Restraint

Mom was reading up on safety for dogs in the car then she ordered a seat belt restraint for me from one of her favorite places for small dogs on the web. She said I have been a real good boy about it. I haven’t whined or tried to get out of it or anything! Well, in my opinion, I am a good boy about it. Here are a couple of pictures of me modeling my new seat belt harness.

Mom liked this one because the vest is wide and padded.  It is also made of mesh so it isn’t so hot.

You can tell from the above picture that I still get a little car sick. Just the thought of getting in the car sometimes makes me start drooling.

She wishes there were a little more give in the back, but feels that I am safer this way.

There is a place called C.A.R.E. (Canine Auto Restraint Equipment) where they have some good info about this subject. They of course sell dog seat belt restraints but this isn’t where mom got mine. She got it at Golly Gear , a place especially for small dogs. Here  and here are articles that talk about using seat belts for your dogs.  This place lists several types of restraint systems and tells a little about them. Here is a different kind that lets your pet have a little more freedom, but still be restrained. Abby, this one would let you look out the window, but mom is afraid that you could still be thrown around pretty badly if you were in a wreck. Check it out and see what your mom thinks.  

Moms Thoughts: As I read about restraint systems I came across a couple that merely hooked to the dogs collar. I would NEVER EVER use that kind. It would keep Rusty from jumping around and causing the driver trouble, and that would be fine until that day came that we had a wreck. What would happen to him? His little neck would be snapped or his throat crushed when he hit the end of it. Not For Us.  The barrier type doesn’t seem to me to be so safe for the dogs either. Again it would keep the dogs from causing trouble for the driver but if they ever crashed the dogs would be thrown into it and possibly hurt. It’s better than the collar restraint, though. Just my opinion, I’m not a designer or anything.

Ok, every doggie and mommy and dada, what do you think about this issue?

(I fixed the links that didn’t work and added a couple more.)