Because of how tough and adventurous dogs are, we often forget they're prone to injury, just like the rest of us. One of the most significant hazards that dogs unknowingly face is when traveling in a car. While dogs love sticking their heads out the window and jumping from seat to seat, this isn't always safe. If you want to keep your dog safe while they're in your car, we've compiled a list of the top dog care safety tips for you to follow.
- Train and Prepare Your Dog for Traveling
- Invest in a Doggie Seat Belt or Restraint
- Keep Them From Moving Around Too Much
- Travel With a Dog First Aid Kit
- Restrict Window Access
- NEVER Leave Your Dog Alone in the Car
- Take More Breaks
- Travel With Food and Water
- Keep Your Dog Entertained
- Stay Focused on the Road
- Final Thoughts About Dog Car Safety
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Train and Prepare Your Dog for Traveling
If your dog isn't used to the restraints of traveling in a vehicle, it's essential to do a few trial runs before going on a long road trip. Take your dog for short drives through the neighborhood and down the highway to get them used to being in a car. During these drives, you can train your dog, so they know what you expect from them during your travels.
Short trial runs are also an excellent way to determine whether your dog is prone to car or motion sickness. If they are, you should try natural remedies or get a prescription from your vet to treat their motion sickness.
Invest in a Doggie Seat Belt or Restraint
Just like your human passengers should always wear a seatbelt, so should your canine passengers. Because of the increased risk of injury and the rise of interest in dog care safety, there are plenty of seat belt options to choose from for dogs. You can use a dog harness that attaches from their harness to the seat, a travel crate, a pet hammock restricting their movements, seat barriers, and more.
The key is to find the restraint that works best for your pet and that they're the most comfortable with.
Keep Them From Moving Around Too Much
The whole point of using a seat belt or restraint is to keep your dog from moving around too much during your travels. The more your dog moves, the more at risk they are for injuring themselves. You should also keep your dog from moving from the front seat to the back and vice versa. Not only does this put them at risk of hurting themselves, but it's also extremely distracting and could put you and other vehicles at risk.
Travel With a Dog First Aid Kit
Another excellent dog care safety tip is to always travel with a first aid kit for your dog. You should include any medications and drugs your dog needs, bandages, tape, motion sickness pills, natural remedies, and antiseptics. Regardless of how many precautions you take with your dog, there's still a chance they'll find a way to injure themselves.
It's also a good idea to let your vet know you're traveling with your dogs and where you're going. They can inform you of any vaccines they should receive according to the diseases commonly found at your destination.
Restrict Window Access
There are few aspects of driving that your dog will enjoy more than being able to stick their head out the window. That feeling of fresh air and a stiff breeze on their faces gives dogs a sense of freedom, comfort, and tranquility. However, having their heads and limbs out the window is also the leading cause of injury when it comes to doggy travel. They could fall out the window, hit their face on a passing object, or get stuck in the window as you put it up.
By restricting their window access and only giving them brief periods of window time, you can help protect your dog from themselves.
NEVER Leave Your Dog Alone in the Car
Above all, NEVER leave your dog unsupervised in a vehicle for any amount of time. This is especially crucial when it's warm outside because dogs will overheat quickly and can die of heat exhaustion.
Take More Breaks
Depending on how far you're traveling, giving your dog plenty of potty breaks is essential. They'll be able to stretch their legs and get some exercise during these times. While extra breaks might make your trip longer than expected, it's the least you can do for your pet.
Travel With Food and Water
Potty breaks are also a good time to allow your dog to eat and drink. Therefore, you should always travel with plenty of readily available food and water. However, you should never let your dog try to eat or drink while you're driving. You might hit a bump or swerve unexpectedly, which is a choking hazard for a dog scarfing down its food. Letting your dog eat and drink while you're driving is also a great way to make a mess inside your car.
Keep Your Dog Entertained
While you can listen to music or podcasts, read a book, or watch a movie during your travels, your dog won't be entertained by these things. Therefore, you should bring some of their favorite toys and activities to keep them entertained during your travels.
Stay Focused on the Road
The most important thing to keeping you and your dog safe in your car is to pay attention to the road. Each dog car safety tip we've looked at is geared towards giving you the ability to focus on the road instead of your pet. The more your dog moves around and sticks its head out the window, the more distracted you'll be. It only takes a moment of distraction to cause a car accident that could put you, your dog, and others in jeopardy.
Final Thoughts About Dog Car Safety
As you can see, there are plenty of dog car safety tips to keep you and your furry companions safe during your travels. Whether you’re going to your local dog park or going on a week-long road trip, you should adhere to these dog car safety tips. Doing so will ensure that you and your dog arrive at your destination safely and sound.
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