Caution: Canines, car windows don’t mix
Dear Fisher,
I’m a pretty big dog, and I love to go for car rides. But, now, they are teaching me new rules. I have to keep my head inside the window and I have to sit in the back seat. How can I make them go back to the old habits?
Lou
Dear Lou,
Your humans are absolutely right to change the rules – it is for your own safety. Let’s start with the basics. When you are riding along with your head out of the window, the danger of debris in the air can cause a lot of harm to your eyes and even your ears. Anything that is in the air is going to hit you at the speed the vehicle is moving. Imagine, a small twig aimed at your eye at 50 miles an hour! Riding in the back of a pick-up truck or in a convertible is even more dangerous. Showing the whites of your eyes and looking cute as a ploy to get your humans to give you what you want will not work if your eyes are badly damaged, or even poked out! So, do not feel foolish when the car pulled up next to you sports a little fluffy dog who laughs at you and your confinement.
A small speck of dust or a miniscule bug flying through the air at high speed could cause a serious eye infection. If your folks allow you to stick your head out there, they need to diligently monitor you for any redness, tearing, or any changes to your eyes. If that happens, they should get you to the vet as soon as possible!
Of course it is tough to learn new rules, but the safety for you and your people is important. It is widely known that the safest place for a pet is in the back seat of the car. A sudden stop, or an accident, could throw you right through the front window. Or, if you happened to slip off the front seat and start to tumble, you could fall under the steering wheel, right on top of the gas pedal or get mixed up with the brakes. Even an air bag going off could do a lot of damage. Now there’s an accident waiting to happen!
Our friends at PAW, The Partnership for Animal Welfare, have published an extensive list of good tips for dog car safety:
- * Make sure your collar cannot slip off when entering or exiting the car and keep your I.D.. tag with an easily accessible number, such as your cell phone number, attached to it.
* Airbags can pose hazards to smaller people and pets.
* An unrestrained pet can interfere with driving and become a hazardous projectile in the event of an accident or sudden stop. Your could injure a passenger or even knock out the driver!
* Crates or sturdy pet carriers are an ideal way to restrain pets in cars, and should be secured, or, install a pet barrier to keep pets in the back seat.
* Keep just a small window space open - dogs can make themselves very skinny in order to escape through a window, even in a moving vehicle.
* Secure the dog so that he cannot hit buttons for electric windows, adjustable mirrors, etc. There goes your fun and games!
So, I guess I can’t help you get things back to the old ways, but I sure can give you some things to think about. Humans take great care to keep their little kids in car seats and obey all sorts of auto safety laws. Doesn’t it make you feel pretty good to know you are just as important?
Your friend,
Fisher
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