Is your dog truly safe when riding in the car — or are you putting them at risk without realizing it?
As a certified dog trainer and behavior expert, I’m breaking down the best tips for traveling safely with your dog in the car — including the safest harnesses, travel crates, seat belt attachments, and must-know do’s and don’ts for every road trip.
✨ Learn why seat belts and harnesses matter for dogs
🐾 Discover the safest way to travel with your dog in the car
🚫 Avoid the #1 mistake most pet parents make on road trips
✅ Keep your dog calm, comfortable, and protected on every drive
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👇 Products We Use + Recommend for Dog Car Safety
🚗 Dog Seatbelt Harness: [
👜 Crash-Tested Crates: [
🐶 Car Seat Protector: [
🎒 Dog Car Travel Essentials: [
🎉 Bonus favorites: [
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What is the coolest place you have ever traveled with your dog? Anywhere you suggest others as a “MUST GO” on a road trip with their dog? Let me know in the comments!
I am wondering, as a pet sitter, what I can have in my little toyota matrix, that would work for different sized dogs. I don’t transport dogs much (we usually walk etc in their neighborhood). There are times though I may have to take a dog to the vet and I feel I need some set up (some of my clients have a set up that they leave with me and some just have their dogs loose in the car). Any suggestions?
I have 2 Toy Poodles, weighing 4.5 and 6.5 lbs respectively and the smallest Sleepypod harness is too big for them. Trachea damage in the little ones is a big thing, too. The Center for Pet Safety video of the test crash of the round Sleepypod carrier at only 30 mph is not at all reassuring that my dogs would survive an accident without serious injury at the least. I’m thinking of getting a hammock to put my double walled Gunner G1 kennel in, and put each dog in well padded soft sided crates inside of that. I’m really wondering about the physics of a small dogs’ body reacting in space and time to an accident at 60 mph. Crash testing the Sleepypod shows what happens to the crate and not the dog, albeit a weighted stuffed animal as well. I think a lot more consideration and research needs to be done before a sufficiently successful method(s) of safe canine transport is developed and I would never secure a dog by the neck in a vehicle.
What about putting the dog in the back seat and then closing the door on the end of the leash? The leash is connected to a collar.
We learned the (luckily) hilarious way when our Dalmatian Roxy jumped through the open window in back seat to chase a squirrel. Also luckily, her 28 ft. extension leash handle remained in the car so we were able to jump out, catch her quickly and put her back in the car as the other people at the 4 way stop giggled and applauded when all went well. But it could have been a real disaster. Thank you for the tips.