Should Dogs Wear Seat Belts? (article)

southerngirl

southerngirl

Honored Member
Since the loss of Elicia Calhoun's 2 dogs Nika and Tsunami from a terrible car accident I have been looking at getting a seat belt for Missy and have found some interesting articles on why a dog should have a seat belt or be in a tied down sturdy kennel. Here is a informative article I found http://www.cesarsway.com/dog-travel/Should-Dogs-Wear-Seat-Belts and yes it is on Cesar's website, but it is still a good article. What is your opinion on restraining your dog on car rides?
And hear is an article for carsick dogs http://www.cesarsway.com/dog-behavior/dog-anxiety/Carsick-and-Vomiting-Dog-Problem
 
I believe that carseats for dogs are a must. It was one of the first things I bought for my puppy when I got him. If the dog is crazy during car rides then the seat belts aids in the prevention of an accident. And if there is an accident the dog won't go out a window, or get flung around the car. I think everyone should have them just for the safety of their dogs.
 
I think it is a great idea,
but, my dog is free in the car, and usually, with his face out the window, too!


My dog gets slightly queasy:sick: in a car (frequent yawning, drooling, pacing, panting)
unless he is in front of car facing forward, (helps)
or, has his face out the window.(best)
 
IN the Cesar article on carsicknesses, recommends getting dog to make positive associations to reduce carsickness............,well, that advice will def help with an anxious dog,:unsure:
but, motion sickness
is
motion sickness.
It's not an anxiety problem. Motion sickness is an inner ear/visual thing which can set off nausea, it's not caused by anxiety.

I love boats,:D adore the ocean,:love: but, on a choppy day, even i can get motion sickness. It's not i am "anxious" about being on a boat, it's not i don't have "positive associations" with being on boats.:ROFLMAO:
Same for my dog, he adores the car:love: , but, he gets motion sickeness.
 
tigerlily46514 said:
IN the Cesar article on carsicknesses, saying getting dog to make positive associations, will def help with an anxious dog,:unsure:
but, motion sickness
is
motion sickness.
It's not an anxiety problem. Motion sickness is an inner ear/visual thing which can set off nausea, it's not caused by anxiety.

I love boats,:D adore the ocean,:love: but, on a choppy day, even i can get motion sickness. It's not i am "anxious" about being on a boat, it's not i don't have "positive associations" with being on boats.:ROFLMAO:
Same for my dog, he adores the car:love: , but, he gets motion sickeness.
Click to expand...

at the bottom of the article it says that most of the time the technique works but if this does not help it says see your vet to see if there is a physical cause or a medical cure. So I think that he is saying that some dogs are simply anxious and that is why they are getting car sick while others are Really car sick like Buddy or like you:D
Tigerlily I think the comments may be helpful for Buddy some people suggest things that helped their carsick dog.:D
 
My dog is NOT the least bit anxious to go for a car ride.
My dog has motion sickness.
Sticking his face out the window, works like a charm. No problems. I've done this for decades, so has most everyone i know, never ever had a problem. Probably, like motorcycle riders, an occasional bug might his face,(?)
but, none of my dogs has ever ever had a problem from faces out the window, never. No ear problem, no eye problem, no problem of any kind,
ever. for decades.

If i am on highway, driving at fast speeds--- my dog---- on his own,
will pull his head in,
so it is now just a breeze passing by his face. but most of my driving is city driving, at less than 40mph, and Bud has his face out the window.

I haven't read all the 100s of dog whisperer fans' comments, but, it's a shame Milan's article needs comments to get more accurate info:ROFLMAO: on how to manage motion sickness.


Again, i think the dog whisperer article might have tips for ANXIOUS dogs, (although, not the best ideas i've ever read) but it is NOT a good article for CARSICK dogs, imo.
 
If guys have a seat belt harness for your dog(s) what brand do you have? Is it comfortable and how long does it take to put on your dog and buckle them.?
 
I have a Top Paw Seat Belt strap. All I do is connect it to the seat belt strap and then to the harness. I personally do not like this one. I plan to get a better one when my puppy gets bigger. Its just a hassle for me. I don't normally have him in a harness. It would be great for anyone who only uses a harness on their dog, very quick and easy. But it was all I could afford at the time, and it does what I need it.
 
http://www.ruffrider.com/shop/product/2.html
^^^ Best seatbelt harness ever!!

It takes a couple of tries to get fast and good at putting it on without a fuss but once you know what you're doing, you're golden.

Tigerlily, I found going on short rides and building up duration when the dog becomes comfortable with the previous distance to be great for dogs suffering from car sickness. Most times car sickness goes away after a couple of short rides for the most part.
 
Holly has a seatbelt attachment for her regular harness (that she uses on walks).
It attaches to the harness at the back (like a leash) and then plugs into the seatbelt plug (the distance between harness and seatbelt plug is about 15cm - remember there is no point tying the dog down if it can still move a lot). Holly always lies down and goes to sleep as soon as the car starts.

It takes no longer than putting your own seatbelt on. The attachment can be left in the car and she has the harness on when she goes out anyway, so it's one click (two if the attachment isn't already in the car) :) .

It would be much faster and easier than putting a human baby in a car seat and people (mostly) manage that fine, so I don't think time and ease is not really a good excuse ;) .
 
Crate restraint is probably best, safety-wise, but if you can't due to space, a seatbelt is very important for both the dog and for your sake. Even a 20lb (9 kg) dog can cause serious injury if you or your passenger are hit by the dog as he's thrown forward. Check out these rather horrifying videos:


(Keep in mind that there is no guarantee that any of these seatbelts or restraints won't come apart in a crash.)


Yikes. There was a version of this dubbed in Italian, and in Italian the
narrator says the crash tests of the tether and the crate were done @ 50km/hr
(31mph) which seems incredible to me. He also says that at 50km/hr, the dog's
weight is x24 in terms of force.

This manufacturer (Europe and US) has a good reputation and has done some testing of its car kennels:
http://www.rufftoughkennels.com/
Here's another serious one:
http://mim.se/?p=productgroup&i=1&l=en

If I'm a passenger in the car in the back seat, I have my dog in a down in the back (on the floormat). That's not a bad place to be, the safest spots are those that are naturally braced. His size is perfect for it (he fits tucked in, so not so small he rattles around). The cat's carrier can fit down there too (not with him, on the other side :D ).

ETA: For seatbelts, a harness with a wide chest plate is good for the dog in case there's an impact, and a dual restraint system (so two of these) would stabilize the dog best in case of an accident. Personally I would keep some very sharp scissors in the glove box so I can cut a dog out of a harness or restraint if necessary.
 
Brody used to get carsick all the time as a puppy but I think he just grew out of it. It is hard to restrain four dogs in a car at once they are all over the place!!!! There is no room for a place for four dogs to sit or four crates but if I was taking one or two I think I would use a harness.
 
I think if I had more than two dogs (especially large dogs) I would have a car (station wagon) that I can have them in the back with a seperating grate between them and the human passangers (or built in cages of some sort), and then perhaps have the dogs tied down for additional safety.
I see people with this and it looks practical and safe.
Although I have never owned a large dog, or more than two dogs at once, so I can't know for sure what it would be like.
 
I can't use a kennel do to space. My mom has a ford Expedition with 8 seats and their is 6 of us, also there is very little space in the back. For sitting in the floor board I use to do that, but it seems that she may be getting car sick so she needs to see out the windows and she could still get hurt really bad and/or someone else in the car if the car were to roll. A harness seat belt is the best choice to keep Missy and everyone safe, it's better than nothing.
 
//"Most times car sickness goes away after a couple of short rides for the most part."//

Not for Buddy, and actually, probably the bulk of his car rides, ARE short rides, really. For years now. It is obvious to me, though, that longer car rides are way harder on him than short rides (if he is not in front, or, if i don't have windows open, etc.)

I think maybe some ppl are like me, and if a dog is not actively puking/vomiting, they don't recognize the other signs of carsick.http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/dogs-and-motion-sickness That list is incomplete, as a dog can also pace in a car, when he is queasy.
Maybe like humans, what each dog does when he is trying to solve nausea in a moving car, can vary a bit from one dog to another...Some dogs are a bit fussy about where they puke, if they have a choice.
My last dog would only puke behind the sofa, and only there.


//"at the bottom of the article it says that most of the time the technique works but if this does not help it says see your vet to see if there is a physical cause or a medical cure"//

Yes, there IS a physical cause for motion sickness,
it is an inner ear/visual thing. Same reason i get queasy:censored: on a very choppy ocean.
It's not "anxiety", i adore the ocean. Buddy loves car rides and going places.

And i wouldn't dream of giving Buddy medication for a short car ride, when an open window solves it just fine.
 
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