My wife subscribes to CSDog book review, and the following was posted on that list. The author gave me permission to post it.


I've had many conversations with my husband about this and just had one
more. The reason I sort of listen to him about this (though not about much
else concerning his opinions about dogs) is because he is one of the
experts. He has a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and is a consultant to
attorneys and insurance companies on matters related to failure analysis and
safety. He does research and publishes papers, investigates accidents and
gives expert testimony. What he has to say is not what I or any of you want
to hear, which is that there is no such thing yet as a really safe car
protection system for dogs (comparable to what we have for humans) in the
event of an accident. Crates may be slightly safer than harnesses which may
be slightly safer than a tie down system, but the forces exerted on a crate
in a serious accident do not make for a pretty picture.

Car safety systems for humans was not a quick development-they came about
through many years of research and millions of dollars spent and there is
simply nothing equivalent now on the market for dogs. So, what he says is
the most important thing we can do to protect our dogs, is everything that
is in our own power to prevent having an accident. That means keeping our
vehicles in good repair, no talking on cell phones or eating while we drive,
and no loose dogs moving around in the car as a distraction.

I know this is probably a hot button topic, but please, no flaming anyone.
I do strongly recommend transporting dogs in crates whenever that is
possible. I just think that we also need to realize how careful we need to
be to avoid having an accident in the first place, especially when the
discussion has centered around how to respond to dogs barking while we are
driving.

Your post is well taken. As you state, safety is a relative concept. I would like to see some statistics (assuming they are available) on the relative safety of the systems you mention so that people can make an informed decsion on transporting their pets.

The problem a lot of us face, I am sure, is balancing the safety of our animals with issues of comfort. It is something we do all the time for ourselves as well.

While the dog seat and seat belt harness I use for our pup may be less safe that transporting him in a crate, I prefer getting to my destination after a long trip with a happy dog - something he wouldn't be if he travelled the whole distance in a crate.

we also need to realize how careful we need to
be to avoid having an accident in the first place, especially when the
discussion has centered around how to respond to dogs barking while we are
driving.

Excellent point! Accident prevention is numero uno. Defensive driving requires total concentration ON DRIVING. For our dogs' sake, if no one else's.

And despite all the government testing on them, I certainly prefer never to personally test out an airbag, let alone all the safety features, if I can possibly avoid it. And I don't want Gidget crashing around in a crate, either.

Even more compelling, I don't want my carelessness to cause anyone else to have to rely on THEIR vehicle's airbags, etc.

That, I would find hard to live with on my conscience.

:cool:

From an emergency room (veterinary of course) standpoint, the safest way to transport your dogs is in an airline approved crate-not the metal ones you house train in. During an accident, seat belt systems that are marketed for dogs just act like a tether and your dog like a ball at the end of it(even attached to a harness, not a collar). Metal crates can bend with the force of an accident and hurt your pet. No retraint at all means they bounce around in the car and have as much if not more trauma than an unseatbelted person. This may sound gross, but it's true. For your safety and your pets, please have an appropriate crate!!

To add to this, an unrestrained animal in a vehicle will be a missle in the event of a sudden stop (accident). This can be a deadly thing for all the occupants of your vehicle.