Car Travel And Safety

Car journeys get harder as a dog ages. Jumping in and out puts impact through the front legs and shoulders, an unsteady dog slides around on every corner, and vet visits become more frequent at exactly the point they become more difficult.

Booster seats raise a small dog high enough to see out, which settles dogs who get anxious in cars, and hold them in one place instead of letting them slide across the seat.

Safety belts clip a harness to the car's existing seatbelt anchor. They stop a dog being thrown forward under braking, and they stop them wandering into the footwell or the front seat mid-journey.

Waterproof covers and mats deal with the practical side — muddy paws, accidents, and the shedding that goes with it.

One thing worth saying plainly: always clip a car restraint to a harness, never to a collar. A collar concentrates the entire force of a sudden stop on a dog's neck.