Safety First

I've realized lately that lots of our training, and lots of our equipment, has to do with safety.

Elka is on a collar and leash when we go outside, to make sure she's safe. She can't decide to run into the road, or chase something and get off our property, anything like that. On our walks, she's on a harness and collar, with liberty's attachment to make sure more than one thing will have to fail to put her in danger; not that I'm sure she'd just hare off somewhere the instant she had a chance, but better safe than sorry. See, there it is again.

In the car, she has a harness which hooks to the built-in child seat anchor vehicles have. In the case of an accident, it will hopefully protect her, and also the humans in the car, preventing the 75 pound dog in the back seat from becoming a missile within the vehicle. It also keeps her from just jumping out when a door is opened, so her exit can be controlled to a safe place and situation.

Wordless Wednesday July 23 2013

Do I smell....banana?

We spent last week in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The drive down is 12-13 hours for us, depending on traffic and stops. Elka is very good in the car, and doesn't even puke anymore, now that we give her Dramamine (per the vet's recommendation and instructions).

On our drive down, the car was a bit more crowded than on the way back. We had more snacks packed, more booze, y'know, things like that. At one point (probably about....hour 11), my fiancé goes "Why do I smell banana?"

(car was stationary when all pictures got snapped)

Product Review: Bergan Dog Auto Harness

It's something that's been on my mind for awhile, but Dogster also had an article lately about whether car restraints for dogs are in fact adequate safety devices, or just a placebo. Of course, I have the EzyDog Chest Plate Harness, which Elka wears on walks (attached to both a leash and her collar, with Liberty's Attachment, for backup safety) and has worn in the car since we got it. She'd already ridden in the backseat once I'd realized that an air bag could kill a dog. But, was the EzyDog Chest Plate Harness safe enough, or only to prevent driver distractions? Should I look at other options as well?

Then one day I was browsing the Animal Rescue Site, and lo and behold, I saw the Bergan Dog Auto Safety Harness, which claimed to be safety rated. It certainly bore investigation! I contacted the Bergan Pet Products company via their web site, and they were kind enough to provide a harness for me to review.