Car Safety: Your Dog’s Life Is In Your Hands

Holidays are a joy for everyone, that is more than clear and, if we can also go out and enjoy a few days of rest in a place that fills us, then they are ideal.

Having a dog does not have to be a problem when it comes to doing so, not even if we have decided to travel in our own vehicle. In this article we show you how to travel safely in the car when your pet is with you and enjoy the journey.

How to travel safely in the car

Depending on the country in which we reside, the rules for traveling with our dog in the vehicle may be different, so it would be important that you consult them. In a country like Spain, the body in charge of guaranteeing car safety is the DGT, the General Directorate of Traffic.

Regarding this matter, it affirms that the driver must be able to maintain his freedom of movement, the field of vision and the permanent attention in driving. In this way you would be guaranteeing your own safety and that of the rest of the passengers.

He adds that he must take care of his position and make sure that the passengers maintain it and, in addition, that both objects and animals are well placed so that they do not interfere with the driver’s work.

So keep this point in mind to maintain safety in the car when traveling with your dog.

Basic tips for traveling safely in the car with dogs

There are some basic questions that you have to take into account so that the trip with your dog is safe, which will largely depend on how calm and relaxed we get it to make the journey:

• Let a couple of hours pass after the last meal. Dogs are like us in many ways. Failure to do so can lead to dizziness and end up vomiting in your car, something that will greatly spoil the trip.
• Needs. Keep in mind that your dog will need to stop in order to evacuate.  Take the opportunity to hydrate and take a walk to expend part of your energy.
• Stops. When you stop the march, keep an eye on their safety. Do not expose yourself to any danger, think that you are very close to the road and it could be fatal if you run away.

How to travel safely in the car with your dog

• Small dog. If your dog is small, the best option for the trip is to do it in a carrier, which you must place on the floor at the back of the car.
• Other sizes. In the rest of the sizes the ideal is that they go sitting in the back seat. They must be secured with a double anchor harness that is hooked to two seat belts.

• Trunk. This is, above all, the best option when we travel with large dogs, as long as the vehicle is prepared for it, that is, it has  a separating grid and in turn we use a carrier to avoid possible injuries.

How not to travel in the car with your dog

• Carrier in the trunk. It is true that the carrier is a good option for small dogs if we can place it on the floor of the rear seats, but it is not so much if it goes in the trunk. It could cause injury to the passengers sitting in the back seats.
• Trunk without carrier. When we prepare the trunk with a rack it is true that the dog can move easily which will make it more relaxed. But if we have an accident it can be dangerous for our dog.

• Never lock it up. Sure there may be times on the trip when we need to leave our dog in the car, but never do it in full sun. You could suffocate in a few minutes from heat stroke. Also leave the windows a little down so that the air enters and your pet does not have a bad time.

Although at the beginning we were talking about going with our dog on vacation, and it is clear that then the trip will be longer, these tips are equally applicable on short trips.

Take good note and you will be able to travel safely in the car with your dog. Do not forget that his life is in your hands.