Car Rides and Travel Safety

When I see someone driving down the road with a dog in their lap, I cringe. I want to slap these people. Same with idiots who do not wear their seatbelts or allow their children to roam free in the car. Seatbelts save lives people! And there is no exception for animals!

Animals really need to be contained in moving vehicles, for their safety, and the safety of all the other passengers in the vehicle and all the others on the road. Jumping and hopping around in the car can distract a driver to the point where they get in an accident because of it. It isn't worth having your pet on your lap for a car ride if you both end up in the hospital, or worse, you in the hospital and your beloved pet splattered on the highway or splintered into your windshield. Totally uncool, man.

We use a safety hammock for our bulldog, and our Saint Bernard travels in the very back cabin of our small sized SUV. Separating pets is a good idea when traveling, especially on long trips when they can get cranky and start fights while you're driving.

I found a great option for a hammock on Amazon here. It looks inexpensive, but functional. We bought ours a few years ago and spent about $50.

We also keep a crate on hand for car trips, but as we don't have enough room in our vehicle to crate both boys, we typically just rely on the hammock.

We've tried seat harnesses, and I'm all for them, except that our Rosie got herself strung up in it when she got excited and nearly choked to death while I tried to slam on the brakes, reach over to the back seat, and pull her free while still trying to keep the car on the road and not alarm other drivers. It was a terrifying experience for both of us. My guess is that harnesses are fine for dogs who are completely stationary in the car, but for any furball who likes to move around even the slightest bit, I can't say I would suggest a seat harness. The hammock is our best option. Though they can still jump it if they want to, and perhaps fly out if in a serious major car wreak, it will protect most dogs from most collisions and if they are trained and not a behavior problem, they should be fine. If there is a behavior problem that keeps your dog from remaining in his place on his own accord, time for crate in the car, and a visit with a good behaviorist. That is not a behavior that you want to let linger.

Please, do not let your baby hang his or her head out the window in the wind at any speed higher than 25 MPH. Driving around the neighborhood can be okay, but any speed higher than that could put your dog at risk to be hit in the face (eyes!) with debris kicked up on the road. I have seen some horrifying pictures and heard some awful stories about dogs who have been injured (or killed!) while doing this. The few minutes of joy they get isn't worth the risk. Do it on your way out of your neighborhood, or your way back in, but not once you start going at a decent pace. One story I heard from a friend about a friend of her's included details about getting sideswiped and having her dog's head get crushed between her car and the car that hit them. That doesn't sound worth risking.