Even on the go rested & safe
The combination of “car and dog” is a very special one: many four-legged friends love being chauffeured and get to know some new impressions in the process. Others are very reluctant to travel; they then become nervous and often suffer from nausea.
If your dog enjoys driving, there is nothing wrong with taking him in the vehicle more often. If he gets crazy on board, he'll pay the price at his destination – Without rest periods on the go, he quickly gets tired, which could become a problem.
Driving offers a lot Resting potential
That's why the dog should be given the chance to relax and be completely calm in the car nap to insert. Longer journeys are particularly suitable for this, the animal recharges your batteries for your destination and doesn't get bored when there's hardly anything to see on the highway.
Unfortunately, many four-legged friends do not take advantage of this resting potential, which is mainly due to a lack of comfortable sleeping options. And that's not only a shame, but also risky.
Dogs have one greater need for sleep as people
Because dogs have one significantly higher need for sleep than we humans. Although the animals also have a night's rest with deep sleep, they can't make ends meet with six to eight hours.
Instead, they need her breaks during the day too: Even on a hectic day and little need for sleep 12 to 14 hours of rest is an absolute must for the four-legged friends, but many animals also snooze every day 16 or even over 20 hours.
However, they don't spend these in one go, but rather over and over again smaller naps a. Sometimes these only last a few seconds, but occasionally dogs take a longer nap. These phases usually occur when the animal has exhausted itself physically or mentally or after meals. The many new impressions along the way can also make you sleepy.
Risks with constant lack of sleep
If the dog doesn't get the sleep he needs, it quickly has negative effects. This is mainly because the Hormone secretion disrupted is: If there is a lack of rest, the body senses danger and reacts accordingly – “stress hormones” such as adrenaline are then increasingly chased into the brain region, while “happiness hormones” such as serotonin fall behind.
This doesn't leave the animals unscathed: dogs who suffer from lack of sleep often show signs of this Symptoms How
- Difficulty concentrating
- Hyperactivity
- decreasing obedience, for example to commands
- Anxiety or nervousness or even
- aggressive behavior.
In addition to these psychological problems, physical suffering sometimes also increases because the immune system is weakened. Dog owners who don't know about this often interpret these signs differently and label their pet as having behavioral problems, even though all he really needs is some peace and quiet.
Legal regulations for taking your dog in the car
So it's worth it, the dog a place to rest everywhere so that he is relaxed and balanced at all times. Of course, this also includes the car; with the right equipment, a joyride is ideal for your four-legged friend to recharge your batteries and recharge your batteries.
But you are not completely free to make the decision, because in addition to the comfort factor, you also have to legal provisions take into account. This is not only for safety, but also to avoid fines.
Pets are considered charge
If you think that the road traffic regulations (StVO) deal a lot with dogs, I'm afraid I have to disappoint you: According to §22 StVO, pets are only considered «Charge», which must be secured in the same way as all other items in the vehicle.
So there is no “dog paragraph”, which gives four-legged friends more rights.
Dog must secured at all times be
Instead, the dog has to adequately secured at all times be. This means in particular that the animal is not allowed to walk freely through the passenger cabin. Instead, it is necessary to fix it in such a way that it does not pose any risk, at least to third parties.
There are some generally accepted strategies that also apply to sleeping dogs, for example:
- In a passenger seat with a special seat belt
- On the back seat with a divider or
- In the adequately secured trunk.
In the Damage event threatens great danger
These restrictions also make perfect sense: An unsecured dog is a great danger, Especially in the event of a head-on collision, the four-legged friends then become one unpredictable projectile.
An accident – sometimes even an emergency stop is enough – is usually fatal for the animal. Due to the extremely strong forces involved, the lives of the occupants are also in danger. The dog can also harm third parties if it is thrown out of the vehicle.
If you're still not convinced, you should definitely watch this video: Here you can see how a belted dog and an unbelted dog fly around in an even rather slow 40 km/h collision.
Punish for unsecured four-legged friends
You should also think about securing pets because of your wallet: if it turns out that the dog is responsible for damage, you will definitely get in trouble with them Insurance.
Depending on the consequences of the offense, you may also have to go with it Fines between 35 and 75 euros as well as points in Flensburg. There doesn't have to be any damage at all – just a normal traffic stop is enough to cause trouble.