Traveling By Car: Your Dog’s Life Is In Your Hands

Holidays are a joy for everyone, which is more than clear! And if, in addition, we can go out and enjoy a few days away from home, somewhere where we can rest, then it becomes perfect.

Having a dog shouldn’t be a problem when it comes to traveling, even if we decide to travel in our own vehicle. In this article, we’ll give you some tips on how to travel safely by car when your pet is with you, and thus enjoy the trip.

How to travel by car safely

Depending on the country in which we live, the rules for traveling by car with our dog may be different, so it is important to get informed beforehand. In a country like Spain, for example, the agency responsible for traffic safety is DGT, Dirección General de Tráfico .

On this subject, the agency advises that the driver must be able to maintain their freedom of movement, field of vision and constant attention. In this way, he guarantees his own safety and that of the rest of the passengers.

In addition to this, you must take care of your position inside the vehicle and make sure that your passengers maintain theirs and, furthermore, that the animals are properly seated so that they do not interfere with the driver’s work.

So keep this point in mind to maintain safety in the car when traveling with your dog.

Basic Tips for Safe Car Traveling When You Take Your Dog

There are some basic questions you have to keep in mind to make the trip with your dog safely, which will largely depend on how calm and relaxed the trip we want to take will be:

• Allow a few hours to pass after the last meal. Dogs are like us in many ways. If you or he gets sick and ends up vomiting in the car, it could spoil the trip.

• Needs. Please note that your dog will need to stop to evacuate. Take the time to hydrate yourself and go for a walk, thus expending your dog’s energy.
• Stops. When you stop on the road, watch out for your safety. That your dog is not exposed to any danger, think that you are in a region where many cars pass and at great speed, so any accident could be fatal.

How to travel by car safely with your dog

• Small dog. If your dog is small, the best choice for the trip is to put him in a transport box, which you should place on the ground in the back of the car.
• Other sizes. As for the other sizes, it would be ideal if they were to be seated in the back seat. They have to be secured with a double anchor collar that attaches to two seat belts.
• Luggage compartment. This would be the best choice when traveling with large dogs, as long as the vehicle is prepared for it, that is, having a crates divider and, at the same time, using a transport cage to avoid possible injuries.

How not to travel by car with your dog

• Carrying box in the trunk. It’s true that the carrier, or cage, is a good choice for small dogs if we can put it on the floor behind the seats, but it’s not a good idea to put it in the trunk. It may cause harm to passengers seated in the rear seats.
• Luggage compartment without transport box. When we prepare the place with a divider grid, it is true that the dog will be able to move easily, which will make him more relaxed. But if an accident occurs it could be dangerous for the dog.
• Never lock him in the car. We know that there may be times on the trip when we need to leave our dog in the car, but we should never do it in full sun. This could suffocate him in a matter of minutes or he could suffer heatstroke. Leave the windows slightly open to ventilate the car and so your pet doesn’t have a bad time.

Although, at the beginning, we talked about vacationing with our dog and, of course, it will take longer for a vacation, but these tips are also applicable for short trips.

Take the necessary precautions and travel by car safely and with the pleasant company of your furry friend. Don’t forget that his life is in your hands.