Best Small Crash Safe Dog Crate
MIM Safe VarioCage Travel Crate
Crash Tested Crate This is arguably one of the best crash-tested dog crates that passed tests from different crash scenarios like roll-over, front, and rear crash scenarios. its made out of durable metal but it is still light to carry around because of its weight of 37.5 lbs. It can easily be the safest dog crate. The only con is that its extremely expensive.
Car Crumple Zone Mimicking This safest dog crate for cars mimics the cars crumple zones that are usually there to save you to save your dog as well. It has a front access door that has hydraulic gas motion springs and a back escape door
Adjustable Size The crate even has an adjustable size because the steel rods on the side can be extended to give the crate more length but thats not the only thing that its for. It will lessen the impact on the crate in a car crash because the rods will act as shock absorbers.
Choosing The Right Size There are two things to take into consideration when choosing the size of this crate. Your dogs height and length and the cars dimensions. You can use the chart that the manufacturer provides to see how to measure your dog and car although the car dimensions will be less of a problem since the crate has an adjustable size.
In Short:
- Made out of sturdy metal
- Passed the roll-over, rear, and front crash scenarios
- Has an adjustable size
- Has a front access door and an escape back door
- Adjustable in size
How To Make Your Dogs Crate Comfortable
With that said, its important to mention the necessary factors to make the road trip comfortable for your dog. First and foremost, your crate should be the right size for your dog, with enough room to sit up and lay down.
You can even take it a step further and furnish your dogs crate with mattress pads or blankets, as well as line the side of the crate with foam to protect them from any bumps in the road.
Making sure you have ample food, water and treats for them is vital as well, and toys to keep them busy. Proper first aid, such as flea and tick treatment, cleaning solution, and emergency food is a good idea as well.
Sometimes a dog crate simply is not an option for your vehicle and the size of your dog. If the crate size is too large for your backseat, you dont have a loading area, or whatever the reason may be, a viable second option may be a pet safety harness.
Always remember that safety is first, for both you and your fur baby! Here is a pet safety harness that may be a great choice if crates are not a viable option for you. Check out our article on Securing Your Dog in the Car with a Leash for more information on the use of safety harnesses and securing them.
Safer Seats For Your Dog
CrateA safer way for your dog to travel in a car is in a dog crate, preferably made from a strong material such as aluminum. Some crates even have padding for added impact protection. No matter which kind you choose, be sure that the crate is big enough for your dog to stand, turn around, and lie down comfortably, and has proper ventilation. Always bring enough water and a toy or two to keep him comfortable and happy. Being in a crate may also reduce motion sickness in dogs. Place crates on the floor of the back seat or in the open storage/trunk area, not on the back seat. Crates can also be strapped down, so they do not move about as much.
No matter which way you travel with your dog, he should always wear a collar with an ID tag containing your contact information, in case he escapes during an accident.
If you still insist on keeping your dog unrestrained in the car:
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How To Travel In The Car With Your Dog
If youre taking a short trip or are driving on a long-distance journey, you may have found that your dog isnt a great fan of travelling. Your dogs distress may make it tempting to sit them in the footwell at the front of your vehicle, or loosely in the boot. But, the Highway Code has a set rule on travelling with your dog in the car.
How To Travel With A Dog In A Car
How to travel with a dog in a car has become an increasingly popular question for pet owners.
The easiest answer is yes and the worst answer is no, although sometimes that doesnt quite fit into a neat little package.
Its all relative, of course, and depending on your situation you may find yourself needing one or the other.
Heres a look at some of the challenges of traveling with a dog:
One thing to keep in mind is that you are probably going to be traveling by car.
That means youll want to make sure you have a vehicle large enough to accommodate both you and your pooch. Also think about your dogs size.
If you have a big dog and you are traveling long distances or driving through rural areas, you should pack it light and opt for a car that only seats one dog at a time.
Then youll also need to be aware of local laws concerning pets in cars.
In addition, traveling with a dog can be tricky in manydifferent ways. Most people dont realize that they cant reach the powerswitch from their seats! Plus, youll have no access to your pet while the caris in motion.
You should expect at least a few forms of entertainment for your dog at every check points.
If not, youll need to find time to distract your dog with something like putting treats in the glove box of the car. On the other hand, if you do have plenty of entertainment available, you cant go wrong!
Traveling with a dog in a car can be more challenging when youre on a road trip.
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How The Cps Testing Works
In the 2nd test, dog car crates were afresh placed in the burden area, this time with one ancillary of the crate comatose adjoin the aback ancillary area of the aback seats . This accustomed the crates to accept added abutment through the seatback, and abounding added crates were able to canyon this test.
However, the botheration is that if the crate relies on the cars seatback for support, there is an added accident of a seatback abortion in the accident of a advanced appulse if the dog and crate accept a accumulated weight that exceeds 40 lbs.
This wouldnt aloof put your dog at risk, but your cartage too, so in abounding cases, application the seatback abutment for your dogs crate is not safe or recommended. Crates mentioned actuality anesthetized BOTH tests, so no worries!
Lets booty a attending at the top winners for the best defended and safe dog car carriers and crates!
The Law On Travelling In The Car With Your Dog
According to The Highway Code with regards to Rules about Animals, it is the drivers responsibility to:
Make sure dogs or other animals are suitably restrained so they cannot distract you while you are driving or injure you, or themselves if you stop quickly.
With these regulations in place, if you were in an accident caused by your dog distracting you while driving, this could be considered as dangerous driving. Car insurance providers may also require you to restrain your pet, so its best to check your policy.
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Use A Car Harness For Dogs
While figuring out how to secure a dog in the boot, you will want to start with a simple car harness for dogs.
The right harness for dogs will keep them in place, comfortable, and well-behaved. In general, dogs that are kept secured with a car harness will be safer if the vehicle were to crash.
This alone makes it a valuable addition to your setup.
When you are using a car harness for dogs make sure it is securely in place. It will have to go onto a metal latch or any place that can take the carabiner design.
Be careful when you are doing this and ensure the dog does have enough space in the boot.
The Chase For A Safe Dog Car Crate
Were activity to booty you through what to accede back selecting a cool safe car crate for your pooch.
Be abiding to accumulate in mind:
Size. Pay absorption to the admeasurement of your dog, compared to the admeasurement of the crate or carrier. A dog car crate should never be 6 inches best than your dog. This is because the abundance is absolutely what is befitting your dog safe acceptance too abundant balance amplitude agency added drive and heavier force on impact, consistent in a added alarming blast for your dog.
Connectors. If your crates connectors arent able and up to snuff, the crate will go aerial in an accident. And that affectionate of defeats the accomplished credibility of accepting a athletic dog car crate! In abounding dog blast tests, adapter straps were a key point of failure.
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Are All Dog Crates Safe
Not all dog crates on the market are safe.
Comfort inside a crate is secondary to safety. The most significant reason for getting a crate is to protect you and your dog from injury in the event of an accident. An unrestrained dog may become a flying projectile inside the car when an accident occurs.
The dog may collide with you and other persons in the car, which can injure you, the dog, and other persons as well. So, by protecting the dog, you also protect yourself. And thats not allyou can prevent your dog from distracting you while driving.
However, you should know that your dog can still be in a crate and get injured when an accident occursas the crate will go flying. This happens when the crate is not crash-proof.
So, the best thing you want to do is to ensure that you get a dog crate that has passed the crash test. Otherwise, youre putting your dog at risk even with a travel crate .
Can Prevent Any Mud In The Car
If you have a bounding and excitable dog, you will need a dog crate for your car. This is even truer when you like to take your dog down to the local park, especially when its muddy. If they are excitable and like to run around, the chances are theyll end up rolling in something they shouldnt. This can be a huge issue if youve just cleaned your car as youll be getting fresh mud everywhere.
If you have a pet crate you can spare the muddy mess and keep everything contained in a smaller area. If you have a fancier car this can be a lifesaver and will cost you a lot less time cleaning and scrubbing. If you invest in a plastic or metal crate, the mud and mess will slide right off making cleaning even easier. Wired and soft-sided crates also work but they can stain and let material through, making them less practical.
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Can Hold A Supply Of Food And Water
If you have gone with an airline approved dog crate, you may have done yourself a huge favor when it comes to long-distance car travel. Airline approved pet crates will have sections where water and food bowls can be placed, allowing your pet to enjoy food and water if theyre traveling for a long time. This is essential if youre car traveling as you wont want to stop constantly and feed your pet. However, a few stops wont go amiss.
Your pet will need to have a supply of food and water on a long trip and investing in a pet crate is an excellent choice in this respect. If youre tired of getting out the car to feed your pet, get yourself a pet crate that has an additional airline approval package. These will include water and food bowls. These are worth having any way in case you decide on traveling internationally by plane.
For Beyond Dogs Aegis Is Alike Added Important
While dog car assurance is important for all canines, appropriate affliction needs to be accustomed to bigger dogs.
Larger dogs are alike added of a alarming projectile than baby dogs, as a 70 lb basset anatomy hurtling through your car at 70 mph is activity to be a accomplished new akin of alarming as against to a 10 lb pup.
However, alike a baby dog can apply a amazing bulk of burden at aerial speeds.
On top of that, beyond dogs will acquaintance added force on impact. Unfortunately, this blow force is so able that actual few dog crates can authority up the account of car-safe dog crates for big dogs is a actual abbreviate one.
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How To Secure A Dog In A Car With A Leash
The best way to secure your dog in a car with a leash is to attach the leash to the built-in tie up buckles. You dont want the leash or tie up cable to be too long. Just enough for them to be able to turn around and lay down comfortably. The video shows the tie-up being attached to the dogs collar. This is not ideal as a sudden stop or crash could do serious damage to your dogs neck or worse. It is recommended to attach the tie up to a properly fitting harness.
Pet Carriers And Crates For Dogs
Dogs often dont realize the dangers of interfering with a driver, so many may try to climb on the driver or get in their lap especially if they are anxious, said Wendy Mandese, DVM, a clinical assistant professor at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, who noted that crates and carriers are the safest travel option for dogs. The experts we spoke to also emphasized that carriers along with all other pet travel products should be independently crash-tested by the CPS to ensure safety outside of brand claims.
The pet products industry is highly unregulated and many brands subjectively pass their products if they test them in the lab, said Wolko. This can give owners a false sense of security. You want to look for a carrier that has been engineered and tested for safety. Most carriers on the market only offer distraction prevention, which is important, but in a crash, they may not perform as you would expect them to.
Experts recommend never connecting the internal tether of the carrier or the seatbelt to your pet’s collar since it can result in neck fracture or airway damage when brakes are applied suddenly, said Mandese. Nelson also noted that the tethers are often too long and dont keep the pet in the seat anyway.
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What Size Of Dog Crate Is Suitable For My Dog
There are different sizes of dog crates for your car backseat on the market. You want to get the one that fits with your dog.
Find out the size of your dog and get one that is big enough for your dog to roam about a bit. You want your dog to be able to sit, stand, and turn around in the space.
But the crate should not be too large: something that fits and allows a little space for stretching. Basically, you should get a dog car crate that is not longer than 6 inches.
To know the size of your dog, follow these measuring tips:
- Length. Begin the measurement from the tip of your dogs nose to the end of the tail. When you get the size, add extra inches to the measurement obtainedperhaps two to four. This is to maximize the size of the crate for comfort.
- Height. Start from the ground to the tip of your dogs head and ears. This is to make sure that your dog stands up easily while inside. Add some extra inches too for enhanced comfort.
Keep in mind that your pet needs to turn around or stretch while inside the crate.
And more importantly, you want your pet secured inside. So, do not overextend the inches. Otherwise, the purpose of getting a car backseat dog crate is null as your dog can still get injured in a much wider crate when an accident occurs.
How To Pick The Safest Dog Crate For Car
Theres more to the safest dog crate for a car than just its durability. You have to think about the inside safety, how the doors lock, the crates build materials and even their size so make sure you read these tips so youd what really makes a crate for car travel a safe one.
Inside Safety What inside safety stands for is how the crate will protect your dog while hes inside. You should look for rounded corners and edges that dont have exposed sharp materials. These will protect your dogs paws and other parts of his body
Outside Safety You should think about why the crate locks and how difficult it will be for your dog to unlock it or if the locks on the crate can slide open due to vibrations when traveling by car. this is important because you dont want your dog to exit his crate while your driving because this can easily distract you and your dog can become rowdy and keep you from focusing on the road.
Crate Training Your Dog Even if you found the toughest dog crate that wont allow your dog to escape the crate, it is of utmost importance that you properly crate train your dog before traveling. The reason is simple, a troubled and anxiety-ridden dog will distract you and make it unsafe for you to travel.
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