I saw something this past weekend that really bothered me and I have to unload…

The temperature warmed up this past Saturday (and in Michigan, that’s anytime the thermometer reads over 32 degrees Fahrenheit and it’s not snowing), so I saw a number of people with car windows at least partially open while I was out running errands.

I happened to come to a stoplight behind an SUV that had the driver’s side window opened, and a little dog (think Maltese or Teacup Poodle) was hanging out the window. This dog didn’t just have its head out the window; rather, the dog’s front paws were resting on the sill and its entire upper body was outside. Of course, this isn’t the first time I’ve observed such a thing, but I guess it’s because this dog was so small and had so much of its body on the outside that I feel the need to write about it. THIS IN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FOR BOTH THE DOG AND THE DRIVER for several reasons.

First of all, the dog could very easily jump out the window and either run away, or worse, get hit by a car. Secondly, if the driver were to be sideswiped or have someone drive just a litte too closely along their left side, the dog could be decapitated. Thirdly, a dog’s eyes and ears may be injured by flying dirt and debris. Fourthly, the whole situation is a MAJOR distraction for the driver. It’s often difficult enough to see where you’re going during the winter (think snow or rain falling) without a dog bouncing around in your lap and bumping into your arms, head, etc.

Before you say, ‘My dog would never bounce around like that’, think about what happens when your dog spots something that grabs his attention, like a squirrel–and how fixated he becomes on that squirrel. The chances are pretty good that he would become very agitated and possibly jump out the window to get at the squirrel no matter how well-behaved he normally is. How can you pay attention to the road when you’re busy trying to keep your dog from flying out the window? Talk about distracted driving…

Dogs (like small children) should NEVER ride in the front seat of a car. Aside from what I just mentioned, what if you’re in a collision and your airbags deploy? Another situation where your beloved pet may be seriously injured or worse. The best place for a dog to ride in a car is in the back seat. Obviously, he can still get in the front seat if he tries, so the solution to this is to put a seatbelt harness on him, which is available from most pet-supply stores. This type of harness is similar to a walking harness, but there is a loop for the car’s seatbelt to go through so the dog can be buckled in safely. Medium- to large-sized dogs are able to still pull some slack on the seatbelt so they can lie down or sit up comfortably, but they can’t get into the front seat or jump out a window–and if there is a crash and rescue workers are called, the harness will keep a panicked dog from fleeing as soon as the car door is opened.

If your dog is of the smaller variety, special carseats are available that can be secured with a seatbelt and allow your little guy to sit up or lie down. Another thing–if possible, buckle your dog with the middle seatbelt. Since many of today’s vehicles are equipped with side airbags, putting your dog in the middle ensures that he won’t be struck with the full force of an airbag should it deploy.

Whew! Now that I’ve gotten this off my chest, I feel better…but I’ll feel even better if I never see any more dogs hanging out car windows!