Driving Miss Daisy
By: Ask “Doc”
Your dog may not be named Daisy but whatever his or her name
is, taking them on fun car trips or a short ride to One Coffee Co. comes with
some responsibility, just a like a child.
If you are not lucky enough to own a Honda Element, or another pet
friendly vehicle, you might want to jot this down for safety and convenience.
Window Etiquette
Keep the windows shut.
Sound mean? Not really, a dog with his head out the window might look
cute, but flying garbage or dust particles can cause serious damage to your
dog’s eyes. If you insist on having its
head out the window, buy some doggie goggles.
Buckle Up
Don’t leave home without a safety harness, just like a child
safety seat. Each dog should have a car
harness that allows a seat belt to buckle the dog in securely. Keep the dog in
the back seat, deployed airbags can be just as dangerous for a dog as a
child. If you chose to transport your
dog in a crate, strapping the crate in to the seats securely is
imperative. Either way, your animal is
safe.
Hydrate
Keep water in the car… You should pack a bowl and a bottle
of water for any auto emergency or your dog gets overheated when taking a potty
walk. I’ve seen some dog dishes you can fold up and put in your purse. You don’t need to use expensive water like”
Perrier nor does it need to be cold.
Inside Temps
This is a no brainer but we’ve heard stories about people
who have left their dogs in a locked hot car with the windows closed
tight. The inside of a car becomes a
sauna and the temperature can jump up five degrees in minutes. In an emergency leave them in their harness,
park in the shade and have all the windows open.
Now most of the rules for traveling with dogs is similar to
trips with children. The exception
would be…Under no circumstances should you leave your child in a car alone…
period. For more Ask “Doc”
