Safety while traveling

[Guest Tototoo]

I saw something very upsetting the other day. As I was traveling down the freeway doing 65-70 mph. I passed a jack russell puppy running in the berm. About 1/2 m later I saw a couple trying to figure how to catch him and 1/2 m later I saw a very distraught elderly woman with a broken down RV. I assume it was her dog. (My mom was able to stop and got some of the information I am explaining). The puppy was running in the berm and the berm was edged with a concrete barrier the only place this puppy could run was into traffic. You could see at 65 mph how scared he was. . . I wish this story had a happy ending but truth be told I don't know how it ended.

Jack russells are alot like cairns in personality. Alot of times even on a good day they will not come when called. The only thing we can do is keep them safe as we can. Either keep them kenneled in the car or tied in the hatchback like I do. Never take them out of the car unless its in a very restricted area. Remember a scared or frightened dog can easily slip its collar. If you must get out of the car when you are broken down on the freeway, don't take your dog, he's safest in the car until you can safely transfer him to the tow truck.

I was stuck going down the road after seeing this and at that speed, I knew it wasn't safe to stop. We were five miles from either exit and I just hope he stopped and turned around and ran back. Its something I won't forget for a long time and can only pray that we will all use the information and drive safely with our dogs. They are so quick and can slip out of a car, through the window or if you opened the door to run into a store just be so careful if you travel with your dog, make it so he can't run out!

K

[MikeC]

K,

Thanks for sharing that story. We can all learn from it. I too hope that the Jack Russell was safely reunited with it's owner. I often see people driving down the freeway with dogs (both large and small) in their laps, or dogs in the back of open pick-up trucks and I wonder how people can be so irresponsible not only with their pets lives, but with the lives of others driving the freeways. When Duffy is in the car with me, he stays in a crate in the back seat, with the seat belt around it. He is not allowed loose in the car, nor is he allowed to held by anyone in the car while the car is in motion. Now granted, some dogs can be trusted to stay still when in a car, and if you have one that can, you are most fortunate, but my experience with my own Cairn tells me he is not capable of staying still.

MikeC

[kayharley]

I've seen things like that that make me want to stop the people and say "What are you thinking?"

Last month I saw a guy enroute to Walmart on a motorcycle with a small little dog sitting on his LAP!! I ride a motorcycle and do so with major protection....leather, helmet, chaps. What would protect this pup if this idiot had an accident? He thought he looked cool but I wanted to slap him. (sorry, guess this subject is making me violent )

My older Cairn is a dream in a car...lies in the back seat and behaves. My younger Cairn needs restraining so I use a harness/leash attatched to a back seat headrest. It gives her motion but very limited.

I'm soon to be traveling to N.H. from CT to get my new Cairn pup. I have one of those pet carriers that are enclosed on 3 sides with a gate in the front and easily attatch to a seat belt. That's the plan on bringing him home safely.

[Logansmom]

Hi K,

Have you thought of a car seat for your babies? http://www.healdsburgdoghouse.com/snlobo.html

We have Logan, a cairn, and Maya, a westie, and have a car seat for both of them. Due to their size, they can not see out of the window with just a harness. This lifts them up, gives them a bed and keeps them safe and out of each others hair. We drove from Maryland to Northern Wisconsin last month with no doggy issues. Just a thought. I love them. I have the large size for each of them. They take up the entire back seat but it sure makes life simple.

Ann

[kayharley]

I've tried just about every product they sell for dogs and cars. Madison was out of her car seat/harness before we even got out of the driveway. Then I tried one of those soft padded harnesses that attatch to the seat belt. Again, she got herself so twisted up trying to break free that I was afraid she'd break her leg.

For some reason she has no problem with my make-shift restraint system. Who can figure out a Cairn?

[CallisMom]

Thanks for the article!! We have Calli in her airline travel bag in the car. I was going to buy a harness car seatbelt system but she really seems happy in what we have. Plus we tether it to the seatbelt so that if there was an accident she wouldn't get thrown from the car. (One thing I have, unfortunately, learned in life is that it can ALWAYS happen to you!) I figure that I keep my children in carseats/booster seats - why not my other baby? We can't use a crate or a carseat, though - we need the travel bag because it can fit in between the two carseats without a problem (and she can still see out, get air, etc.). It is her little den in the car (we keep her favorite squeaky octopus plush and a chew toy in there as well). I, too, hope that little doggy is okay!