I am continually amazed by the things I see people do with cars and their dogs. I am sure they are not thinking of the dangers involved, but I have to comment about some car related incidents I see regularly.

Driving with a small dog in your lap is not a good idea. Just from a safety point of view, you cannot maneuver your car quickly in an emergency. I would hate to grab the steering wheel and get a handful of Maltese instead of being able to turn my car out of danger. In addition, what if you are in an accident? If your air bag deploys you get a small dog slammed into your face. My guess is it would kill the dog and not do much for you either. I really feel dogs should be restrained in the car. A seat belt, crate or barrier goes a long way to avoid them becoming a projectile in event of an accident. At the very least, they should ride in the back seat.

Crating your dog in the back of a pick up truck is better that letting them ride loose. In my opinion, dogs belong inside your vehicle. My friend went to Lowe's last week. Her car thermometer read 94 degrees. In the parking lot were two black Lab's in the back of a black truck. No shade, no water, blazing sun, shouldn't we all realize this is inhumane? I am sure the owners did not think they would be gone for long. We always have good intentions, but we live in Florida. The heat and humidity are more oppressive to canines than to humans. Give the dogs a break!

Even more unbelievable to me are the people who are exercising their dogs by having them run along while they are driving their cars. You might think these are fighting dog owners, but these are people I see regularly on the dirt roads where I live. They are running an assortment of mix breeds, not the Pitt Bull you envisioned. One owner drives slow so the little dog zigzags back and forth in front of her car. I am ill just thinking about this. It would be so easy to run the little dog over. I get many calls asking me to teach dogs not to chases cars. Most of us would consider this a bad and dangerous habit.

Try to see the big picture when you are driving with your dog. Make sure they are wearing identification, restrain them and keep them safeinside your vehicle.

Cissy Sumner of Best Behavior Dog Training is Vero's first Certified Pet Dog Trainer. If you have a training or behavior question, email Cissy at bbdogtraining@bellsouth.net. Visit www.pawprintsofverobeach.com for group training information. Private training is available by appointment.