Dogs Driving Cars

My two dogs are my children. I know Cesar Milan would cringe to hear me say that, but I don’t much care. Because my dogs are so important to me, I try to take them to as many places as I possibly can, whether it’s hiking, camping, to the dog park, or just to the 7-11 down the street to get chocolate chip ice cream. I do this last one often.

If you have pets and like to travel with them, you are probably always in the market for convenient—and cute—pet accessories for your car. I have done tons on online searching in order to find good products. I have ordered and bought no fewer than three rear seat covers for my Acura RSX. My conclusion there is that nothing fits my particular car, but for most vehicles there are many options out there.

If you prefer your pet to stay in the rear try the rear seat hammock style cover, which will block access to the front seat and keep your pet confined to the back area. My Corgi likes to jump down into the foot area, and every single time I move her back onto the seat. We go through this on a regular basis. A hammock would probably help this issue. Most of these come in many different colors so you can match your interior or heck, just pick a color you like.

The lookout types of car seats are great for small dogs and also allow you to hold their accessories in little pockets and spaces built in. You can store their leashes and cookies and travel dog bowls all inside these compartments. And honestly, a lot of them are really cute and come in fun colors or with patterns.

If you don’t want to go to the hassle of getting an entire seat cover or seat perch, you can buy just a pet seatbelt. I have one of these for my Dachshund mix and he wears it without a problem. It is similar to a harness but has a loop where the seatbelt goes through and clicks in for safety.  This is good because it allows them some freedom to stand up and poke their head out the window without the potentially hazardous results from a dog trying to leap into the road. NEVER let your dog lean out the window without a restraint. At least, make sure the window is rolled up enough to limit access.

If you have an SUV, there are many more options for you, such as cargo area liners, dog “fences” and nets, and even custom crates. If you have an elderly pet or a pet that struggles getting into the car, you might want to consider a pet ramp. They latch onto the cargo area of your car and the animal can climb right in without having to leap.

There are also many options for pickups for those of you who put your big dogs into the pickup beds. Many people leave them in there loose or tied with a leash. Besides the obvious fact that if they are loose, they could jump out of the bed and be run over, there is still danger with a leash and collar setup. The leash could come loose because they are not meant to restrain in that way, or if the dog jumps out of the bed, they could actually be strangled.

There is a wealth of web sites that sell these types of accessories. All of these are washable (if it isn’t, don’t get it) and removable. Some of them are PetCo, Auto Anything, or my personal favorite, Drs. Foster & Smith which offers some custom made applications. If you are looking for wholesale prices try J.B. Pet Wholesale.

For even more dog safety tips go here.

by Breanne Boyle - eMarketing Manager - AskPatty.com

Comments

[HART (1-800-HART)]

Hi Breanne.

I'm not sure if Trackbacks work or not .. so I figured I would just post a link directly!

http://www.petlvr.com/blog/2006/09/tips-for-dog-accessories-while-you-travel/

[Breanne Boyle]

Beverly,

If you are trying to use a barrier sold by the manufacturer, you are probably stuck in that situation unfortunately. You probably can't disable the rear side airbags without disabling all of them--and I do not suggest doing that.

There are many types of aftermarket barriers that have generic or adjustable measurements that might fit your VUE. I suggest you measure the dimensions and try browsing some of the links in the story to see if you can order one. Most will let you return it if it doesn't fit. As well, try checking with your local Saturn dealership as far as any other options you might have.

Thanks for checking out Ask Patty!

-Breanne Boyle
eMarketing Manager
AskPatty.com

[Beverly]

We just got a new Saturn Vue. We special ordered side air bags for the front and rear even tho we don't typically have rear passengers.Just a safety thing.
After we got the car we learned that we could NOT get the dog safety screen that goes between the rear cargo area and the rear seats. Reason: blocks the side air bag inflation.
If I could have done it over I would not have opted for rear side air bags. Just something to consider when chosing otions.