How To Keep Your Dog Safe In The Car

Inevitably, the day will come when your dog needs to be put in the car. Likely, it’ll be the very first day you get them. How else will you bring that puppy home? Cars can be a dangerous place for dogs, however. See, cars are built to keep humans safe in an accident. Often, designers don’t give thought to other cargo when making a car crash-safe. Airbags designed to keep us safe can actually injure pets. Moreover, an improperly restrained pet can be dangerous to other occupants in the event of a crash. With that in mind, we’ve put together a safety-oriented list of must-haves to keep your dog happy and safe in your car.

One of the best ways to do this is to create your own crash structure for your dog. After all, your car provides the same to you. Arguably the best way to tackle this is with a crash-tested dog crate. The Center for Pet Safety is a nonprofit that tests dog-friendly restraints, crates, and other travel accessories to keep your dog safe in the car. They recommend a number of crate options for various sizes of dogs.

We like the Lucky Kennel (bonus points if you go for the ratchet straps to properly secure the kennel). Lucky Kennel offers several size options based on your dog’s weight, ranging from dogs up to 50 pounds to dogs weighing 110 pounds. It features an injection molded reversible door with non-slip rubber feet and a locking paddle latch. Plus, we’re fans of how well-ventilated it is, given how hot some parts of the car can get even while it’s running. However, the crate isn’t overly heavy, despite its beefy stats, at only 38 lbs. In the CPS’ crash testing, the crate held up to testing extremely well. It earned a five-star rating. The only downside is price, but weighing the crate’s $600 price tag against the well-being of a pet feels silly.

Still, we understand the crate solution isn’t for everyone. Your car may be too small, for example. Or, alternatively, your dog may be too small. Happily, the CPS has also tested any number of carriers for small dogs that are perfectly safe in a crash. The Diggs Pet Carrier will accommodate dogs up to 18 lbs within its 20x10.8x11.5” frame Like the dog crate above, it also nets a five-star crash rating from the CPS and features a built-in bed and carry straps. This also has the added bonus of being compliant with most airline pet carrier requirements. This story might be focused on dogs, but we strongly recommend taking similar precautions with your cat as well. Thankfully, the Diggs carrier will work just fine for cats as well as dogs.

There is a third middle ground between a carrier and a harness. For many, the CPS’ selection of harnesses will be the most cost-effective option. A harness, while safe, also has the advantage of being less bulky than a pet carrier or a crate. For those dogs that aren’t crate-trained, these also allow a little more freedom of movement for your pet. Sleepypod offers two that are five-star crash-rated by the CPS, the Clickit Terrain Plus and Sport.

Both feature a padded vest, but the Sport features a slimmer design with padding and structure limited to the chest, between the front legs. In contrast, the beefier Terrain Plus features padding all the way around. There are also some subtle size differences, with the Sport fitting dogs with 16.5-40-inch chest sizes, and the Terrain Plus fitting anywhere from 20.5-41.5-inch chests. If we were to pick one specifically for use in the car, we’d have to go for the Terrain plus, simply because it promises more padding. Regardless, the two share a 5-star rating, and you can’t go wrong with either when it comes to keeping your pup safe.