Safety First

Since we bought the convertible, our second thought related to how we'd keep Chino contained in the vehicle when the top was down. This wouldn't be a concern, but Chino's one and only "top down" experience was in the back of Nick's truck. Instead of sitting back there and enjoying the ride, he jumped out, WHILE THE TRUCK WAS MOVING. Of course, Nick had tried this out while I wasn't home, after I asked him not to, but couldn't resist trying it anyway. Of course, I find out about this much later, only in a passing conversation.

So, to make sure that Chino doesn't escape during summer outings in the convertible, I bought a doggy harness, to keep him where he belongs. After reading some of the reviews on PetSmart's website, this one seemed to have the highest marks when it came to restraining larger dogs and came in a size XL to fit his monster chest.
At first glance, it looks like a bit of a contraption, but, true to its name, the Easy Rider fit and adjusted with ease. Amazingly enough, Chino didn't seem to mind it and sat calmly while we adjusted the straps and clipped him in, even posing for pictures.

At first, the idea of a seatbelt for Chino made us laugh. We were picturing the seat belt as a way to keep him contained, rather than restrained. However, after doing some reading I realized that keeping him restrained would also keep us safe as well. This little tidbit of information was what sold us on keeping him secure, no matter which vehicle he's in; in a 30 mph crash, the force from an unharnessed 60-pound dog (Chino weighs about 70lbs) can create an impact of 2,700 pounds (click here for full article). Considering the amount of time that we spend in the car with him and that the average speed often far exceeds 30 mph, it made me stop to think of why we hadn't decided to implement this safety measure before.