Safe Travel With Dogs: Things You Should Be Careful For

When it comes time to travel with your pooch, be sure to take all necessary safety procedures before you load up Fido and hit the road! Properly traveling with your pet will ensure you keep your dog as safe as possible through your travels. Ensuring your dog is safely confined whether you travel by plane, train, or automobile will prevent him from being put in a potentially harmful situation.

Travel With Dog In Car

If you are traveling by car regardless of distance, all animals should be properly confined in a crate. Although it may be tempting to have Fido riding shotgun with his head stuck out the window, this behavior can be harmful to your dog. Many dog owners choose to ride with their dogs to lose in their cars, often with the dog riding in their lap while they are driving.

This is incredibly dangerous for both you and your dog since any distraction should be avoided while driving. In addition to distracting you from the other cars and traffic patterns, the dog can be dramatically injured in case of an accident.

Many dogs are killed on an annual basis when they are submitted to an exploding airbag while riding in their owner’s lap. Just as there are airbag weight restrictions for the two-legged occupants of a car, these weight limits also apply to the four-legged passengers. An exploding airbag has the velocity and power to completely crush or even decapitate a dog—even larger dogs that are still under the weight limit for airbags.

Stuff You Have To Use

Another reason to keep your dog secured in a crate is to keep him securely inside the car at all times. Many dogs have actually jumped out of the car while it is in motion after something that has piqued their interest. Furthermore, in case of accidental opening of a door or back hatch, you can be sure your dog will be safely confined in his crate and not apt to run into the road, which claims many lives of many dogs.

Finally, keeping a dog securely crated allows you to control when your dog exits the car. If you stop for any reason, you will not have to fight with the dog to stay in the car. Many dogs are accidentally left at gas stations, restaurants, or rest stops each year because they slip unknown out of the car.

Air Travel With Dogs

When traveling on an airplane, you must abide by the correct regulations regarding the safe travel of your dog. If your dog is of a size that you can successfully carry him on an airplane, then purchase a carrier that will allow you to stow your pooch under your seat. Airlines will not allow you to carry a dog onto a flight without some sort of confined carrier, so check with your specific airline regarding their regulations. Also, you may not be able to remove the dog from his carrier during the flight, so again, check the regulations to ensure you are following all set rules.

If your dog is too large to be carried on the flight, he must be shipped in the cargo hold. Not all airlines will ship live animals of any kind, so be sure to check before you appear with your pooch at the airport. Also, be prepared to pay a fee associated with shipping your dog, so you should be aware of any costs before you agree to ship your dog.

Any animal is shipped in a heated, pressurized cabin and will be completely safe for the duration of their flight. The hold can be noisy though, so you may want to ask your veterinarian to prescribe a sedative to calm your dog during the flight.