Ready to hit the road with your dog? Before you put the car into drive, it’s important to make sure that your dog is safe. It’s also important to make sure that you have taken the time to do the relevant checks on your vehicle on top of what you are going to be doing for your dog, as the last thing you want to deal with is a car accident. This is why you need to make sure that you have the relevant insurance policy to your name, similar to Geico Auto Insurance (look at a geico review here) to ensure that you are protected should this happen. By not doing this, you will be helping to further keep your dog safe whilst you’re on the road. Here are some options for properly restraining your dog while in the car are in a crate, a harness or a seat belt.

If you decide to keep your dog in a crate for the duration of the car ride, and your vehicle has enough room to stow it, the crate should be large enough for your dog to lie down or stand up and turn around. Bill Rabenberg, owner/trainer at Red Iron Kennels of Manor, Texas explains: “You must also ensure the crate is not so large that the dog can easily be tossed around inside,” he said. “It’s helpful to include a soft crate-bed to provide padding for the dog to lie on, but torn newspapers or cedar shavings also provide a soft spot for animals still learning to ride without getting carsick, and these make cleaning up a snap.”

Keeping your dog in a crate stops your pet from moving around the vehicle while it’s in motion, and also prevents him and you from injury during a sudden stop or accident.

The safest place for your dog is in the back seat of the car. You can easily install a harness or dog seat belt to keep your pet from climbing into the front seat. “Some pets are difficult to manage when nervous, and may suddenly climb onto the driver’s lap, interfere with driving or jump down below the driver’s legs, obstructing his ability to reach the gas and brake pedals and possibly causing an accident,” Rabenberg says.

Another reason to keep your pet in the back seat is the danger from the force of a deployed airbag.

Many dogs are afraid of riding in the car or are apt to get carsick, but there are steps you can take to teach your dog that car rides are fun. Rabenberg suggests allowing the dog to sit in the car in the back seat while you sit in the front seat until he relaxes and then you can pet or reward him. After trying this for a few days, you can turn on the car but not drive anywhere. “After several successful attempts on several days, go for a short drive, just around the block,” Rabenberg says. “When you arrive home, take some time to pet and talk to your pet before getting out of the car, so he knows his reward comes with remaining in the vehicle, not rushing to get out. Repeat this several days in a row, then slowly expand your trips, making them a few blocks longer, and finally take him to a fun location, gradually increasing the distances.”

Allowing your dog to feel more comfortable in a moving car will lower his stress level and prevent accidents in the car. Failure to do so might result in the dog being distracted and taking away your attention. If you divert your attention, the chances of you causing an accident or you being in an accident would be high. Either way, then you would have to face the damages that happen if any. If it’s an injury that happens to you, then you might want to try The Keating Firm or elsewhere to help you recover from the losses. But what if the injury that happens is to the other person? Then you probably would not be in a position to ask for a claim. But, as you can see, these mishaps happen, mostly if no proper care of the dog is ensured. If the dog is comfortably seated, then the drive would be as smooth as possible.

Dogs also enjoy the feel of a breeze coming from the car windows on their faces, too, so feel free to leave the window open, as long as your dog is properly restrained. If not, keep the windows closed to prevent him from falling or jumping out.

Your dog may be unhappy at first, but with a little time and patience, he will soon become used to the restraint and look forward to your next car ride adventure.