Doggone Etiquette —

Safety Trips

By Bardi McLennan

A Word to the Dog:           

Lucky you if you love to ride in the car! (Your people may not appreciate it, but they are also lucky.) Lots of you, on the other hand, just hate it – all that bumping around, every pot hole giving you a sharp jolt – and leaving you with a queasy stomach! It’s either too hot, or there’s no fresh air, or too much a/c, you can’t breathe and you panic. So you should! To top it off, all your complaints go unanswered. What’s a poor dog to do? Maybe just take comfort in the high price of gas?

A Word to the Dog’s Owner:            

It would be hard to imagine that any dog owner today does NOT know that a dog should never be left in a car even for those “few minutes” you just think you’ll be gone. So much has been written about it, discussed on TV and means of online communication, as well as the verbal and written warnings given out in every dog training class. Dogs do not sweat the way we do to cool off. They pant, which is not an efficient cooling system inside a vehicle. Any cool air is quickly used up, even if the car windows are partially open. Of course, if those car windows are wide open, Rufus might try to save himself by jumping out – that is, if he still has enough energy left! It spells tragedy either way.            

So every spring, regardless of how many times it’s been said before, we repeat the warning: Do not leave a dog in the car for any length of time, or for any reason. A two-minute run into the store could well take five or six minutes which could be enough time to send the car temperature up to 160 degrees or more, and to put Rufus into a coma. Come to think of it, those dogs that hate to ride in the car may be the lucky ones. Except for essential trips, they are generally left at home.         

Read labels on all those things you buy that may be fabulous for getting the plants to grow, or to keep the bugs off the plants or out of the lawn, but they can be hazardous to your dogs. When you’re walking, remember Rufus can’t read. It’s up to you to heed the warnings that say chemicals have been put down. Any of them can cause a poisonous reaction. A few days of rain helps get it all into the ground, but it’s a good idea to add an extra day or two to the length of time the label says you should keep your pets away from such treated areas.    

With all the rain we’ve had, another good safety measure is to eliminate the leaf “taste testing” Rufus is normally allowed to do. Some plants that burst forth in wet areas are poisonous. Put that one-word command – Leave it (or Drop it) – to good use and prevent the dog from coming down with a stomach ache or worse. 

It’s a holiday weekend! Celebrate! Dogs brought to parades are not appreciated by the spectators or the participants. The canine reaction to such human antics could be to attack – or run! Barbeques, on the other hand, will usually keep Rufus hanging around, since food is always of interest. Grilled ribs are great barbeque fare, but not so good for dogs,

Celebrate by keeping your dog safely on leash if you’re out and about, or safely fenced-in at home, and safely indoors if Rufus is home when you are not. Be really careful when it comes to traveling by car with your best pal. When your trip is a long one, stop every couple of hours for a brief dog walk. You’ll appreciate the break, too.

Until next time – BE GOOD!

- Bardi

Bardi McLennan bred, trained and showed Welsh Terriers for 30 years, during which time she wrote a monthly column on canine behavior in Dog Fancy Magazine. In addition to contributing to numerous dog publications, she has written 15 books on dogs, the latest being Rescue Me!, which received the ASPCA Humane Issues Award in 2008.