Car Journeys with Pets

1 May,2020 | Advice, Dogs

Whether it’s a family holiday or a trip to the vet, there may be occasions when your pet will need to travel in the car.

What the law says

When taking your pet on a car journey, they have to be restrained. That’s not just a recommendation – it’s the law. Alongside risking a £5,000 fine, if an unrestrained animal is found to have caused (or even contributed to) an accident, both your car and pet insurances can be invalidated!

So, what are your options?

Clix Seatbelt

Invest in a car harness. Car harnesses have built-in or detachable belts which will either click directly into your seatbelt, or loops which your seatbelt can thread through. This is a great option if your dog or cat is travelling on the back seat.

Or, try a seatbelt attachment with your existing harness. If you already have a comfy harness for your pet, you can minimise the number of times you have to swap your harness over by buying an individual belt.

Never attach a seatbelt attachment directly to your dog’s collar or a no-pull harness! Doing so can be dangerous.

If you have to perform an emergency stop, or are involved in a crash, your dog is at risk of strangulation or broken bones. Use a comfortable, preferably padded harness, that will

Rosewood Dog Guard

Use a crate or cage. To reduce the chances of your pet being a distraction whilst you drive, a crate or cage will keep them in one place.

Use a dog guard. If your pets are roaming on the back seats or in the boot, you can reduce their chances of climbing over and causing a distraction to you by using a dog guard. 

Other things to make journeys with pets easier

Keep your car cool in hot weather. Stick the air conditioning on, or have the window open a crack. Dogs like the feel of the wind in their fur. Just make sure that if you have the window open it is not so much that your dog could potentially jump out.

Protect your paintwork with a travel bumper guard. When dogs are climbing into and out of the car, their nails might risk scratching your bumper. By investing in a bumper guard, you will be able to ensure your bumper stays scratch free.

Trixie Three Fold Ramp

For dogs that struggle to jump up to the car, a car ramp will save lifting them up. A ramp can also be another great way of protecting your car bumper from being scratched.

Car hammocks and seat covers will save you hoovering. By using a car hammock or other form of seat covers, things should get far less hairy in the back seats. This means less time cleaning up after your journey!

For long trips, invest in a travel water bottle or bowl. This is another necessity in hot weather. Sometimes just keeping a spare travel bottle in the car can be really beneficial.

JVP Travel-Eze Tablets

For travel sickness, use medicine. Travel sickness is quite common in dogs. To help alleviate some of their illness, you can try a solution like travel tablets or herbal remedies. You could also consider leaving a couple of hours gap between feeding and travelling, just to ensure their stomach has settled.

Nervous dogs, or dogs that have not travelled by car before, may be scared of travelling in the car. Using a calming spray around the area will help them relax during the journey. For severe cases, you could consider medicines or herbal remedies to calm them down.