I started my three day weekend with a lazy morning. A sink full of dishes and laundry begging to be done, but I'm playing on Facebook and enjoying a breakfast burrito. It goes without saying that I'm a Facebook fan of www.allthingsjeep.com . Here's our All Things Jeep Facebook Page. www.facebook.com/allthingsjeep
Today I checked out the post about the Jeep Dog photo album on our website. There are a whole lot of awesome, adorable and adventurous Jeepin' pooches out there. I know some dogs are good off-road and others would rather spend the day at home, and I wonder how my own 4-legged princess would fare on the trail.
Delilah, my 3-year old bull dog/akita mix could go either way, I think. She can get frustrated on long car rides, but loves all the different smells to be smelled bouncing down the road. Lila's favorite ride is to my in-laws house; we pass a dairy farm, a park that's always full of kids and a roadside seafood stand. So, I think she would stay entertained on the trail. I do worry about her being up for the bumps and confusing angles that come with a good rock climb.
I worry about her safety, too. I've been day dreaming about the mods I'll do when I find that perfect Jeep. One of the first things I want is to make my rig safe and comfortable for my princess. Of course, there's always a good supply of dog toys in my ride at any given moment -- even when she's not in the car. Bones and Jeep rugged rubber or nylon dog toys can turn up at any moment. Lila's very content to hang out in the backseat with all those toys -- really, she hates riding up front -- so we've never needed any kind of barrier between us. However, if we hit a good bump, could she come flying forward? Do we need a barrier net? When she gets bored, sometimes she'll put her head on the center console to be petted. I think I would miss that as much as she would. Maybe, a barrier net's not for us. We will definitely need cargo net, though. Lila's never tried to jump out an open window, but a topless Wrangler has a lot more open space than a window. What if she lost her balance and fell? Or thought she was supposed to jump out? (She is part bulldog, you can't give her too much credit on these things.) A good cargo net - http://www.allthingsjeep.com/asp-3141.html - should do the trick, right? My princess doesn't wear a collar around the house -- her neck is a really thick and foldy -- so it looks strange and matts her fur -- but when we go out, she has to wear her ID tag with my contact information and her rabies tag. Should she wear a brightly colored bandana on the trail just in case? When I lived in Maine, every dog I knew spent Spetember-December sporting some kind of orange gear. I saw some harnesses that clip to the seat belt, but I wonder if they would be too restrictive. Do I need a top net? I don't think she could jump that high, nor have the inclination to do so. Would I need to add anything special to my first aid kit in case she did get hurt? I'm so overwhelmed! When did taking the dog on a car ride become so complicated?
Let me know what you do to keep your Jeep dog safe and happy in your rig! How could you say no to this face?
I'm concerned. Would a Jeep owner actually have a dog this size? Would Jeep owners actually carry their dog around in this pink thing? Call me crazy but I don't see it. I have a bet going with the humans at ATJ that this thing is going to dusty on the shelf. What do you think? Weigh in. I have a whole pound of bacon riding on my bet, so humans, don't let me down. Woof.
