The Dog Behavior Answer Book - Arden Moore [78]
Chipper also loves car trips, and although I used to allow her to stick her head out the window to better enjoy the ride, this is not safe. Even traveling around town at lower speeds exposes dogs to the risk of eye injuries from flying debris. There is also the chance that something will tempt a dog to leap out of a moving car, which is a good reason to open the windows only a few inches. And all it takes is a sudden stop for your dog to become a projectile inside your car, possibly injuring you both.
As much as we might enjoy their company in the front seat, dogs are safer sitting in the back, where they can’t distract the driver and won’t be injured by the airbags in an accident. Just as there are car seats for infants and toddlers and seat belts for adults, our dogs also need to be safely confined inside a moving vehicle. There is a variety of products for canine car comfort available in pet supply stores and catalogs. Depending on the size of your dog and your vehicle, you might consider crates or canine seatbelts to prevent canine free reign. Station wagons can be fitted with grates that keep your passenger in the back compartment.
Chipper rides in the back seat with her 60-pound-plus body safe in a canine hammock. The canvas sling hangs over the backseat and clips around the front and back headrests. It limits the movement of large dogs and saves wear and tear on the upholstery. Small breeds can sit in a canine booster seat that snaps into place with the seat belts or in a cozy pet carrier that can also be attached with a seat belt. If you want to let your dog stick his head out the window after he is fastened in, think about fitting him with protective plastic goggles specially designed for dogs. This way, he can hang out the window without the risk of a bug or bit of debris lodging in his eyes.
A final safety tip: Always put your dog’s leash on before you open the door to prevent him from bolting out and getting hurt in traffic or lost. This is the ideal setting to reinforce the wait cue.
On the Road with Rover
Q My husband and I are retired and we have always wanted to trek cross-country by car. Next summer there’s a family reunion in Maine, so we plan to drive there from our home in Oregon. We want to take the time to enjoy this country from coast to coast, and we want to take our fox terrier with us. Sammy loves to ride in the car and is well behaved. Do you have any advice for finding pet-friendly hotels and tips for traveling with dogs?
A Like you, more and more travelers are taking their dogs on vacation these days. Fortunately, there is an increasingly wide range of lodgings, from the inexpensive to the luxurious, that are putting out the welcome mat for doggy guests. Over the past few years, my dogs and I have stayed in bargain-priced motels and oh-so-canine-fine hotels with doggy spas. Some places offer dog-walking services and doggy day care. At one fancy resort, Chipper was treated to a three-hour guided hike, followed by a pet massage and bath, and she loved the attention!
The fact that you are not in a hurry, and that Sammy is a seasoned, well-mannered traveler, can make your trip truly memorable. My first piece of advice is to heed the Golden Rule of Traveling: never try to sneak your dog into a hotel that doesn’t permit pets. You risk losing a night’s charge as a penalty and after a full day of driving, you may find yourselves unable to find a more accommodating option nearby.
If you belong to AAA or another motorist organization, stop by their local office for a book listing pet-friendly hotels. There are also several Web sites