hitting the road…
LET’S GO FOR A CAR RIDE??
DO YOU WANNA GO FOR A CAR RIDE??
This post is based on an exerpted piece from DogAge on August 20th with my thoughtful comments added:
No riding shotgun. Having your pup up front is way too dangerous and distracting, so he should always ride in the backseat. This helps protect your furry friend from making contact with the windshield or being injured by the airbag in the event of an accident. And don’t let him ride in the back of a pickup truck. It’s as unsafe as it looks.
Buckle up for safety. Ideally, your dog should ride in a travel carrier or crate that’s secured to the seat so it doesn’t slide around or tip over. Another option is a travel harness that works like a seat belt — most pet stores carry them. ( You can also get these online! They don’t act as a seatbelt but as a harness that can be secured with your regular seatbelt attachment. I highly recommend these b/c these can double as leashes and/or harnesses for walks!) ( I don’t agree that the “ideal” position would necessarily be in a crate for car rides. )
Go easy on (the) breezy. Letting your dog catch a little breeze is fine; just be sure to leave your windows up at least halfway so that he can’t stick out his head too far. Lock any automatic windows so he doesn’t accidentally hit the “up” switch with his paw. ( I would say not to have the windows all the way down so that your dog cannot accidentally or otherwise come 1/2-way –or more!!– out of the window. Childlocks are fine to do but most newer cars have a sensor that prevents them from going up all the way in this situation. )
I’d also check to make sure the vents in the back seats, if you have dual controls, are not set on the ‘heating’ mode and that the fan setting is at it’s highest.
Using nets or removable bedding is okay but creates a more difficult surface to balance on if…ahem… the driver tends to have a lead foot.
Move the front seats all the way up if you have a truck or SUV. Your large or medium breed dog can then jump up into the footwell and then up into the seat.
Getting out of the car should be the same way to cause as little stress to their joints as possible. (But if your dog has pre-existing back issues, this is a ‘no-no’.) If the tailgate is just as high or higher than the backseats, have them transition to the backseat to get in/out if you can.
U must go to In ‘n Out Burger or patroniz driv thru’s that will giv yor dog treets
BooBear wrote that last part.
A clarification from the last week’s post: I do NOT condone riding a bicycle with your dog for exercise or any other reason. Unless your dog can be safely secured in a side car or be pulled in a child cart from behind the bike. It’s too easy for you BOTH to get hurt. Why risk it?
