Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Common Sense for Dog Owners

Occasionally I feel the need to remind people that they are being idiots. Unfortunately, many of the people I feel the need to say this to are driving down the road and cannot hear me yelling at them from my car. Today's victims are dog owners. We've all seen them, dogs precariously hanging out of windows or over the sides of truck beds. Heads sticking as far out of the left hand windows as the dog can get it while semis whip by only inches away. So, today I am going to address a few of these dog owners whose judgement is somewhat lacking.

Heads Out the Window
We've all done it and let our dogs hang their heads out the windows. The exhilaration of all of those smells rushing into their nostrils is too much for most dogs to resist. It's the same type of exciting curiosity that drives children to stick metal objects into electrical outlets. Do yourself a favor and educate yourself on the damage that can occur to dogs when all of that air is rushing into their lungs at 80 mph. If you just can't help yourself and restrict your dog to amusing himself inside the car, please do me a favor and only open the window far enough for his head to fit through. You see, the problem with letting dogs hang their heads out the window is that they often want to hang most of their body out of it as well. I've seen one of two things happen that I'd rather not see again: the dog will be decapitated by an on-coming vehicle or street sign or he will lean a little too far out and land head first on the asphalt at 80 mph. Since I know you're being a good driver and looking forward, you will not be the one with the front row seat to this tragedy. I however, following at a safe distance behind you, will be. Leave the window at least half way up and try to restrict your dog to the passenger side window. Here's a little secret: if that's the only window that you leave open, that's the one they'll sit by. Whatever you do, do not let them put their paws out the window. That is a recipe for disaster.

Small Dogs Out the Window
Really, I don't like having small dogs loose in the car period. It's a lot like having a cat loose in the car. However, there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. Like children, they are best left in the back seat. Better for them to hit the back of your seat than the dashboard or windshield. And under no circumstances should they be allowed to hang out the window. Believe me, even if you think you have a hold of them, they can find a way to fall out the window. Unlike big dogs, by the time their head is out the window, the rest of their body isn't far behind. Keep them on the seat or in your lap if you insist on having them out of a crate. You do not want to see what your pup looks like after hitting asphalt. It isn't pretty.

Dogs in the Truck Bed
I understand that sometimes dogs need to travel in the truck bed. It's a way of life in the country. However, even the seasoned truck bed traveler should be tethered. I have known dogs who have ridden in a truck bed for years to suddenly decide to jump from the moving vehicle for one reason or another. Unfortunately a couple of them made that jump right in front of another vehicle that was following behind the truck. Then there was the lab puppy I saw in the back of one truck traveling 80 mph down the highway. The pup couldn't have been older than 6 months and obviously didn't know what to do about being in the bed of the pickup. The puppy paced from one side of the bed to the other watching other cars whizzing by. Twice I watched him put his paws up on the side of the truck bed and look for all the world like he was going to jump out. I quickly sped up and passed the truck before I saw what happened next.

Now, that doesn't mean that just any tether will do. Too long of a tether can cause more harm than good if the dog does jump and ends up hanging himself or being dragged. The tether should be anchored at the center of the bed without enough slack for the dog to put his paws up on the truck bed. Also beware of tethers long enough to allow dogs to stand on the top of tool boxes. Just a couple months ago I watched in shock and fear as a truck traveled down the highway with the dog standing on top of the tool box looking over the cab of the truck. Let me give you a little lesson in physics: if the truck stops, the dog's body will keep going. The result will be either the collar coming off the dog and him hitting the road in front of the truck or the dog being decapitated by the collar and his body hitting the road in front of the truck. Either way, not a result I want to be witness to.

Unruly Dogs in the Vehicle
This is different than small dogs in the vehicle, but it can apply to them as well. Point blank: it is best for your and your dog's safety to keep them crated when in a vehicle. That being said, I rarely if ever crate my own dogs when traveling. That is because my dogs know two rules of the road: 1) They stay in the back seat and 2) They stay seated or lay down. If their feet so much as touch the center console, I tell them "back" and they get back in the back seat. I've been lucky that they stay calm in the car and do not pace. If your dog cannot follow these rules, then for everyone's safety please take proper precautions. If you have a larger vehicle, you can get a pet grate installed that will keep the dogs restricted to the back of the vehicle. That is the best option if you have large dogs period. Even if they travel well, do you not want to be fighting to keep a Great Dane in the back seat when you are trying to drive and he sees something worth barking at. And good luck trying to fit a Great Dane crate in your car, much less put the dog in it. I can barely fit my Great Dane crate in my car when it's broken down. Your other option, crating, is a great idea if you have a smaller car and especially for smaller dogs. Having a dog in your lap while driving should never be an option. Not only would they be crushed if you were in an accident, but they can easily get tangled in the steering wheel while you are making a turn and quite literally run you into the ditch. Believe me, I have first hand experience on that one, except it was a cat. If there aren't laws against it, there should be. And then, another reason for keeping your unruly dogs contained is for when you inevitably have to get out of the car. At the very least, you want to be able to get out of the driver's seat without a dog trying to climb over your lap to get to whatever is outside the car. It might be cute if he's excited to play at the park, but it could be a lawsuit if he wants to eat the Toy Poodle.

Now, I know what a lot of you are probably saying, "I haven't had anything bad happen YET." Yes, well, I've been driving a car for 13 years and haven't totaled one yet either. But I still wear a seat belt every time I get in the car. I still drive defensively to avoid hitting all of the other idiots on the road. The problem is that accidents happen. You can't predict what's going to happen in the next minute. Most accidents aren't caused by your bad judgement, but by someone else's. Do you want to take that risk with your pet's life? I don't know about you, but these guys are my kids. I would be devastated if something happened to one of them, especially if I could have prevented it. Yet I see people treating their dogs with such disregard that I hope they don't have human children. Perhaps they just don't know the risks, but I'm afraid that it's often because they've always done it this way and nothing bad has happened...yet.

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