Pet Pet Peeves!!

     With the warmer weather fast approaching and summer vacation travel plans just around the corner I wanted to share with you two of my pet pet peeves. What is a pet pet peeve you may ask? Well a Pet peeve is something that a particular person finds especially annoying. So a pet pet peeve is something that, as a trainer and dog lover, I find annoying in regards to something people do with their pets. It actually goes beyond just annoying and is in fact a safety issue both for the  dogs and their owners. How many times have you smiled when you saw a dog’s head out the car window, mouth open, almost smiling, with their ears flapping in the breeze and fur blowing in all directions? Well meaning dog owners view this as something their dog enjoys and they do, but dogs can’t understand the consequences of what could happen. Road debris kicked up by vehicles in front of them, bugs flying by, or branches sticking out from the side of the road, pose a significant threat to the head & eyes of the dog. Dogs have suffered not only major eye injuries from these but flapping of the dog’s ears at high speeds can actually damage their ear flaps. If windows are down far enough they can also jump out of the car. These things can and do happen. 

     Another pet pet peeve is allowing small dogs to sit in their owner’s laps while they are driving. Not only is this a distraction to the driver but extremely dangerous for the dog. In the event of even a minor accident that dog can go flying through the windshield or through the car. If airbags deploy the dog can be crushed and the driver suffer more severe injuries. 

So where should a dog be when riding in the car?The very best place for a dog in the car is in the very back in a crate or behind a dog barrier. This prevents the dog from being a driver distraction and protects them from flying through the car in the event of an accident. The next best option is in the back seat restrained by a seat belt harness. These also keep the dog from running off in the case of an accident. There are several options for dog car restraints that you can check out on line or at your local pet store. 

     Our dogs love to be with us so traveling with them is rewarding for everyone. I’m definitely not trying to scare anyone from taking their dogs with them in the car but please do it safely for both of you.

      Enjoy your summer travels!!!