Seatbelts on my dog?

Question

Almost every day, I get up at a usual hour, go through my normal grooming process, and then head out in the truck to get fresh provisions.

My girl (an 8-year-old cocker) always comes with me. In fact, she is usually tail-wagging-the dog excited to get out of the house and go on the open road. I never refuse her.

She always prefers to sit in the passenger seat... doesn't want to hang her head out of the window, just sit looking at me with a serene look in her eyes.

The other day, another driver decided to cut into the traffic from a side street; I had to hit the brakes hard, and as usual when a loved one is sitting in the passenger seat I put out my right arm to protect them.

I didn't hit the guy, but my dog got thrown forward, and I had to pull over to check for injuries.

But then I thought, could I put the seatbelt on her in some way that would not hurt in a crash? After all, seatbelts are designed for humans.

Answer 1

There are dog/car specific harnesses - basically something like a padded full body harness that'll fit around your dog (and provide cushioning in the right places) and hook into a seatbelt.

I can't recommend anything specific, My late dog wasn't fond of it, and we just carried him - but a seatbelt is designed for humans, and might not cushion the 'right' places in a crash, nor be much use with a squirmy dog.