optimal conditions for transporting dogs by road
The increase in the number and density of competitions, national but above all international, leads sport and utility dogs to travel more and more within and outside the borders of their country of origin. Therefore, it may become interesting for the user that some aspects relating to the optimal modes of transporting dogs are considered here.
By road
From the simple individual cage positioned in a passenger vehicle, to the specialized trailer carrying dog boxes, to the pick-up or to the perfectly equipped truck, there are now many systems available on the market which make it possible to ensure dogs a perfect comfort during long road trips.
In such configurations, the dog boxes must be of sufficient volume to allow each animal to be able to stretch and have a minimum of possibility of movement, without being too large because then becoming dangerous in the event of a sudden brake or sudden change of direction. The ground will always be dry, and the ventilation adequate. A 25-kilogram dog occupies a circle about 40 centimeters in diameter when rolled into a ball and rests, but requires 80 to 90 centimeters of depth when stretching.
Whatever their positioning, dog boxes must be solid, easy to open but nevertheless lockable, and be perfectly integral with the vehicle transporting them. Integrated into the vehicle, they must not have their openings on the rear face of it, because the vacuum created in this area when driving sucks in all the exhaust gases, which are highly harmful to the dog. Ideally, dog boxes should have no sharp internal angles and be made of a synthetic material that allows for easy and thorough washing and disinfection, with a removable groundsheet being useful when the dog is not chewing on it. not during the journey (a clean and renewed straw bed can also be used, provided that it is renewed daily); in this context, if the axles are secured to the truck, a slight slope of 1 to 2% will allow easy evacuation of the washing water.
During long road trips, the dogs will be taken out several times a day, at best every 2 to 3 hours, knowing that at a standstill at night, they can easily sleep for 8 hours in their boxes. During stops, the dogs will be watered, which requires having a reserve of clean water (a dog of 20 kilograms requires 1 to 1.2 liters of water per day); finally, out of respect for others, all excrement left on the ground will be collected before leaving the parking place, which, in addition to an obvious hygienic aspect, always gives the public present a good image of the dog user!