Does Your Dog Like to Ride in the Car with You?

Does your dog like to tag along for the ride? My dog sure does! He loves to sit in the front seat and hang out the window. I know this is not the safest way for him to travel with me but it makes him so happy. Every time you see someone with their dog in the car, the dog always has his head out the window, right? Although dogs love the ride and fresh air, it is very unsafe for him to ride in the car with his head hanging out the window.

Most of the time we are just taking a quick drive to drop something off at friends house or pick up the boys, but things can happen even on a short drive. Small particles could get into your dog's eyes, he could jump out, or if there is an accident, he could be badly injured or even killed. Things we do not often think about when we ask, "Do you want to go for a ride?".

If we are cautious and careful, we can still take our dogs for a ride in the car.  Here are a few things I do with Murphy when we hit the road. I make sure he has his collar on and I always put a leash on him. I slip the leash on my wrist in order to have control of him if I should need to. I let him do his thing (hang out the window) as we depart slowly down our street. The window will go up slowly in order to prevent his upper body from hanging out the window. If we need to hit the Thruway, all windows go up!

If we are careful with our surroundings and take precautions with our dog, we can still allow him to take a ride in the car with us and get some fresh air.