All Things Dog Blog

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Dog-Safe Travel, Around Town and on the Highway, Part III of III

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

My friends at Pet Auto Safety have helped me provide Tanner a safe way to travel in my newer vehicle--a Prius. While traveling with passengers in the backseat, I had to find a way to secure Tanner safety, without the room for a large dog crate in back. I needed another solution.

Since I'm fortunate enough not to need my back seats very often, I generally opt to fold them over to give Tanner some extra room, while allowing me additional cargo area as well. Folding the seats down also helps to keep the seats clean, so that when I do need them, I won't be embarrassed by a ton of dog fur. Tanner enjoys the extra space too :)

In the back of my vehicle, there are a couple of loops intended for baggage tie down. They are perfect for attaching the crash-tested seatbelt that Tanner now wears in the car. As of the day I purchased it, it was still the only model on the market that has successfully passed crash testing, just like our human seat belts. Admittedly, he looks like he's ready for a parachute jump, but he doesn't know that, so don't tell him.

When Tanner's new seat belt system arrived, I allowed him to get acquainted with it before putting it on him. He sniffed, inspected and decided it was nothing more than a fancy harness (he was right!) and that was that. I'd like to think that my matter-of-fact attitude helped him realize this was nothing to be feared. Tanner has a typical harness that we have used for agility training, biking, and other purposes over the years. He's used to the idea of wearing things--even a backpack. That probably helped us, as there was virtually no adjustment period.

When it was time to put the harness on, I laid it out and found the neck opening, grasping it carefully. I called him to me, requested a SIT, and matter-of-factly placed the harness over his head. He stood to allow me to buckle it, clearly signaling he had no anxiety over this new harness. After all, it was merely a sturdier version of his other one.

My only surprise was that the buckles are as strong and secure as our human seatbelt buckles are. That loud click sent me a clear message: Tanner will be safe in this seatbelt. I liked that.

The strapping mechanism comes with flexibility built right in. You can strap your dog to baggage tie-downs, or place him on a seat and hook the strap right to the seatbelt. You can even place the existing car seatbelt through the back of his harness for extra protection. Each option gives you different possibilities for movement, as does the adjustment of the strapping.

I learned that some dogs require more freedom of movement for safety, while others need added security and a position with less movement. It's important to read the documentation to evaluate your dog's needs and adjust the strapping to meet them.

Before taking Tanner on his first ride, I had measured and estimated the length I desired in the seatbelt strap. This determines how much movement he has, and allows me to keep him clear of the front seat area, to avoid impact with the seat backs in a collision.

When Tanner hopped into the back of the car, I called him to me and attached the strap to the mega-tough loop on his harness, then clicked the belt onto the adapter for the baggage tie-down. Before I got myself seat-belted in, he had already determined his boundaries, as established by the belt. He assumed a down position, looking out the rear window of my Prius, and off we went, happily visiting the bank and a dog park. This was the ultimate reward for Tanner's quick-adjustment to his new safety equipment. Way to go Tanner!

Related Reading:
Dog-Safe Travel, Part I
Dog-Safe Travel, Part II
Be Smart. Ride Safe.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Dog-Safe Travel, Around Town and on the Highway--Part II of III

by Carrie Boyko, CEB Did you miss Part I? Click here

Let's just jump right to present day with this dog-safe travel series. Currently I have a 9 1/2 lb. Papillon, Oliver, along with Tanner, a 70 lb. Golden Retriever--a wee bit of a change from the combination we talked about in Part I of this three-part series. Transportation issues change when you risk a large dog stepping on a small dog in the back seat, so we've taken precautions to protect little Oliver.

Since Oliver's inclination has always been to stay by my side (he is a 'companion' breed, after all), he's much happier when in the front seat. There are only a few safe options for this scenario; we picked a raised car seat, pictured above. While there are different types, mine is a model that has 3 straps attaching it to the seat, so there's a pretty fair backup system in place. An adjustable strap inside the seat area attaches to your dog's harness with a clip. This gives you the ability to decide how much he can move around inside the seat.

I liked the mesh sides of this model, as Oliver can lie down to rest, while still keeping me in sight. The front pocket provides a place to keep a few small toys, treats or waste bags for quick access.

In addition to the harness strap, the seat has sides (about 6-8" high) and strapping that blocks the car seat sides for dismounting, as these attach diagonally to the headrest. His only exit is up and out, or up and over the front of the car seat. If he were to make this jump, he'd likely end up on the floor of the car, so I highly recommend using the strap and clip at all times. Without it, it's a pretty long fall for a little guy, not to mention the windshield is not far away if a collision occurs.

If I have a human traveling companion, moving the car seat to the back is quick and easy. It truly takes just a minute or so to remove and reinstall it on the back seat. When traveling by highway, I continue to use a crate for Oliver, placing him in the back with Tanner. The crate gives Oliver protection from Tanner's brawn, as well as from being thrown, if an accident were to happen. Although his extremely light bodyweight may not break the car seat clip, I'm not willing to take that chance at highway speeds.

That about cover's Oliver's safe travel arrangements and how we manage passengers with him in a carseat. No problems whatsoever. I'll be back next week with the final edition of this 3-part series. Part III will tell you all about Tanner's crash-tested safety harness and belt. He's as safe in my car as you and I are in our seatbelts. Join me next time for an introduction to auto seat belts for dogs.

Related Reading:
Dog-Safe Travel, Part I
Be Smart. Ride Safe.

Want a car seat like Oliver's? Click his photo above or this link to take you to Pet Auto Safety. You can shop for your own styles and colors, and read up on the features of each type of restraint.If you'd prefer to come back later, you'll find Oliver's photo above as an advertisement in my sidebar for easy access to our supplier.