Recently I pulled up at a stoplight beside a family in a car. It appeared to be Mom, Dad, two kids and a white lab in a car. They appeared to be having a good time. I watched as the dog jumped from the back seat into the front and was summarily pushed into the back seat again by the adults.
Some terrible images came to mind. What if this had happened at 60 miles per hour on the highway? What if Dad had to slam on the breaks? What if the animal, in his excitement, had put his foot on the steering wheel, or gotten under the driver's feet?
A dozen disaster scenes crossed my mind.
The adults would never allow their kids to travel without seat belts. But a dog without a seat belt is even more dangerous. Not only can the dog be injured, or injure an occupant of the vehicle, but a loose dog in a car can cause the accident.
Reasons Why Your Dog Should Wear a Seatbelt
1. Distraction Pets can be a distraction. Distractions cause accidents. Remember Stephen King? He was hit by a car as the driver was trying to keep his rottweiler under control.
2. Impact Pets without seatbelts are just like people without seatbelts: If you slam on the brakes or hit another car, you and everything else that's not retrained go flying toward the windshield. A large dog hurtling at you or another passenger from the backseat can be deadly for you and the dog.
3. Emergencies A dog that has been in an accident is likely to be in shock, confused, and injured. The dog could attack rescue personnel who are trying to help you. You can minimize this danger by properly restraining your dog.
4. Control Even well-trained dogs have been known to jump after a chipmunk, cat, or another dog. If your dog is in a seat belt, he can't jump out the window or run into the street when you open your door.
5. Comfort Isn't it simply more pleasant to ride in a car when everyone, human and canine, stays in their seat?
Use restraints that offer mobility. Use restraints that allow your dog to move around some, turning in the seat and sitting with his nose out the window. Carefully check the restraint for mobility to make sure that the seat belt allows some freedom of movement, but not too much.
Put your dog in the back seat. The safest place for your dog is the middle of the back seat. Airbags can be dangerous for small children or dogs.
Don t put your dog in a crate or cage In an accident, a crate or cage will go flying through the air just like an unrestrained dog. If the crate itself is secured, your dog will be slammed against the walls of the crate.
