One of the major issues in keeping your pet safe in moving vehicles is that the majority of people do not restrain their dogs properly with seatbelt harnesses. Now, that may seem rather cruel to your dog, who might rather sleep on the back of the rear seat, or clamor from occupant to the occupant for affection and, maybe, a more acceptable lap to sleep on.
However, with so many CKC (Canadian Kennel Club) and AKC (American Kennel Club) approved dog seat belt harnesses on the market, many for about $20, there really is no reason for not harnessing your beloved pet as safe as any other family member.
Always remember that a dog relies upon you for all of its safety requirements, as would a young child. The best advice given for dog owners is to treat your dog like a four to a seven-year-old child, meaning that you have to take care of their every need, including safety precautions.
And if your dog is too big for your vehicle, like trying to fit a Mastiff into a Smart 4 Two, then any and all injuries that happen to your dog, no matter how the injuries were incurred, even if you were innocent in the accident, you are guilty of animal cruelty and failure to provide the necessities of life and safety to your dog.
Another, less favorable but still better than nothing way of restraining your dog inside your moving vehicle is to attach their leash to a seatbelt’s buckle, restricting their ability to put their head out of the window.
Although dogs and pick up trucks pretty much go hand in hand, allowing a dog to ride in the back of a moving pick up truck is not only dangerous but illegal in many areas. This is even so if the dog is tethered securely to a ring attached to the front or bed of the truck.
It is the all-time favorite of many a dog to have their head outside of a window, the wind blowing their ears and eyes in funny shapes, and their mouths blew wide open by the blistering wind. However, this is a very dangerous thing to allow your dog to do, like many bugs, some dangerous to your dog, especially if it strikes an open eye, will undoubtedly strike your pet’s head, and at very fast speeds.
Another factor to consider when allowing this dangerous situation is that another vehicle may drive by a little too close, with extremely unfortunate circumstances resulting.
For the smaller dogs out there, there are many different dog safety seats in the vehicle, which pretty much acts like booster seats for children and keep the dog secure within their confines. One of the worst things that a dog owner can do is to allow their dog(s) to roam free within a car, with the windows rolled down, and driving at rather fast speeds (over 25 miles per hour or more).
Remember, your dog relies upon you to keep it safe, and you must do all that you can to ensure their safety while in a moving vehicle.
