Summer is here now and people are going to be out and about and apparently lots of them want to take their dogs with them. For the most part, I suppose that the biggest part of these people are doing it safely and with the best interest of their pet in mind or as least as doing it as safely as they are aware. But I often wonder why the people who stick their beloved pet dog in the back of a pick up truck and head on down the road feel that their pet is in the best of circumstances. True, the dog is not slobbering all over them in the front seat and his nose prints are not smearing up the glass so the driver is not having his driving capabilities interfered with, but lets take a closer look.

The problem is that there are many hazards to letting your dog ride in the back of your truck. Most dogs love the feel of the blowing wind, unless its you blowing in their face (odd, isn’t it?) but the pressure of traveling at 65 mph in the wind can cause harm to a dog. Dust and other particles in the wind can irritate dogs' mucous membranes and can get in their eyes to cause permanent damage. Insects can also become lodged in the nasal passages and travel into the windpipe.

Traveling unsecured, the dog has no way of "holding on to something ". Should the truck suddenly stop, start, or turn, the dog has no way of controlling where he gets thrown. Sometimes the dog will get thrown out of the truck. If he by some miracle survives that, the oncoming traffic will certainly present a danger! Then on top of his already unfortunate accident, if the owner has not seen the horrible incident now the dog is lost in an unfamiliar territory the list is endless as to how that could turn out.

The safest way and most comfortable way for everyone when transporting your dog is to secure an airline crate in the back of the truck, making sure it is tight enough not to move around at all and that it is the correct size for your dog, if he is able to stand up and turn around at ease the size is right. Put a nice comfy blanket in there. Now when you take your dog he is out of the wind and he is secure while making normal driving maneuvers. Teach your dog to enter the kennel with a familiar word and he will look forward to getting in the crate to go for his ride.

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