Best Dog Seat Belt
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Best Dog Seat Belt
Visitor Question
- Can you recommend a brand of seat belt for my 40 pound dog? I see a few different ones advertised and want to know what to look for.
Thank you.
Expert Answer
Hello, and thanks for your question.
Here are two seat belts you should look into further:
- The Ruff Rider Roadie Dog Car Restraint Seat Belt. The S.A.E. standard for human seat belts requires them to hold up to 5,000 pounds of pressure in a crash. The Roadie can withstand up to 9,300 pounds in a crash, well beyond the strength of a human seat belt, and your dog weighs a fraction of the average human being.
- The Champion Canine Seat belt System. This is the dog restraint system Toyota offers as an optional accessory, so it too meets safety standards.
Now for my personal opinion. I don't think dog seat belts offer enough protection. I prefer to use high density plastic crates to protect my dogs when we're on the go. A seat belt may hold your dog in place, but it won't keep any flying objects from hitting him during a crash. I hook my seat belt through the handle and buckle it up. Hey, if it's good enough for the airlines, it's good enough for me.
My advice is to ask your vet's opinion on whether a seat belt or a crate would provide more protection for your pet. He/She may have treated an animal that was wearing a dog seat belt during a crash, and could give you first hand info on how well protected that animal really was. Then you'll have a better basis on which you can make your decision.
Kelly :)
Comments
I used to recommend the Ruff Rider Roadie on my website in a Seat Belt Review article (www dot agilepooch dot com).
However, Ruff Rider has recently changed their design and I now longer recommend it - I will be updating my website this week. In addition to the Champion, I am now looking at the PetBuckle brand from IMMI Products.
Here is the message I sent to Ruff Rider: "I am extremly disappointed that you changed your design. I have always been a huge advocate of the Roadie, and have touted it highly for several years (and nearly 10,000 hits) in my Dog Seat Belt review at (link deleted so I could submit this message).
"I have tried your new design on my dog and I can't stand it. Among the features that make the old one so good are the following: "1. Ease of application - by unclipping the belly strap, I can get the dog in without over-flexing the dog's elbows and wrists. "2. Ease of removal - one loop over the head and then the dog steps out of it. "3. Adjustable sizing - with the adjusting chest and belly straps, I can custom fit for the dog and not have to choose between slightly too small (making it very hard on the dog's joints to get on and off), or too large (risking the dog slipping out of it or injury due to shifting).
"I will be updating my web site this week to completely change my recommendation back to the Champion, with a full explanation of why.
"Please let me know if you decide to start remaking the original version.
-- Contributed by: Holly NewmanThis page has been accessed 1,440 times. This page was last modified 19:37, 11 June 2006.
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