A ruff ride for fido

We have a new dog. Not big, 32 pounds. She’ll be traveling with us. She’s pretty good in the back seat. I’m sure she’ll get even better.

My husband is insistent we use doggie seatbelts. I don’t want to because that seems cruel when she has to stay back there for four or five hours.

Is there any hard evidence we have on seatbelts? Also, you’ve mentioned before you’re involved in dog rescue, so do you think it’s too hard on the dog to seatbelt her?

A lot of research indicates it makes a great deal of sense to crate or seatbelt a traveling dog, or to install one of those metal separators between the cargo area and back seat of an SUV. According to some, doing so can reduce crash risk by a factor or two.

An unrestrained dog can always decide to leap into the front seat for unknown reasons, of course, and that’s a surprise distraction that can have awful results.

An unrestrained dog can also land in the front seat if you must slam on the brakes or swerve, or even if you have a low-speed fender bender— potentially harmful to the people in the car and also the dog.

Moreover, many car wrecks lead to doors ripping open and dogs escaping in a panic with catastrophic results.

A few states have laws about restraining dogs in the vehicle. New Jersey and Rhode Island, for example, require some form of restraint.

Some other states don’t explicitly require restraints, but can charge drivers under distracted driving laws if they have a pet in their laps.

And, as a welcome aside (though it’s unrelated to your question), an increasing number of states have made it illegal to transport dogs in the back of trucks without a crate or other restraint.

As to your second question: is it cruel to restrain them for hours of travel? I would say no, but be smart about it.

Begin the journey only after the dog has had a good walk and she’s burned off some energy. And let her out for a quick walk and potty break at least every three hours. And never, ever leave her alone in the car in the belt.