Safety Tips for Dogs and Open Car Windows
The dog or domestic dog is a domesticated descendant of the wolf characterized by an upturning tail. The dog is derived from an ancient, extinct wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog’s nearest living relative.
Dogs and car windows seem to like peanut butter and jelly. Why do dogs like to peek out of cars’ windows? Shouldn’t you allow them to do it as much as they may love it? These are the things you need to know about being a pet parent.
Why do dogs stick their heads out of car windows?
The Smells
Dogs love to hang out in-car windows because of their sense of smell. Mental Floss reveals that large dogs have more than 225 million olfactory senses, compared with 5 million for humans. Dogs sense the world around them by smell. Air rushes past your vehicle, intensifying and carrying scents that can tell your dog where they are and what they’re doing.
Sensory stimulation
The Dodo says that dogs enjoy all the smells, sounds, sights and feelings they get from looking out of their car windows. Dogs enjoy sensory stimulation in the same way that people do.
Why Dogs and Open Car Windows shouldn’t mix?
It’s dangerous to allow your dog to peek out of the car windows. Pet Health Network warns that your dog could sustain serious or even fatal injuries if an object, such as a rock, strikes them at high speed. A foreign object that hits your dog’s eyes could cause permanent blindness or damage their cornea. A foreign object can also get in the dog’s ears or nose, which could cause breathing problems or other hearing problems. Trips with Pets warns that dogs’ ears can swell from the wind blowing against their heads and cause swelling. This could lead to permanent damage.
Even if you drive slowly around the neighbourhood, it is still dangerous to allow your dog to hang out of the car windows. You could let your dog fall or get out of the car window. If your dog isn’t secured properly, they are more likely to be injured in an accident or if you suddenly brake.
How to keep your dog safe while driving?
It is best to keep your dog in a crate and ride in the backseat. Strap them in a dog-safe car seat or harness if that is not possible. Use a pet barrier to secure your dog in the back of an SUV or minivan. It would help if you never allowed your dog to ride on the bed of a pickup truck.
It is safer for everyone to keep your dog safe while you are driving with them. You won’t have to worry about them getting hurt by flying objects, and they will be less likely to distract you from driving. Your puppy will still enjoy the ride. An open car window will allow for plenty of scents to be inhaled.
To ensure your dog has a great time on car rides, keep them buckled up to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells for many years to come.
