Travel Safety: How To keep Your Hound Safe In The Car

Travelling  with your hound is not quite as simple as chucking them in the back  seat for them to do as they please…despite popular opinion!

Some  may argue that there is no specific legal requirement in regard to  having dogs in the car but it is clearly set out within the Highway Code  which on it’s own is not legally enforceable, but the guidance within  it is backed up by law…So, when the Highway Code says you should or  shouldn’t do something, it’s best to listen!

The  Highway Code states, “when in a vehicle make sure dogs or other animals  are suitably restrained so they cannot distract you while you are  driving or injure you, or themselves if you stop quickly.”

This sounds straight forward enough, right?  But many people don’t actually know that they are supposed do it!  

There  are several ways in which you can correctly restrain your dog for  travel, and in a way that prevents distraction.  The most obvious one is  not to let your dog ride shotgun or have the windows down for them to  put their heads out.  
Whether you may find the  latter distracting or not, it can be distracting to other drivers and  while it is often harmless, should the dog not be transported in a  sensible manner you can be pulled over for driving without due care and  attention…which comes with painful number of points to your licence!

Additionally,  should there be an accident and it is discovered that your pet was  potentially involved in causing it, it will invalidate your car and pet  insurance.  The result of which will be points on the licence, if not  revocation of the licence, hefty repair bills and potentially even fines  in court!

Frankly, it’s not worth the risk!

You  do not want to put yourself in a situation in which there is a  potential to be distracted by the dog or have the dog interfere with  your driving such as climbing into your lap or pawing at your hand on  the gear stick.

But this begs the  question of how do you ‘suitably restrain’ a dog to make them safe to  travel? Well, there are a number of ways, but some are safer than others  and some are more comfortable for the dog than others!

One  of the easiest ways is to secure your dog in the back seat or boot  using a back seat hammock or boot liner with a doggy seatbelt, connected  to an appropriately fitted harness.  

Not  only do these protect your car and make for easy cleaning, but they  also add extra security for your dog should you have to break suddenly.   The back seat hammock in particular will prevent the dog from falling  into the footwell…which would most definitely cause a distraction to you  as the driver!

The best type of  seat belt to use for a greyhound is the head-rest seat belt, as opposed  to the traditional plug-in version that are better suited to smaller  breeds.  The traditional dog seat belts just do not extend long enough  to clip onto a greyhound comfortably.

The  head rest seatbelt gives your hound more freedom to stand, turn and lay  down however they like without being tethered down.  They are also  compatible for use in the boot.  This is really helpful because it means  you can use it in both the back seat and boot as needed without the  faff of having separate restrains should you need to move the dog.

But  why does it need to be connected to a harness?  This is both for the  dog’s comfort and safety.  You do not want the seatbelt connected to the  dog’s collar in the event of an accident, due to the potential for  trauma to the neck.  
In having it connected to a  correctly fitted harness, should there be an accident, the force of the  pressure is spread out across the whole body rather than one point,  theoretically lessening the impact and potential injury to the dog.

If you want added security in transporting your dog, you can also install a mesh dog guard.  

Alternatively,  should you want to invest in one that fits your car, you can get a  crate.  These are by far the most secure way to transport the dog…but  they aren’t the most convenient should you need to use the boot in a  hurry!