In honor of National Pet Travel Safety Day on January 2nd, check out these tips to consider when hitting the road with your furry friend – whether it's a short trip to the vet or a long road trip across the country. 

1.) Secure your dog

When traveling with your pup, you should put their safety first. Dog car seat covers, such as the back seat hammock-style covers, will keep your car seats protected from dirt, hair, and scratch damage all while keeping your dog from falling off the back seat. 

At Paw.com, the health and wellbeing of your pets is our top priority. To help dog owners with their travels and companions, we’ve created travel products that fit any sized dog and vehicle. From back and front seat covers to safety belts and memory foam car seat beds, we have everything you need to keep your dog safe and comfortable on your dog road trip or staycation.

Check out our collection here. 

2.) Don't always let your dog ride with their head outside the window

Try not to let your pooch hang out of the window of a moving vehicle, especially if the vehicle is traveling fast. Allowing your dog to stick their head out of the window when you're driving fast can be a dangerous activity. Their eyes can get exposed to dirt, rocks, dust and other debris and these materials can scratch your pup's eyes. So it's advisable, especially when driving fast, that you keep your dog inside the vehicle.

3.) A dog really shouldn't ride on your lap

In the event of a car accident, a lap dog can easily be crushed by an airbag. When car crashes occur, unrestrained smaller pups can also be thrown from the car out of windows or through windshields. Dogs sitting in the driver's lap also pose a distraction to the driver and driving distracted greatly increases accident risk. It's better to not allow your dog to sit in your lap for both your safety and their safety.

4.) Bring your dog's identification information

Make sure you bring identification for your dog with your dog's name, your name, your main phone number, and proof of rabies shots. If you plan on being at a certain destination for more than a week, you may even consider purchasing another identification tag that has the location and phone number of your vacation destination. It would also be ideal that your dog is microchipped so that in the case he gets separated from you, he can be taken to a vet where they will check for his microchip and contact you.