Dogs tend to stick their heads out the car window. There is no definitive explanation for this canine behaviour. According to one widely-accepted theory, a dog’s olfactory nerve goes into overdrive and the animal cannot resist “sniffing in” the scenery on a vehicle that is moving with a window rolled down. Going by a trove of videos on YouTube, many dog lovers allow their pets this indulgence. On the same video-sharing platform, there is work that shows why it should be avoided.
Well over a year ago,Inside Edition, an American tabloid television-news magazine, posted a news-feature video highlighting the danger of letting a pooch peek out of the car. Based on an incident where a couple from Colorado almost lost a pet that leaped through the window of their SUV, the video demonstrated the danger of letting a dog “travel loose”.
“Keeping a window just half-open will ensure the dog does not jump out. But this is just a half-measure and it does not address the possibility of injury or fatality in a collision. Your dog has to be secured properly. You have to get a dog seatbelt and harness,” says animal behaviourist Prasanna Gopinath.
If you have a dog that has to travel with you regularly, this is a necessary investment. Here’s why. United States-based Puppy Traffic School focusses on safe transport of dogs, cats, and other small animals. Through a section ‘What happens to a dog in a car accident?’ on puppytrafficschool.com, it conveys how an unrestrained dog becomes a “cannon-ball” in a collision. “A 10-pound dog will exert about 500 pounds of force at 30 miles per hour, and an 80-pound dog around 2,400 pounds of force,” it says. When a dog becomes a projectile of such force, it is in grave danger, as are the human passengers.
Car makers are putting the spotlight on the issue by offering dog guards in SUVs. For example, they are now a feature of Volvo’s SUVs. At the Chicago Auto Show, which concluded on February 19, the automobile major is said to have again drawn attention to the issue by partnering with the Petfinder Foundation, to help raise money and awareness.
There are also players in the automobile accessories business that make vehicle-specific dog guards. Dog hammocks are among popular accessories that address canine and human safety. Installed on the rear seat, a hammock allows it reasonable freedom of movement while being secured with a dog seatbelt and harness. The hammock also protects the rear seat against damage from canine claws. These are available on online shopping websites, such as Amazon and Flipkart.
While such accessories have gained popularity only over the last few years, the idea of safe transport of pets, especially dogs, is much older. Going by how rumble seats were predominantly used, some folks from the vintage era understood that a pet was part of the family, and had its place in the car.
“Rumble seats were a feature of older cars. In the 1930s, Ford, Chevrolet, and Dodge offered models with rumble seats. A rumble seat was a foldable exterior seat. At a squeeze, two people could be seated in a rumble seat. It was, however, not uncommon for a dog and its handler to take the rumble seat, especially during a hunting expedition. In those days, only the handler served as a ‘restraining force’ on the dog in a moving car. Not surprising. Back then, our notion of safety was limited, probably because the factors threatening safety were fewer. Now, when vehicles have become faster and traffic more chaotic, a robust accessory has to take the place of a handler, in a car,” says Kylas Swaminathan, an antique-car enthusiast.
