There is something about loading the dog into the car and hitting the open road that just feels right. Summer road trips with your pup are one of the simple pleasures of the season.
But being safe in the car goes beyond just being along for the ride. A little planning before you pull out of the driveway makes all the difference.
Take a Few Practice Runs First
If your dog only rides in the car on the way to the vet, a nine-hour drive is going to feel like a punishment. The American Kennel Club suggests taking several short trips before a long journey so your dog learns that the car leads to good places, like the park or a friend’s house.
Use those short trips to test the gear too. Let your dog wear the harness around the house for a few minutes at a time. Feed a meal or two inside the crate with the door open. By the time the real trip comes, none of it will feel new.
Keep Your Dog in the Back Seat
An unrestrained dog in a moving vehicle is a safety risk for everyone in the car. The back seat is where your dog belongs, properly secured, and well away from the front airbags.
A crash-tested crate is the best option. When you are shopping for one, it helps to ask a few questions: Is it 5-star crash tested? Is it escape-proof? And how does it handle heat, especially on a warm summer day?
Here is the part most people miss. The words “crash tested” on a box do not tell you whether the product actually passed. The Center for Pet Safety, an independent nonprofit that takes no money from pet product manufacturers, runs its own crash tests and publishes the list of crates, carriers, and harnesses that earned certification. If a product is not on that list, it has not passed their testing. The list is worth a look before you spend the money.
A harness that connects to the seat belt works too, as long as it carries that same independent certification. Whichever you choose, skip the booster seats and the loose tethers.
Two more habits worth breaking. Do not let your dog ride with his head out the window, since road grit and debris can injure his eyes and ears. And never let a dog ride loose in the bed of a pickup.
Riding loose creates one more problem: it pulls your attention off the road. The American Veterinary Medical Association points to a AAA survey in which two out of three dog owners admitted to petting, feeding, or playing with their dog while driving.
Never Leave Your Dog in a Parked Car
Even with the windows cracked, the temperature inside a parked car can turn dangerous in just a few minutes on a warm day. If you need to stop somewhere, take turns going inside or find a shaded spot.
The numbers are worse than most people expect. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, the inside of a vehicle can climb almost 20 degrees in 10 minutes, almost 30 degrees in 20 minutes, and more than 40 degrees in an hour. On a pleasant 70-degree afternoon, that puts the inside of your car above 110 degrees. Research also shows that cracking the windows changes the rate of heating very little.
Leaving the engine running with the air conditioning on is not the answer either. Dr. Jen Quammen, president of the AVMA, has pointed out that many newer vehicles shut themselves off automatically after 10 to 15 minutes of idling, which most owners never think about until it is too late.
A dog’s normal body temperature runs around 101 to 102 degrees. Dogs cannot sweat the way we do, so panting is nearly all they have. Watch for heavy panting with drool, gums that shift from healthy pink to red, gray, or bluish, unsteadiness, or collapse. Any of those means cool water, shade, and a call to a veterinarian right away.
It is also worth knowing that many states have passed laws making it a crime to leave an animal in a vehicle in dangerous conditions, with penalties ranging from a fine to jail time.
Plan Breaks Along the Way
Build in a rest stop every two hours so your dog can stretch, sniff around, drink some water, and settle back down before the next stretch of road.
Keep the leash on from the moment the door opens. Rest areas sit right off the highway, and a dog in unfamiliar territory can bolt in a direction he does not understand.
Check the ground before you walk him across it. Pavement holds heat far longer than the air does. Veterinarians point to research showing that when the air is a mild 77 degrees, asphalt in full sun can reach 125 degrees, which is hot enough to blister a dog’s pads in about a minute. The seven-second test settles it: press the back of your hand to the surface, and if you cannot hold it there comfortably for seven seconds, walk him on the grass instead.
Feed Light and Feed Early
Most car sickness starts with a full stomach and a nervous dog. The American Kennel Club recommends feeding lightly before a trip, roughly a third of the usual amount, and other veterinary sources suggest leaving three to four hours between the last meal and departure. Water is a different story. Keep offering it.
Facing forward helps as well, since watching the scenery blur past a side window unsettles a lot of dogs. A solid-sided crate or a middle seat position handles that. If your dog has a real history of getting sick in the car, ask your veterinarian about medication before you go rather than after.
Bring the Paperwork, Not Just the Dog
Pack a copy of your dog’s vaccination records and rabies certificate. If you are crossing state lines, check the rules at your destination. The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service notes that the receiving state sets its own requirements, and some ask for a health certificate, current vaccinations, or specific testing. Their website lists the requirements state by state, and your own veterinarian can sort it out in one phone call.
Look up an emergency animal hospital near your destination and save the number in your phone before you need it. Call ahead to confirm your hotel or rental actually accepts dogs, and ask about the size limit while you have them on the line.
Make Sure Your Pup Can Be Found
A dog is never more likely to get lost than in a place he has never been. Two things fix most of that.
First, a collar tag with your cell phone number on it. The number that rings at your kitchen table does you no good when you are 600 miles from it.
Second, a microchip with current registration. A study of more than 7,700 stray animals published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association found that dogs without microchips were returned to their owners 21.9 percent of the time, while microchipped dogs went home 52.2 percent of the time. The most common reason a chipped dog did not make it home was an incorrect or disconnected phone number in the registry. If you have moved or changed your number since the chip went in, that five-minute update is the most valuable thing on this entire list.
Take a fresh photo of your dog on your phone before you leave, too. If you ever need to make a flyer or show someone at a gas station, you will be glad you have a current one.
Bring the Comforts of Home
Bring the essentials too: fresh water, a portable bowl, their regular food, any medications, and a familiar blanket or toy. Those small comforts turn a long drive into something your dog can actually enjoy.
