- May 15, 2024
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Buddy and Kodi love to ride in the car, and sometimes they even behave. Photo by Jacque Estes
Dallas, 34075560, is a 6-year-old male hound mix, available at Flagler Humane Society. Courtesy photo FHS
Phoebe - 33729464, is a 3-year-old female cat, available at Flagler Humane Society. Courtesy photo FHS
Tryna, 33585134, is a 3-month-old female cat, available at Flagler Humane Society. Courtesy photo FHS
..Tis’ the season to travel, and while some of you will get to your destination by air, and others by car, what you are doing with your pets is always a concern.
A family funeral had us headed to Virginia a couple of weekends ago. Normally when we travel, Kodi and Buddy are in the back seat, but for this trip, a dear friend, once again, agreed to come and stay at my house, so the dogs could stay home while we were gone.
At one point, a medical emergency required us to pull off to the side of the road and change drivers unexpectedly. With cars and trucks barreling past, it was something I don’t want to do very often. It wasn’t until later, when we were at our hotel, that I thought about how difficult that would have been if we had to do that maneuver with the dogs in the back seat.
It made me start thinking of options for when our dogs are with us.
I encourage everyone to secure their dogs in the car, when on the road, but let’s face it – most cars aren’t large enough to have a medium or large dog in a crate in the back seat, and Kodi has been known to chew through doggie seat belts. So what to do?
Insisting your dogs stay in the back seat, is the first step to a safe ride. Here are four ideas to keep your dog confined to the back.
Always have your dog’s leash easily accessible. I generally attach their leash from the front seat, so I can easily grab it as I open the back door to let them out.
After our adventure I think I will be getting soft harnesses for the dogs to wear when we are on the road. These allow the owner something more substantial than a collar (which they can back out of) to hold onto.
Use the child lock feature on your doors and back windows. There’s nothing quite like driving 70 mph on I-95 and hearing the back window going down. Little dog paws can get into all sorts of trouble.
If you are traveling to a colder climate, especially one with snow, please have a bottle of water, and a towel, so you can rinse off the pads of their paws. Chemicals used to melt snow and ice off sidewalks and parking lots are harmful to your pet. Direct contact can cause discomfort and your pet may lick their paws and ingest some of the chemicals.
Flying with your pet? Many airlines allow small animals, in crates that fit under the seat, on their flights. Please don’t put them in the cargo hold. These are not climate controlled, very cold, noisy and scary. If you have to fly, find a good friend, or pet sitter, who is willing to come to your house, or have your animals at their home. Best yet, make it your resolution this year to form a pet sitter circle of friends, where the animals and people all know each other and are ready to help each other out.
