In order to socialize me, Mom takes me around town with her. She never leaves me alone in the car - one of the leading causes of death among young dogs is being left in a car on a hot day. If Mom can't take me out of the car with her I stay home in the air-conditioned house. Not a bad deal for me with my fur coat! But even on the coldest day of the year I wasn't safe in the car until Mom figured out how to protect me in case of an accident.
At first I used to ride around in the car sitting on someone's lap. Every stop they held on tight so I wouldn't fall. But then I grew much bigger than a lap. At 75 pounds if I get thrown through the car I endanger not only myself, but everyone else too! So Mom put me in a crate in the rear of our station wagon, but that wasn't safe for me either.
The problem with a crate in the rear of the car is that is the area most likely to be hit if you are rear ended. If my crate is there I'm liable to get crushed, so the safest area for me is the middle seat, but that puts me back where I was before, so what is the answer?
Mom got me a Comfort Ride Traveling dog Car Harness:
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2755199&lmdn=Dog
She was afraid I would resist having the harness put on me but I didn't mind at all. I can move around enough to see out the window or lay down but I can't be thrown around the car. That makes both me and mom happy.
We've had the harness for a couple of months now and it is Doberman safe. Mainly because I can't get to it to chew it when the harness is on me and if it isn't on me I'm not in the car!
Alma
