You’re not the only one who needs to buckle up – making sure your dog is safe and securely strapped in with their leash before you get behind the wheel is just as important.
In the event of a crash, a dog who is not secured could end up getting loose, running away and/or suffering some serious injuries. Not to mention, an unsecured dog can serve as quite the distraction, making them a danger to the driver and passengers. Having your dog restrained while in the car is required by law in some states.
With all that said, there really is no reason not to make sure they’re secured. Our furry friends are like family, so it’s important we keep them just as safe as we do ourselves! Here are some ways to make sure Fido is buckled up safely and securely.
Where Should Our Furry Friends Sit?
For starters, it’s important to discuss the safest place for your dog to be in the car. As fun as it is to have them sit up by you, the front seat is really not the safest place for your dog to be riding. Rather, they should be in the back seat where they are protected by the front seat ahead of them, or secured in the cargo area.
Having your dog in the front seat can cause severe injuries in the event of a crash, even if your passenger airbag is turned off. This zone of the car is known as the “crumple zone” oftentimes, and a furry friend is especially vulnerable. Not to mention, a dog in the front seat can be quite the driving distraction. It’s in your own best interest that they stay safe in the back.
Securing Your Dog in the Car With a Leash & Harness
Learning how to use a crate to secure a dog in a car is typically the most popular option when it comes to safely traveling with your pet, as they are affordable, come in all different sizes, and can be secured to the car in several ways. But hey, we get it – hauling a giant crate into the car every time you want to go to the park can be quite the hassle. There are ways to keep it easy and work off what you’ve got – a leash and harness.
If you’re going to take your dog for a ride without a crate, its advised that you secure them with a safety harness that is attached to a fixed object in your car. This could be the headrest or, depending on the harness you have, the seatbelt latch itself. It is never advised to attach a leash to your dogs collar and secure him or her to the inside of your vehicle. This could result in severe injury or worse in the event of an accident.
Safety harnesses are specifically designed for car travel and are meant to make transportation with your pet easy. More recently, safety harnesses have been vying for the top spot in dog car safety, against the dog crate. There are affordable harnesses for the car that can really take the stress away from traveling with your pet.
In most cases, these harnesses come with an additional safety strap that can act as a seatbelt when in the back seat. Use the safety clip on each end of the strap to wrap around the car seatbelt, and then attach the other end to the safety harness.
Some safety straps even fit the seat belt clips in your car model, so you can strap them in directly. It’s simple, affordable, and keeps your dog safe and secure – not to mention, you don’t have to worry about them wandering all over the car while you’re on the road!
If you’re interested in purchasing a safety harness for your pooch then check out this affordable model on Amazon.
It comes in four different sizes and works with cats and dogs. With the use of quick release buckles its super fast and easy to get on and off of your pet. Once you have it secured on your pet, you can use the included seatbelt to buckle him or her in safely and securely. And once your done, simply unhook the seatbelt from the harness and attach your leash to it.
This is by far one of the simplest, easiest, and most convenient ways to travel safely with your pet. Definitely check it out on Amazon if you’re looking for a budget friendly way to keep your pet safe while on the road.
Installing a Pet Safety Harness and Seat Belt
Here’s a step-by-step guide on installing your safety harness by using a dog seat belt.
- Fit the harness to your dog. Make sure there is room for two fingers between the harness and chest, making the fit snug but comfortable.
- Attach the safety belt clip onto the back of the harness.
- Buckle the safety belt into the backseat of your car. If your harness model does not clip directly into your car, simply attach the clip to the seatbelt on your car seat. Clip both the waist and shoulder strap together – this will keep the safety strap snug and secure.
Your dog should have the leeway to lay down and sit up, but not so much that they are able to roam all over the backseat.
Alternative Ways to Secure Your Dog With a Leash
If you have the harness, but not the safety belt, you can make it work with just a harness and leash.
First, fit the harness to your dog, again making sure its snug yet comfortable for riding. Then attach the leash to your dogs harness. Again, the leash should always be attached to a harness and not a collar. Last, secure the leash to the car.
Depending on the model of your car, you may have to adjust how you secure the leash. If your car has headrests, tie a knot in the leash about ¾ of the way to the end loop, around the metal rod of the headrest. If your car does not have headrests, pull the waist and shoulder strap of your car’s seat belt together, before tying a knot in the leash around them.
The key here is to make sure the remaining leash length is snug yet comfortable. You don’t want them to have too much room to roam around and potentially danger themselves and others, but you also don’t want to put too much stress on their esophagus.
If you’re really struggling to secure the leash, here’s a back-up plan.
- Tie a knot in the leash about 75% of the way to the end loop.
- Put the dog in the car, and make sure there’s enough slack in the leash for them to be comfortable – lying down, sitting up, etc.
- Pull the knot in the leash so it’s outside of the car door, and then shut the door. The knot in the leash should hang just on the outside of the door.
- You can open a back window and loop any extra leash through, or fold at the knot before you close the door. That way, only the knot in the leash sticks out of the car.
While this method is still safer than nothing, and keeps the dog from wandering all over the car and distracting the driver, it is still not ideal.
This approach allows the dog more slack than the other safety methods, which can cause further injury in the event of a crash. Treat this method as a makeshift, “this will do” approach. This should only be used in the interim before securing a crate, harness, hammock, or other safety method for your dog.
Dog Safety Accessories
Another accessory to consider is a backseat barrier, which helps to separate your dog from climbing onto the middle console, or climbing over and into the front seat.
As mentioned earlier, your dog should never ride in the front seat of the car, also known as the crumple zone in the event of a crash. Not to mention, a loose dog in the front seat of your car can be quite the distraction.
Installing a backseat barrier will allow them to have some leeway to move around when buckled up, but without allowing them to climb up into the front, distracting you and putting themselves in danger.
Have a big dog, but don’t like the crate method? Give a car hammock a shot! Not only do they protect your seats or cargo area from hair and slobber, but they come with secure seat-belt installation so your dog can buckle up and still have enough room to lounge. These hammocks can install in your back seat or in the cargo area.
This waterproof dog hammock/backseat barrier is a great way to keep your dog safe and secure in the backseat of your car. Its made out of 100% waterproof, non-slip material which is great for keeping your pet from sliding every time you hit the breaks. It also comes with with a safety belt that attaches to your dogs harness and clips into the seatbelt latch for extra safety. Definitely check this out on Amazon if you need a budget friendly way to keep your dog safe and your backseat clean.
General Dog Car Safety
Even once the harness and seatbelt combination is installed, there are a few car safety practices that are important to take into account.
This may seem counter-intuitive, but your dog should not hang out the window as you drive. As fun as it is to watch those floppy ears fly in the wind, allowing your dog to hang out the window while you drive can cause much more harm than fun.
When your dog is strapped into the car, their eagerness to look out the window can actually put stress on their esophagus and could even lead them to being strangled by the harness. Not to mention, many dogs are injured by hanging out the window while their owner drives, as litter and insects can fly into their eyes, nose or mouth as you drive down the road.
Dogs can also get sick by the excessive amount of forced cold air entering their system. We want to keep our fur babies safe, so just to ensure Fido keeps his smile, it’s best to avoid hanging out the window at all costs. Not to mention, the vet bill wouldn’t be worth it!
In Conclusion
Our fur babies are family, and there are a wide variety of ways you can secure them to make that next road trip comfortable and secure. It doesn’t cost a fortune to make sure your dog is safe to travel, especially when it helps to keep you safe as well. Safety first, and buckle up!