by Jessica Novak

Created on: September 08, 2010

If you are a responsible dog owner, that means you take your dog to the vet, to a groomer, pet stores, and sometimes to a boarding or training facility.  With the invention of the dog crate and the seat belt harness, taking your dog for a drive is easy and safe.  However, allowing a dog free reign of your vehicle is not only dangerous to you and the dog, but also dangerous to society.  Many dogs found on the road originally came from the truck beds of oblivious owners.  Dogs should be allowed to ride in cars provided that they have equal protection as other members of the family.

Biggest danger: the front seat

If a dog is allowed to sit in the front seat with no physical restraints, they may distract the driver by trying to crawl into the driver's lap, delve under their feet, or lean over and lick the driver's face.  A dog's car freedom is not worth the potential car accident.  The other concern is the dog's own safety.  In every car there is a warning sticker that tells parents not to put their children in the front seat. The airbag could cause "serious injury or death" due to the speed at which the airbag deploys from it's compartment.  If a 28 pound toddler is not allowed in the front seat, neither should a 5 pound Pomeranian.  

Safe Restraints

While a crate is probably the safest type of physical restraint, dog booster seats and dog seat belt harnesses allow the dog some freedom while still being a much safer alternative to free roaming in the car.  Although shutting the door on your dog's leash may prevent your dog from harassing the driver, it is not a safe alternative to a crate or harness because if the car were to stop suddenly, the dog would be violently jerked around the neck by their collar.  If a harness is not specifically made to be a car harness, injury may still occur including dislocated shoulders, fractured ribs, and other serious injuries.  There are dog seat belt harnesses available for around $30 at Petsmart, Petco and other pet stores.

Many safety factors should be considered when deciding if you should bring your pet with you on a drive.  However, if you safely contain your dog, there is no reason why they should not be allowed to ride in the car.

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