You’ve needed this time away from home for a while. It’s only you and your best friend all weekend long. By best friend, we’re talking about your dog.
If you can find the right accommodations, taking a trip with your pet can be an enjoyable experience. When we say accommodations, we don’t only mean booking the best hotel.
You’ll have to make a few adjustments to your car if you want to arrive at your destination safely with your pupper. This means you can’t have them roaming around in your back seat.
You have to secure your dog in car no matter how well-behaved they are. If you don’t, your trip may end in tragedy. Check out this guide to learn what the best methods are.
Why Secure Dog in Car?
Before we get into how to secure a dog in the car, let’s talk about why you would want to do that. Your dog seems a lot happier being able to roam, and they don’t cause any trouble.
The worst they do is beg you to roll down the window now and again so they can stick their head out? Is that so wrong? The answer is yes.
Something May Catch Their Attention
If you give your dog an inch, there’s a good chance that they’ll take a mile. What we mean is, you’ll often see dogs with way more than their heads sticking out of the car window. That’s all well and good until something catches their attention.
Dogs don’t have the best impulse control in the world. If they see a tiny animal run by, they’re going to want to chase it. Nothing can get in their way, not even a moving vehicle.
They’ll jump out and sustain horrible injuries or worse. They could die. To fix this problem, many pet owners leave their dog latched to the seat with a leash, but still let them stick their head out.
This isn’t a good solution either. The dog will still jump out of the vehicle, only now, they’re being hung from the window as you drive down the road. You get the picture.
Debris and Vehicles
As you drive down the road, your car tires often send debris hurling into the air. If your dog has its head sticking out the window, there’s a good chance that this debris will hit them in the face and injure them.
They could get hit by another vehicle that’s driving too close. Both scenarios can result in injuries or death.
They Could Close the Window on Themselves
Most cars come hand in hand with power windows. When the dog sticks their head out, oftentimes they rest their paws on the armrest.
Imagine if while they have their paws there, they hit the button to roll the windows up. Their head will get stuck, which for one, is painful.
For two, they’re vulnerable to getting pelted by debris until you can pull over to help them. If you don’t get them in time, suffocation may occur.
Road Distraction
Going away from injuries for a moment, letting your dog roam around the car is a distraction. They’ll try and get in your lap or kiss your face while you’re driving.
Some dogs have even been known to put their little paws on the steering wheel. They might sit at your feet and limit your brake response time. As you can imagine, all of these scenarios result in a nasty accident.
Passenger Seat Dangers
Distractions are only part of the reason why your dog shouldn’t be in the passenger seat. Your airbags are meant to protect you. Not a small creature or child.
If you get into an accident, the airbags could injure your pet. If you have to slam on the brakes suddenly, your dog will be sent flying forward.
Fines
Keeping your dog secure in the car may save you some serious money in fines. In certain countries such as Australia, if you’re caught with a dog in your lap, you’ll have to pay hundreds of dollars. You’ll get penalty points on your license as well.
1. Dog Hammock
Many people believe that using a dog hammock is the best way to secure your dog in the car. It covers the entire backseat so, it saves your upholstery from claws and pet hair while restraining the canine. It will work for pretty much any sized pet as well.
It will allow the pet to lay down in the backseat, which doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it is. When the dog can lay, their chances of experiencing motion sickness go down.
Like with any restraint devices, the hammock will stop the dog from getting into the passenger seat with you, and they won’t fall into the floor if you have to slam on the brakes.
We will warn you that the material can be a bit slippery in some cases. You may end up slinging your dog around in the back seat because their little paws can’t get a good grip.
Speaking of slipping, the dog will still be able to walk around in the back seat. They won’t be completely secure unless you combine this method with another one.
This is fine if your pet tends to be on the calmer side. If they’re active, however, the hammock might not be enough.
You won’t be able to use this restraint method if you’re traveling with more than two people. Again, the hammock takes up the entire back seat, so nobody will be able to sit with the dog.
2. Seat Belt & Car Harness
If you’re looking for another restraint method that can handle any sized fluffy friend, the seat belt harness combo has you covered. One end of the device has a clip that goes right into the regular seat belt in your car.
The other end is a clasp that attaches to your dog’s harness. It’s simple to use and adjustable, so your dog won’t feel too restrained. Since it simply clicks into the seatbelt that’s already in your car, these devices are compatible with pretty much every vehicle.
The harness doesn’t use the entire backseat. This means a few people can keep your pupper company. If you adjust the belt the right way, your dog won’t go flying to the floorboard every time you make a sudden stop, and they won’t be able to make their way to the passenger seat.
There are a couple of things that you need to keep in mind before you ensure the safety of your dog with this dog seatbelt. The first thing is that you have to clip it to a harness. If you try to attach it to a collar, it will choke your pet.
For some pet owners, having to purchase two different things makes this method a no-go. The other thing is that you can’t let your dog get bored. The second that they’re no longer entertained, there’s a good chance that they’ll decide to chew through their restraints.
3. Booster Seat
Booster seats aren’t only for children. You can pick one up for your dog as well. It’s a little basket that you can either sit or hang in your back seat.
The suspended models give curious puppers the chance to look out the window. Most of them also include a clip, so even if your dog decides to jump out of the seat, they’ll have something holding them.
The idea is to make your dog want to sit in the seat. To this end, most of them are lined with cushy material. Since the dog is contained, you won’t have to worry about them clawing or chewing on your upholstery.
We will warn you that these seats don’t come in large sizes. They only work for tiny, small, and medium dogs.
Hyper breeds might get a little restless while being cooped up in a box. It’s also important to note that if your box has the attachment feature, you should only clip it onto a harness. If you attach it to a collar, you may choke your poor dog.
4. Zipline and Harness
The zipline and harness combo is a lot like the seatbelt and harness one. The only difference is that your dog will be able to walk around a little bit easier.
It’s good for active dogs that tend to get a little more than restless during car rides. Though the dog will have more room to move around, they still won’t be able to get to the passenger seat. If you’re smart with how you adjust it, they won’t fall to the floorboard either.
Like with the seatbelt harness combo, you can install the zipline in pretty much any vehicle. We will warn you, with more freedom comes more responsibility.
Since your dog has more room to walk around, their paws may scratch up your seats if you don’t keep their little claws trimmed. The zipline stretches throughout the entire backseat, so it makes it a little awkward for passengers to get back there.
You can’t attach the zipline to a collar. You have to purchase a harness to go with it, or the device may choke your pet.
5. Travel Crate
Perhaps the best way to secure your dog in the seat is to put them in a crate. You don’t want to try to stuff a giant dog in one of these crates, but it works well for small and medium-sized pets.
Calm dogs will have no problems riding in one, and if you can crate train the pet before you go, that’s even better. They’ll be used to being in one at that point, so they’ll recognize it as a safe space.
When you arrive at your destination, you’ll have somewhere to put the pet in the hotel while you go out on your own. You can also use it as a bed.
We will warn you that if you don’t take the time to introduce your dog to the crate properly before you go, it will cause them to experience some anxiety. It also limits their freedom. Some more active pets don’t care for that much.
Buying a crate isn’t that cheap. Though you have to buy two pieces for some of the options on this list, getting a crate for the dog is still more expensive.
Crates also tend to take up a lot of space in the vehicle. You might not be able to have anyone else in the back seat with the dog, and even if you can, they won’t have a lot of room to sit.
6. Back Seat Barrier
The last option we have for you is a back seat barrier. It’s pretty much a gate that blocks your pet off from being able to climb into the passenger seat. If you have a medium or large-sized bread, they won’t be able to fall into the floorboard at all either.
This is especially true if you also purchase one of the other options on this list to use with the barrier (which we recommend). Your dog will be able to walk around and lay in the back seat at their leisure.
It’s good news for active pups but possibly bad news for your upholstery. We will warn you not to use this method for smaller dog breeds. It won’t stop them from falling into the floorboards and getting hurt.
Best Way to Secure Your Dog in the Car and Keep Them Safe
There’s nothing like taking a fun trip with your favorite pet. Many hotels are pet-friendly, and your dog will love exploring a new corner of the world as much as you.
The only problem is getting them there. If you don’t take measures to secure dog in car, they could get injured or worse. Try out one of these methods and keep your companion safe.
Are you looking for more ways to help your pet get through a long car ride? We can help. Check out our blog daily for all the latest tips and tricks.
