Seatbelts on - Let's go!
I like to write fun posts since I am really a fun dog but sometimes I just think that serious issues should be addressed. Just as I posted a while ago about my horrible fall through the thin ice, I feel the need to blog about dogs and cars. Thankfully, this time I do not have any personal bad experiences and I hope I never do! Most people just toss their dog in the car and hit the road, many hold smaller dogs on their laps while driving, some let their dogs hang out open windows and to my amazement some people still stick their dog in the back of an open pick up truck! Mom calls my sister and I safe riders, she is a stickler for safety and we feel lucky that she is that way. It is better for all of us!
Gramma has told us that mom had a thing for seatbelts in the car since she was a little girl and would really pester people that did not buckle up until they finally did. Then mom became a flight attendant – we all know what that means…chicken or beef! No really, the main focus of that job is safety and making sure everyone on the plane is buckled in. Mom was always bothered by dogs in the car not strapped in. When she lived in Germany she first found out about seatbelts for dogs. The Germans have strict laws when it comes to cars and driving and they did not want dogs flying through the air on the Autobahn in the event of a crash so they require that dogs be restrained.
A lot of dog owners don’t restrain their dogs because they say the dogs don’t like it – bad excuse. We don’t like wearing a collar or walking on a leash in the beginning either, but we adjust really fast. Mom started with us wearing seatbelts as young pups and in a few days time we were used to it and we even help her get us into our seatbelts. We don’t mind wearing them a bit! Sure if we are getting in and out of the car a lot it can be a hassle but it is better than looking for pieces of what is left of us after a crash! We also become projectiles and could actually injure or kill other passengers in the car if we were not restrained. I don’t think many people thing about these things when they take their dogs in their cars.
Another bad habit is letting dogs hang out the windows to get the wind. This is very bad for dogs eyes and it is also dangerous incase they get hit with something or bump into something. Sure we like the windy feeling but we don’t understand the dangers that it presents.
Coolest Dog in town!
In Germany mom had a convertible for a time and Katie was always riding along. Mom had her in the backseat belted in and she wore her doggles every time the top was down. If you follow me, then you know that Katie loves her boyfriends. Well one time they were going to visit one of Katie’s boyfriends and Katie got so excited when she saw her friend, Mr. Entebe, that she actually jumped out of the converitble. Luckily she had her seatbelt on and it left her hanging off the side of the car. Had she really been able to jump out it could have been tragic!
Well said. I have a crate in the back of mum’s mini and I always sit in that. On the very rare occasion that I’m in a car without my crate then I wear a harness that plugs into the car seat belts. In the summer we go out in our little green Sprite and then I either sit on mum’s knee in the front or in the gap behind the seats, but I still have to wear the harness and be attached to something so I couldn’t jump out even if I wanted to.
Your absolutely right, Emma. A few years ago, when my cousin Monty (Am Staf) was a puppy, he was traveling in the back seat of the car and he licked my grandpa’s ear. Grandpa was so surprised, that he swerved into the oncoming car. Luckily, the accident wasn’t too bad, but Monty had such a shock that he jumped out of the car and ran into the nearby woods. He stayed hidden there and no one could find him until two days later. Everyone was really worried about him. It just shows that even if the accident isn’t bad, you never know how we furry guys and gals will react.
In our family, nowadays it’s the four-legged critters who are more consistent with their seatbelts than our folks.
doggles! omg. i love it. we use the Roadie by Ruff Rider to keep desmond safe in the car. he doesn’t like it much, either, but too bad for him! 🙂