Out the window

Toolguy5 wrote:


We never roll our windows done with our little one in the back seat so she can stick her head out. Also she is tethered in with the seat belt.

I suppose the backseat, window way up, and harnessed with a short leash is the best.

These stories are just awful.

We never roll our windows done with our little one in the back seat so she can stick her head out. Also she is tethered in with the seat belt.

Tethered to the front of the bed will prevent neck injuries due to sudden stops; dog will travel towards the tether. Neither tethering or loose in a shell will prevent impact injuries due to a sudden stop. Both options are unsafe.

Easy to come up with safe options to transport one or two dogs; one just has to decide to make it a priority.

Putting a solid band around a neck and tying it off to a moving vehicle WILL result in major neck injury if there is a sudden stop. The dog loose in a camper shell MAY just result in the dog falling down off its feet with little impact if there is a sudden stop.

I have seen too many dogs tied to the bed of a truck and having their neck be the best focus of every stop or slow down. Imagine how uncomfortable that must feel - at the very least.

Personally with extra, king, crew, etc., cabs these days, there is really no reason for a dog to be in the bed of a truck. (Not discussing working dogs in the performance of their duties.)

I don’t see how tethering in the bed or loose in a camper shell is any different in terms of safety. Neither provide much limit to the distance the dog may travel before hitting a restraint (bed/camper shell wall or end of tether).

D.E.Bishop wrote:
It is thankfully, unlawful to have any animal riding in the open bed of a truck on CA highways without a tether than is short enough to prevent the animal's body from exiting the bed and hanging itself.

Even that law is dumb. If there is an accident or a quick stop, the dog can have major damage to its neck by tethering it to the truck.

If a dog must ride in the back of a truck, the best choices are a camper shell or a dog crate (with minimal side openings) bolted to the truck bed.

Don't forget the ear damage that can happen with the dog's head hanging out the window also.

I use the "car window pet gates" in the clipper so I can have the airflow without the dogs being able to stick their heads out.

D.E.Bishop wrote:
It's a shame the dog was probably injured...

I can't imagine it was not injured, but it appeared to tumble and then got up and started running toward the rig.

Speeds were approximately 65mph. I was in a passenger SUV. Trucks, trailers, RVs were all going 65mph in a 55mph while towing zone.

dturm wrote:


Re: dog's head out the window... I had a case of chronic conjunctivitis (eye infection) that I couldn't clear up. Finally figured out that the dog rode everywhere with his head out the window. This was early in my career and made a lasting impression and helped with future diagnoses.

Doug, DVM

Anyone who has ever driven a motorcycle knows how much "stuff" gets thrown up by vehicle tires ALL THE TIME. Simple grains of sand sting like crazy; tiny gravel is like getting shot by a BB gun. Bugs are painful and "splatty" There's a reason bikers wear leather. To allow a pet to hang its head out the window going down the road, even at lower speeds, is insane.

These types of stories make me shudder.

During my 40 years of practice I saw several cases involved with animals and vehicles. The worst was a dog who had a leash on and jumped/fell out of the vehicle and was dragged for about a block before the driver noticed. The dog survived but had a severe "road rash" on the rear legs/feet where he tried to keep up.

Pets sitting on the driver's lap and dogs with head out the window are pet peeves of mine. Think about an air bag inflating with your dog on your lap or compression between you and the steering wheel with the dog in between.

Re: dog's head out the window... I had a case of chronic conjunctivitis (eye infection) that I couldn't clear up. Finally figured out that the dog rode everywhere with his head out the window. This was early in my career and made a lasting impression and helped with future diagnoses.

Best case is that the high wind dries out the cornea leaving it susceptible to ulcers and infection. Worst case is that the blink reflex isn't fast enough to prevent a foreign object from doing severe damage.

OK, off my soapbox.

Doug, DVM