All Things Dog Blog

by Carrie Boyko

Oliver Travels in High Style

Up Front with Mom

I never thought I'd be one of them. You know, the people with the toy-sized dogs that dress up their little darlings and put them in car seats. Never say never.

As you can see in this photo, Oliver has a new chariot. He really thinks he's hot stuff now--got his CGC and a new booster seat all in one week. The booster seat was a gift from an advertiser, Nature by Dawn, who runs Pet Auto Safety, and blogs about car safety for our canine companions.

With 3 dogs in the back of my Prius, it can sometimes get sketchy when I have to slam on the brakes. I wish they would all lay down, so they don't go flying, even if they are in crates. Oliver now has an alternate ride; his beautiful, color-coordinated booster seat looks awesome in my new Prius. I'm almost as thrilled as Oliver.

On our first day, Oliver looked on curiously while I installed the car seat and adjusted the straps. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly it was ready to go; just 3 snaps, a couple of adjustments and we're done.

When I picked Oliver up to put him in for the first time, he squirmed a bit, but perked right up when he felt solid ground under his feet. A quick clip to his harness and we were off for a ride around the neighborhood.

Complete quiet....shocking! He was so thrilled to be able to see out the front window without standing up on his back feet, that he just took it all in silently.

Day two through ten, still enjoying the view from his fabulous front seat, yet he has not given up the determined attitude of "I don't want to miss a thing". He has yet to sleep on a drive, even when on the road a fair while after a long walk. Will Oliver ever give it up and take a nap? Maybe he doesn't know he can lay down in his new car seat.

I'm smarter than the average dog. I gave him a few treats in the bottom of the seat today. He lay down, enjoyed his snack, quickly finding and devouring each. As soon as he was done, he popped up to continue watching the view. Oh well; I tried. Maybe tomorrow I'll be sneakier and use a chewy strip that will last a little longer. Think that will work?

Speaking of chewies, there is a zip up pocket on the front of the seat, perfect for concealing treats that we don't want the pups to nab until we're ready. On the sides of the seat are mesh panels, perfect for allowing air circulation, and complete with mesh pockets to keep other essentials in. This is a great spot to keep the leash, his mini-fan (we love our battery operated fans) and even a water bottle with a fold-out bowl, if we're planning to be gone for a while.

The best news is that Oliver seems content to enjoy the view and ride up front with mom, safely clasped into his cushy new chariot with a padded seat. Thanks Dawn; Oliver's a happy traveler. What could be better?

Tanner has another view of this whole matter. You can get his commentary over at 5 Minutes for Fido, where he's spouting about being jealous. Poor 70-lb. Tanner. He just won't fit in a car seat!

Want a booster seat for your pup?

Just click the photo above and you'll be redirected to Pet Auto Safety. Pick out the style and color you like and off you'll go.