Every once in awhile, you need to give your dog a ride. Before you get behind the wheel with a hound on board, know that there is a list of safety guidelines you should keep in mind. It doesn’t matter if you will be travelling intercity for a holiday, or just driving him to his health checkup at the local vet.
Firstly you must confine your canine rider. A dog is required to learn that his vehicular territory is strictly in the back. This minimises the chances of an accident should he find the need to move a bit, with the end result involving a vehicle claim. You need to train your dog proper car manners by using the “stay” command as he settles in the appropriate position. Whenever he gets fidgety, repeat the phrase sternly until he gets the idea.
Take several measures to make it less stressful the canine commuter. Ideally he should have sufficient room for him to stretch his limbs, which some vehicles like the Ford Territory is more up for the task. Try and minimise his boredom by loading some of his favourite snacks, toys, or that towel he enjoys sleeping on.
Know that many dogs are also vulnerable to car sickness, as not all of them can be taught to keep his sight on the frontal window to lessen his dizziness. It is also regrettable that certain dogs are just much more inclined to get sick in a car than other dogs. If necessary, your vet should be able to prescribe your dog with medication like xanax.
On the night before a very long road trip with your pet, cut down his meal size and never offer him any food right before the journey. Doing so can make things easier on his stomach, which is very likely to become agitated as he is travelling. Only give your dog treats inside the car on a seldom basis.
Since a dog is more susceptible to a heat stroke than us, be wary of the air flow issue. Under certain conditions, a vehicle’s interior temperature can become twenty degrees hotter than the outdoors. Depending on the weather, this can kill both animals and minors alike. If a dog becomes too restless over an open window however, it might be better to use the air con instead.
As a bonus, look up for pet safety harness and seat belts both in pet supplies shops and websites. Many of these apparatus are built to work with the car’s seat belts. A dog seat belt not only provides the most compatible on board restraint for your animal, it also keeps him from addition injuries in an unforeseen collision.
Drive smoothly with your dog. It’s bad enough you could potentially traumatize him. Restrict your drifting passion to drifting games instead.