Dogs love to sleep. What a life. While I’m heading out to work, my pooch has put himself back to bed after his morning walk. On average our canine friends spend around 12 hours sleeping. Not in one go, they like to spread this out over the course of a day with plenty of napping, snoozing and general lazing about. So it’s vitally important that choose the right dog bed for your pet. Having a well designed, comfortable and warm place to sleep is essential to maintain the physical and emotional well being of your dog.

The first factor to consider when choosing a dog bed is size. Make sure your dog has enough room to sleep and don’t under estimate just how much puppies can grow. You might be able to scoop them up with one hand when they’re little, but that phase won’t last long!

Your dog might have several different favoured sleeping spots. If that’s the case, you’re going to need a dog bed that’s easy to move around. Choose practicality over style every time. If you pick something that’s too heavy and clunky, you’re going to have a hard time accommodating your pet.

So you’ve found a dog bed that’s the right size and one that you can move around if needs be. So how durable is it? Cheap beds are flimsy and wear out quickly. They may not provide your dog with adequate support. Before you plump for that glorified pink pillow because it looks pretty. Stop for a moment. In no time at all it’s going to end up in state and more than likely it won’t cater for your dog’s basic needs. Quality beds having ratings based on the weight of the animal they are designed for. Popping fido on the scales before you go out to choose a bed will make all the difference in buying the right one.

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Turns out, according a new survey by AAA, pets may be as big of a distraction to drivers as cell phones. With all the recent laws banning texting or even outright cell phone use while driving, one has to wonder if new legislation regulating pets in cars is around the corner.

The AAA study found that 80 per cent of dog owners admitted to bringing them along for rides in their vehicle, but less than 25 per cent of those drivers kept their pets restrained. As many as eight states, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Oregon, Rhode Island, California, Massachusetts, Nevada and Washington, have laws on record requiring drivers to secure their pets, but only if the pet is in an open area of the vehicle (i.e., the back of a pickup truck).

The common thread with these laws is that they all exclude the cabin of the vehicle, where the driver and pet share a common space. Currently, the laws on record are intended to safeguard the pets, not the driver of the vehicle, the drivers of surrounding vehicles, or either of their passengers. As proof of this point, here is an excerpt from Connecticut’s “Laws on Securing Animals Being Transported in a Vehicle” that states the law’s intention as to “prevent [the animal] from being thrown, falling, or jumping from the truck.” The maximum fine for this offense is $50.

The reason many pundits feel that new laws are around the corner is the distraction level these unsecured pets provide. The same AAA study found that 31% of dog owners admitted that their dogs are a distraction on the highway. Even more, 59% admitted that their dog had been a distraction at least once previously. And this distraction in not entirely the pet’s fault: 50% of drivers said they pet their dogs while driving, 20% drive with their dogs in their lap, 7% say they feed their dog while driving, and 5% cop to playing with their dog while behind the wheel.

It is not only driver distraction that lawmakers fear. The injuries an unrestrained pet could impart is typically much worse then the general public believes. AAA reports that even a 10-pound dog can exert 500 pounds of pressure if it is loose in a 50 mph crash. That force of impact is for a small dog; more disconcerting is the force of impact a much larger dog could bring about in a car crash. Lloyd P. Albert, AAA Southern New England senior vice president of public and government affairs, claims that, “…an unrestrained 80-pound dog in a crash at only 30 mph will exert 2,400 pounds of pressure. “

An upcoming vote in Alabama could usher in a new era of driving with pet laws, as a town there looks to pass an ordinance banning interaction with pets while driving. A similar bill was vetoed in California back in 2008 notes a local California personal injury attorney.

Regardless of what happens in the legal system regarding pets and driving, Lloyd P. Albert wants you to consider your pet’s impact on those around it. “Restraining your pet when driving can not only help protect your pet, but you and other passengers in your vehicle as well,” Albert says, “Imagine the devastation that can cause to your pet and to anyone in its path.”

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About the Author:
Steinberg & Spencer Injury Lawyers have been assisting injury victims and their families in Southern California since 1982. Speak with a California personal injury attorney or a California brain injury attorney to discuss the details of your case.
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