot move around too much in the car. The last thing you want is Snuggles touching and pressing unnecessary buttons on your dashboard – that is just dangerous. A dog car seat is recommended by many safety experts.
3. If you are using a dog car seat, here is what you need to do
Dog car seats have harnesses to secure the dog. It is more like seat belt within a dog’s car seat. This presents you with an opportunity to secure your pup even further. First use the car’s seat belt to put dog’s car seat in place and secure it by ‘seat-belting’ the dog’s car set. Next put Spotty in his seat and secure him with dog’s car seat. It simple; secure dog’s cat seat with the car’s seat belt and then secure pup with the dog’s car seat’s belt.
4. Place the dog in the center of the car’s back seat
The safest place for Junior to ride is right in the middle of the backseat. This way he can see what’s going around, he can see your face and you can easily keep an eye on him.
5. Put the pup in the elevated position from where he can see things
If your dog is small, you should put something under his seat to make him elevated. Otherwise he will get bored and anxious, tied up with nothing to see. This may get him restless or angry, which is particularly dangerous while riding in a car.
6. Windows up at all times
If your dog is large and has a calm temperament, you can let him be on the backseat (never in front) without any harnesses or seat belts, BUT windows up at ALL times!
Experts say that dogs get a lot of infections in their eyes. Therefore don’t let Max stick out his head for medical reasons as well as security reasons, of course.
7. Medium and large dogs must ALWAYS ride at the back
Never let large or medium sized dogs ride in the front. Get them comfortable in the back seat. If nothing, they are a hindrance to your driving. It is unlikely that you can buy a dog car seat that is big enough to be put in the front. Without proper securing, the dog is a danger to you and himself.
Imagine if he flicks the viper handle suddenly, you might lose concentration and things can get undesirable.
If there are any movable items, they should be secured.
Anything which is heavy enough to cause harm should be tied up. If Buddy’s car seat is getting knocked on every turn by a carton full of milk packets, it would irritate him if not potentially physically harm him.