Car and Truck safety

I'm one of those people that really, really, really gets chaffed when I see a dog riding in the back of a pickup truck without any kind of restraint. It bugs the crap outta me. I've had to put a couple of these guys back together after they jump out, and I've had to put a few in the freezer because they didn't survive the jump.

When traveling in the car or truck, use the same kind of common sense you would when traveling with a three year old. In other words, expect them to do what you don't want them to do. Ideally, dogs inside the car are either in a crate or have a harness on that straps into the seatbelt. The big reason for this is that in the event of an accident, 30lbs of dog become an impressive projectile and can kill you outright when they collide with your head. It also ends badly for the dog too.

I know, I know, we all survived growing up riding in the back of grandma and grandpa's huge boat of a station wagon or a suburban with no seatbelts, crawling around, waving at the cars behind us while we rode backwards. And we didn't die. Well, now we know better. I'm guilty as the next person for letting my dogs roam freely around the car while I drive. Now I put them in the back of the SUV where at least there's a high seat between us. I need to get one of those gates to put up in the back.

Also, don't assume that your dog knows better than to jump out the window. I'm not exaggerating when I say I've put more than a few of those guys in the freezer after they jumped right out of the window.

Cats should be in a carrier. Scared cats have been known to climb owner's heads while traveling at high speeds down the highway and have caused accidents.

Dogs in pickup beds should be restrained. DON'T just tie a leash to the edge of the bed - they'll just hang themselves. Your best bet is a large kennel for the bed of the truck, or you can get a tie that strings across the bed of the truck and their lead then attaches to the center. This way they can move from side to side, but can't fall out and strangle themselves.

AMH