Making Your Vehicle Pet Friendly: Safety and Enjoyment for You and Your Dog

A pet-friendly vehicle is an issue of importance if you own dogs. Sure, you could just let King bounce around in the back seat, his head hanging out the window and bugs splatting in his eyes. Most likely you've seen people who do that, but it's not the best way to go. After all, if King gets a few too many bugs in the eyeballs, you'll have to become his seeing eye person. And if he manages to leap out the window while the car is moving, you'll feel guilty for the rest of your life.

So, here are a few tips to help make that ride not only more comfortable for your dog, but also increase both his safety and yours.

Pet-Friendly Vehicles: Believe it or not, some car manufacturers have awakened to the fact that people love their pets almost as much as they love their kids. A number of manufacturers are building pet-friendly vehicles and if you go to DogCars.com you'll find a wealth of information on which make and model vehicles are good buys for dog lovers. The list gives reviews, and if you're in the market for a new car or truck, and you want a pet-friendly vehicle, you can easily figure out what works best for you and your dog. The list does not include very many of the 2010 pet-friendly vehicles yet, but the site states they add new reviews all the time, and you can email them with questions, as well.

Not having tried all the pet-friendly vehicles that are manufactured, I can't endorse one vehicle over another, but About.com and DogCars.com both have articles about the Honda Element, which has a dog-friendly package that includes a rear car kennel, pet bed, electric fan, spill resistant water bowl, and an item that sounds great for small-sized or older dogs-a stowable ramp.

My Welsh Corgi, He's a Corker, gives the Honda Element and its dog-friendly package 4 dog bones out of 5. He'd give 5, but he's never actually ridden in the vehicle, and instead had to glean the information by sitting politely and listening to the articles as they were read to him.

Crates and Harnesses: Have you ever stopped to think what would happen to your dog if it was in the car during a collision? It's a pretty safe bet it would not only be thrown around, but possibly ejected from the vehicle. That also means that even a small dog, like your twelve pound poodle, Foo-Foo, can become a projectile. A projectile with the same weight as a bowling bowl. And really, you wouldn't want a bowling ball slamming into the back of your head, so why take the risk with little Foo-Foo? For both her safety and yours, you can make your car a pet-friendly vehicle by buying a dog's car harness/restraint that restrains the dog when used in conjunction with a seat belt. The other benefit to a car harness is that Foo-Foo can't-in a barking frenzy because she's excited about going for a ride-jump from the back seat onto the top of your head just as you're trying to avoid an eighteen wheeler that's pulled into your lane. There are several forms of car harnesses and restraints that you can find at local pet stores as well as at PetExpertise.com.

A harness does require a little training in order for Foo-Foo to adapt to being restrained, so if you don't care for that idea, you can always opt for a dog crate in order to create a pet-friendly vehicle. Just be sure to put Foo-Foo into the crate, and make sure the crate is tightly strapped down. The only thing worse than Foo-Foo slamming into the back of your head would be for Foo-Foo's crate to be bouncing off your noggin during a collision. Dog crates can be found at local pet stores as well as at Petsmart.com.

He's a Corker gives the idea of crates and harnesses 5+ bones, because even though it's not as fun to be restrained as it is to be loose, it's a lot safer. And he's seen enough dogs lying dead on the side of the road to know that a dog should never ride in the back of a pickup truck unless it's in a crate or restrained in a safe manner.

Spare Collar and Leash: Another way to have a more pet-friendly vehicle is to have a small bag in it that contains an extra leash and collar. It's possible for you to put Bruiser into his car harness and head down the road only to discover that you had accidentally put his leash down outside the car and it's at home in the garage. It's even possible to lose his regular collar inside the car, so having an extra leash and collar in the vehicle makes it that much more pet friendly.

He's a Corker rates this idea as worth 5 bones, because with out it there have been times when his jaunt at the park would have been canceled since his normal leash had been mysteriously left behind.

Collapsible Water Bowl: Sure, you know to bring along water for Princess, and you had a spill-resistant bowl sitting right there by the door, along with your own water bottle. You managed to get the water bottle into the car, but in your hurry forgot about Princess's bowl. No problem! Well, no problem if you've made your vehicle pet friendly by stashing a collapsible bowl along with the spare leash and collar. You can find collapsible water bowls at many pet stores or at WolfPacks.com. If you're a little strapped for cash and can't afford a collapsible bowl, then go to the camping section of almost any store and pick up a collapsible cup. You might need to refill it several times until Princess feels she's quenched her thirst, but it works in a pinch.

He's a Corker gives this idea 5+ bones, because he once had to try slurping water from my hand and most of it ended up dripping onto his chest and down to the pavement.

Dog Blanket: If you have an abundance of money, it's always nice to buy special seat covers that can easily handle the extra dirt and dog hair your furry friend might deposit on the seats. Barring that, a small blanket or large bath towel can work just as well and for far less ducats. And the nice thing about a blanket/towel is that you can easily pull it out of the vehicle and throw it in the washer.

He's a Corker gives this idea 4 bones, and they're mostly for the comfort of having his blankie along for the ride. He'd give 5, but since he doesn't have to clean the vehicle, he doesn't really care about dirt and dog hair.

In Conclusion: The next time you purchase a new vehicle, consider purchasing one manufactured with pet-friendly options. And until then, take the steps listed above to make your current vehicle more pet friendly. Then put King, Foo-Foo, Bruiser, or Princess into the car and head to the park for a game of fetch.

Sources:
About.com http://suvs.about.com/od/honda/a/DogFriendlyElementPackage.htm
AutoAnything.com http://www.autoanything.com/pet-travel/20A10016A1.aspx
BarkBuckleUp.com http://www.barkbuckleup.com/default.asp
DogCars.com http://www.dogcars.com/cars/
DogsThe FunTimesGuide.com http://dogs.thefuntimesguide.com/2007/06/dogs_in_cars.php
Embedded links as listed above