Like many pet lovers, I like to regularly scan through the pets section on my local Craigslist. While I was looking through it the other night, I found one person selling a dog seatbelt. Now, perhaps to my shame, I’d never heard of that before, so I started searching for more information on Google.
I found a few things worth mentioning. First of all, I found a very detailed comparison of all the different dog seatbelts on the market. This page was last updated in late 2009, so the information is current. One of the seat belts mentioned, the Ruff Rider, has a short lead on the harness, which I think sounds like a nice feature — perfect for walking your dog into dog friendly hotels after a long car ride!
There is also a brief mention in this blog post, The seat belt for dogs, that regular harnesses can actually crush a dog’s trachea in an accident — a good thing to know when shopping for a seatbelt, so that you can be sure to buy a product that is safe for your dog.
Now I just found out about these things, so I haven’t had time to fully process the idea, but I have to admit I’m a bit skeptical. Both of my dogs like to move around in the backseat while we are traveling, and if we are going on long road trips, it makes sense to let them do so. I’m not sure how much this seat belt would restrict their movements — it seems like it probably would quite a bit. For instance, judging by many of the pictures I’ve seen while researching the product, it seems they would not be able to comfortably lay down and sleep in the backseat — something that they have to be able to do for those long road trips.
But I also do see the obvious benefits to putting a safety belt on your dog in the car. Advocates of dog seat belts recommend restraining your dog in some fashion, either with a seat belt or in a crate, so I guess I could restrain the girls in the back of the Subaru (behind the pet gate) instead. However, I have to admit that I like having them in the backseat, where they are closer to me and can stick their noses out the windows.
What do you think? I’m especially interested to hear from folks who use or have used dog seat belts — I’m on the fence, but could easily be convinced to try them, so please do share your experiences!
Tags: dog friendly hotels, dog seatbelts, seat belt for dogs
We have been using a dog seatbelt for our Boxer Stella for a few years now. It is harness style and is safe for dogs with large chests. You’ll need to research what belt is best for the type of dog you have. Stella has plenty of room to move around and can joyfully put her head out the window to feel the wind on her face. We like it because if there were to be an accident the harness seatbelt would protect her from flying forward. Ideally they say the best way to travel with pets is in a crate. However that becomes a space issue.