or sitting on the drivers lap?
i have a long haired chihuahua (he's big tho--about the size of a small terrier) and he looooooves car rides. but if he sits in the passenger seat, he can't see out the window, and also he goes flying when i hit the brakes. and when he sits in my lap while i'm driving, he just sits there nicely and looks out the window. but which one is the safest?
i kno that there are booster seat things available for dogs, but he doesn't like those.
any suggestions?
2006-07-12 15:46:50 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
coz isn't it considered a distraction if the dog is on the drivers lap? and what about air bags?
i want my doggy to be safe!!!! :-)
2006-07-12 15:47:24 · update #1
Dogs in a driver's lap become airbags in an accident. And yes, they can be a distraction and CAUSE accidents. A cop seeing a dog in your lap could conceivably give you a ticket for "unsafe" driving.
Dogs are safest in a sturdy plastic airline crate like a Vari-kennel. If you're in an accident, it will prevent many injuries to the dog. It will also prevent the dog from being crushed by loose objects flying around the car. (My friend had a lab that was killed by a load of lumber in his van when he had to swerve and stop short.) It will also make it easier for rescue crews to save him and he won't end up loose on the highway.
Second best is a padded harness that attaches to the seatbelt.
2006-07-13 16:32:24 · answer #1 · answered by Danger, Will Robinson! 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The very safest thing for your pet is to buy a seat belt fixture for him or her. It is actually a harness that goes over the pet, then clips onto your seat belt in the passenger seat. The air bags could kill your pet if it's small, in your lap, and you have a accident... A booster seat is not safe at all, they still go flying when you hit the brakes. But now there are harnesses that are very comfortable for the pet, and very very secure. Pet's are not so much interested in seeing out the window as they are just being with you.
2006-07-12 15:54:46 · answer #2 · answered by Lady Trucker 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dogs should never ride in the car uncrated, for the same reason children need safety seats. My Chihuahua always rides in her crate. She can't see out the window but she curls up and sleeps, and it's more important to be safe than enjoy the scenery. If you get into an accident the airbags could easily kill a chihuahua, or the dog could escape the car and run off, or if you hit the brakes they could fall off the seat, through the windshield, just too much to go wrong. Get a crate or a booster seat with a fastener to protect him.
2006-07-13 03:20:25 · answer #3 · answered by Rachel D 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that both are equally unsafe. Perhaps it is worse if the dog is crawling all over the driver while she is trying to drive (it's distracting). But, I think that little dogs feel much more secure sitting in a lap while driving so that they don't flop all around (I know that my small dog does). Whenever I drive a long distance with my dog, I try to put him on a pile of blankets so he can see out of the window from the passenger's seat and won't distract me while I am driving. Also, the pile of blankets gives him more of a nest so that he won't flop around when I take turns or put on the brakes.
2006-07-12 15:52:41 · answer #4 · answered by Princess 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My ex, the vet has seen animal victims from wrecks where the pooch was on the driver's lap and got crushed by the weight of the driver. It's just not safe. I think if puppy wants to go for rides, he has to be in a car seat, like it or not. You know that you can get a car harness for your dog? Petsmart had them the last I saw and some pet supply stores should have them... Good luck. Nana
2006-07-12 15:54:55 · answer #5 · answered by nanawnuts 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As much as he might not like the booster seats, that's probably the best way to go to keep him restrained AND able to look out. If you are willing to sacrifice him being able to watch out the windows, then a doggy seat belt should suffice. Never use a seat belt with just a collar. Use one with a harness, whether it is part of the set up or sold separately. Lastly, you could crate him, though not much fun at all, though probably the very safest option.
2006-07-12 15:53:46 · answer #6 · answered by lilmizzaniml 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The reason sitting in the driver's lap is dangerous is because, in an emergency situation, the dog is in the way of complete control of the steering wheel. This could cause you to lose your dog's life as well as your own.
Your dog is safest in the back seat with some kind of restraint.
2006-07-12 15:52:00 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a Chihuahua and he is 11.5 lbs, but since he was a baby I put him in the back seat, he tried to get on my lap but I pushed him off, I dont have a seatbelt for him but he stays in the back, my other small dog goes in the backseat too, my father let him sit on his lap and I freaked out.
2006-07-12 17:43:36 · answer #8 · answered by moosenose1981 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You let the dog sit on your lap and are worried about ITS safety?
Put the animal in a cage and pay attention to traffic and pedestrians. "Oh, I mowed down 5 kids getting off the school bus but Fifi only got a scratch. We are so blessed."
2006-07-12 15:50:00 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Uuuuuuh I would say the passenger seat with a booster seat....With one of those doggie seat belt thingies.
Poochie should be safe now. And the other drivers as well.....I hope!!
2006-07-12 15:56:04 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋