Ten Essential Car Safety Tips For Dogs.

Our pets are a part of the family and they deserve to be safe while on the road and in the vehicle with us. We can show our love to them by taking all available safety precautions whenever we have them in the car. Below are some essential safety tips to ensure that we get the best out of every trip we make.

* Keeping a pet First Aid kit in your home and car is a necessity for all pet owners. Ensure to take the one you keep in your car with you on all trips with your pet. Because many situations require fast action to prevent further injury, you should be familiar with the First Aid kit and procedures to be ready when your pet needs immediate help.

* Be sure to keep the dog's leash firmly in hand when loading and unloading the dog from the car.

* Secure your dog in a position that keeps him or her away from car controls and buttons. Dogs have had their heads trapped in car windows after activating them.

* It's important you have a tag with an identification like your cell phone number on your pet just in case he or she slips out your sight.

* We all know how our best friends enjoy to ride in the front seat with us, but this is unsafe for both the pet and driver. Pets can easily be thrown into the windshield when a sudden stop is made and they can also interfere with one's driving by causing distractions, thereby putting the two parties at risk.

* Keeping your pet in a crate or at the back seat takes away the danger of injury caused by an airbag. Airbags can harm pets and children when they rupture out of the dashboard with great force.

* Pets should always be secured while inside a car. Most pet dog car seats come with safety straps and harness while some pet carriers come with an internal leash to restrain the pet in the car.

* Pet carriers, pet crates and dog seats for cars should always be fastened to the car seat so it does not dash forward or spin in case of a sudden stop or accident. Pet car seats usually comes with Seat belt safety loops and if your car seat does not have room for these you can simply install a pet safety belt which has been known to be the best way to secure a dog in the car.

* If you have a pet barrier to keep dogs in the back seat installed in your car, ensure you use a loose leash in the back seat fasten to something inside the car and allow enough slack to avoid strangulation in case of a sudden break.

* Keep the windows rolled up high enough so that your dog cannot squeeze out. Dogs could try to escape from a moving vehicle if it's a strange experience for them.

Traveling with your pet should always be a pleasurable activity which should be done with comfort, safety and style for you and your best friend. But of all these three, we should put safety first.