The importance of having your dog secured became clear to me whilst travelling last week. Jumping in the car to go 20km to the shop, of course the dog jumped in to.
The dog’s owner said “hey boy, you won’t be comfortable without your harness and your bed and will slide all over the back seat”.
But of course, they took off without the harness and that was exactly what happened.
The dog became anxious and fearful and it was apparent that this had not been a wise decision for both the owner and the dog.
It would have only taken a couple of minutes to ensure that the dog was safe and able to travel comfortably, but NO, the hasty decision was unfair to the dog and the passengers.
Not only was the dog sliding along the back seat around the corners, but he became anxious and wanted to come onto the arm rest in between the front seats and sit there for reassurance. The dog became stressed, and this caused anxiety for the front seat passenger, as she had to keep pushing him back into the back seat.
It became a dangerous situation for all involved.
Without his harness, had the driver had to brake suddenly, the dog would have shot forward through the windscreen causing a major accident.
For the sake of half an hour of your time and a small expense, it is just not worth travelling these days, without your dog being properly secured.
Animates or any good pet store will help fit your dog with the right harness.
You may need to adapt and add other straps, to link with this harness.
What do you think about this situation? Has anybody got any other ideas of how to secure your dog while travelling?
-Annie and Marj
Sams Dog Rules 