January 2015 - The Way of The Dog Ltd

Transporting Dogs Safely

Jan 20, 2015 | Blog, Dog Care, Dog Care & Education

I recently heard a story featuring a car journey, an unsecured dog and an electric window switch; put these 3 elements together and the potential for catastrophe doesn’t bare thinking about. Thankfully, quick thinking and fast reactions prevented this tale from realising its scary potential.

Since hearing of this incident, I’ve noticed something that I hadn’t realised was quite so prevalent; dogs are being transported insecurely on Britain’s roads, putting the dog, the owner and others at risk.

Here’s our guide to transporting you dog safely….
Transporting an animal in the UK is subject to certain laws and regulations.

The Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order states that:
‘No person shall transport any animal in a way which causes or is likely to cause injury or unnecessary suffering to that animal.’

In addition to this

The Highway Code states that:
‘When in a vehicle make sure dogs or other animals are suitably restrained so they cannot distract you while you are driving or injure you if you stop quickly’.

This means that your dog must be transported in a way the will cause it no harm and will reduce the level of harm inflicted in the event of an accident. It must also be restrained from interfering with your driving and remove the risk of injury to passengers in the event of an accident.

The RAC Pet Insurance study of 2014 revealed that 4% of pet owners have had an accident, or a near miss, as a result of a pet being loose in their car. While the majority agree that it is a hazard to allow a dog to be loose in a vehicle, 28% said they would let their dog move freely. Also of concern is that 21% usually leave their dogs unsecured on car seats.

My observations would suggest that these are very conservative figures. This isn’t surprising as many owners wouldn’t want to admit to endangering their pets or breaking the law. Many are simply unaware of how to abide by these laws and regulations fully.

The remainder of this article covers some of the options available to dog owners for securing their pets whilst in a vehicle. Your decision will depend on vehicle type, budget and personal preference; here are a few options available on the market today.

Vehicle Pet Crates

Vehicle crates offer the most secure method of transportation, provided that it is sturdy and secured in place.

By placing your dog in a crate you remove any risk of it interfering with the driver and of it entering the passenger area in the event of an accident; it will however still hit the sides of the crate in the event of an accident, but it’s travelling distance will be relatively small.

You should choose a crate that can be secured with straps or bolts; it’s size will depend on the size of your dog. Your dog should be able to stand up and comfortably turn around. To increase comfort you can add a non-slip cushioned mat.

The negatives associated with crates usually relate to their cost, size, weight and the time taken to fit and remove them.

Car Pet Cages / Barriers

Pet car cages and barriers offer all of the same benefits as car crates, but the negatives are extenuated.

Your dog will not be able to interfere with the driver’s attention and will be secured from being projected through the passenger cabin in the event of a crash. There is however more space to travel inside a cage in the event of a crash; this will increase the risk of injury.

As with pet crates, you should choose a crate that can be secured with straps or bolts; it’s size will depend on the size of your dog. Your dog should be able to stand up and comfortably turn around. To increase comfort you can add a non-slip cushioned mat.

Once again, their size and time taken to fit and remove can be seen as a negative.

Pet Carriers

Smaller dogs may be transported in pet carriers on short journeys. These offer the same benefits as a car crate, providing they are sturdy and crash tested.

These carriers offer the benefit of being movable and lower in cost than a crate, but should only be used for small dogs. You should choose a carrier that can be secured with straps, harnesses or seat belts. Your dog should be able to stand up and comfortably turn around. To increase comfort you can add a non-slip mat.

Dog Safety Harnesses

Dog harnesses attach your dog to a fixed point in your car to prevent him/her from interfering with the driver. A good dog harness will also prevent your dog being propelled from it’s seat in the event of an accident.

A dog harness system is a good choice for those with small cars, saloon cars or those who do not wish to fill their vehicle with hardware. These systems aren’t as secure as a crate or cage, but typically cost less.

You should choose a harness with the correct rating for your size/weight of dog.

Making the Right Decision

Each of these restraint systems have their own pros and cons; what is suitable for one owner may not be suitable for another. But there are consistent concerns and checks for each.

You should always check the suitability of each option for your dog and your vehicle.
The variety in quality and suitability in all of these product ranges is vast – from poor to excellent. You should spend time researching them and reading reviews.
You should research how any particular product has rated in crash tests for dogs of the same weight as your own. If a manufacturer is unable to give such information, it is prudent to assume that tests have not been completed and that the product may not be a suitable restraint in the event of an accident.
You should weigh and measure your dog before purchasing any of the products to ensure the correct size/style is purchased.
These systems should be fitted by an expert where possible.
These systems should be regularly monitored for wear and tear and continued suitability.

More Safety Considerations

In addition to restraining your dog you should:

Assess if your dog is fit to travel.
Ensure that the dog has adequate ventilation.
Ensure that the dog is shaded from direct sunlight.
Monitor your dog for signs of overheating.
On long journeys, ensure that the dog has regular access to water.
If transported in the passenger cabin apply any child safety systems e.g. window locks, child safety locks, fit window guards.
If transported on the boot of a hatchback, SUV, van ensure that back doors are fully closed and cages or crates do not contact the windows or doors.
Never leave your dog unattended in a car.

Information provided by the government regarding the welfare of dogs during journeys can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/69549/pb10308-dogs-cats-welfare-060215.pdf

Contribution by Matthew@Heppiness

How to Approach a Dog

Jan 3, 2015 | Blog, Dog Behaviour

Throughout 2015, we will regularly release blog and media items that relate to educating readers, but more particularly children, in how to live in harmony with dogs that enter their lives. This article is aimed at providing parents, carers and teachers with the information required to teach children how to approach a dog.

Why teach a child how to approach a dog?

Children have no natural fear of animals, only learnt ones; they do however possess a natural curiosity about animals. Most children have positive encounters with dogs; these positive encounters create associations and learned behaviours.

Here’s a fictional example.

Little Mary’s gran has a dog called Fido who is balanced and socialised. All of their time together is controlled and managed, as a result they have a great relationship based on mutual trust and friendship. Mary can hug Fido, feed him treats and play with his doggy toys. All of little Mary‘s experiences of dogs have been with Fido; they have all been positive and as a result she is very enthusiastic about petting dogs.

Based on the above, can little Mary be expected to approach and interact with other dogs in the same way she does with Fido?

The answer is unequivocally NO.

Little Mary has created an association between dogs and good experiences. She has also learned that dogs can have their space invaded and that she can give and/or withdraw their food and possessions. She will continue to approach and interact with all dogs in the way she does with Fido. In most cases this will be fine, but in some she may be at serious risk of being bitten by an unsocialised, nervous or possessive dog. All children must be taught how to approach, read and pet dogs safely.

A step-by-step guide to approaching dogs

The first thing to teach a child is that all dogs are different; some dogs are confident, happy and well socialised, whilst others can be scared, nervous and unpredictable. Some are happy and confident in some situations, yet scared and nervous in others. Therefore, each dog’s response to being approached will be different. Below you’ll find a step-by-step guide to teaching children how to approach a dog. These each step relate to the poster that is attached below. This poster can be downloaded and printed to display in a child’s bedroom, a school classroom or printed as a handout. Please use the poster and the lesson text together as a complete teaching aid. You should teach your child to follow each of these steps every time they approach a dog:

Never approach a dog that is not under it’s owners control – This includes dogs that are off lead in the park, dogs that are tied up outside shops or schools or even your neighbours dog in the front garden.
Always ask the owners permission before approaching a dog – Be calm and polite when asking permission. Do not excite the dog. A dog’s owner will know how their dog reacts to being approached. If the owner says “No” you should thank the owner and walk away calmly.
Let the dog come to you – If the owner agrees to being approached, gently offer a hand in the direction of the dog. If the dog wants to meet you it will come and sniff your hand. If the dog doesn’t come to you it probably doesn’t want to be petted, you should thank the owner and walk away calmly.
Read the dog’s signals – A dog cannot talk, but it can give very clear signals to tell you if it is comfortable with your approach. Before you start to pet the dog you should look for the following signals:
Positive (Good) Signals: Wagging tail, open mouthed, tongue out, rubbing against you, sitting or lying beside you, climbing up your leg.
Negative (Bad) Signals: Moving away from you, cowering or retracting from you, barking, showing their teeth, tail tucked between back legs, tail up and curved over like a scorpion’s tail, fur along the ridge of back standing up.
If you are receiving only positive signals you can move on to petting the dog. You should continue to monitor these signals throughout your interaction with the dog. If at any point you see any of the negative signals you should slowly step back from the dog, thank the owner and walk calmly away.
Petting the dog – Dogs should be approached for stroking from the side. Gently stroke the fur on their back in a head to tail direction or in the area of the dog’s chest between it’s collar and front legs.
Never lean over the top of a dog. Never stroke the top of a dog’s head. Never pull on or play with a dog’s tail or ears. Never grab or hug a dog
You should continue to read the dog’s signals throughout your interaction. If at any point you see any of the negative signals you should slowly step back from the dog, thank the owner and walk calmly away.
Say “thank you” – After petting the dog slowly step back from the dog, thank the owner and the dog and walk away calmly.

Download this text as a pdf to print and use when teaching your child How to Approach Dogs – Lesson Text

Download this poster as a pdf to print and use whilst teaching your child or to display in your home How to approach a dog – Poster

Practice and reinforce

By following the above steps to introducing a child to a dog, you are creating a new learnt behaviour. You should teach your child to follow these steps each and every time they approach a dog, even if it is your own dog in your own house for 2 reasons:

Repetition reinforces the new behaviour to a point where it becomes natural. Your child subconsciously become a good reader of a dog’s signals and be able to assess the risks in approaching it.
A dog’s reaction to being approached will change depending on many factors. A dog you approached and stroked on your way into the park may have had a fight with another dog and become scared and nervous whilst you had a picnic. A dog you see and stroke every day may be feeling unwell and not want to be stroked. As a result, you should always restart the steps if you wished to re-approach a dog.

We hope this guide provides you with the tools required to teach your child how to approach a dog.

We are keen to hear your views and comments on the above article, please feel free to add them below.

Contribution by Matthew at Heppiness