In Case of Emergency – On the Road with Your Dog

In Case of Emergency – On the Road with Your Dog

Posted on by beyondtheq

Getting in an accident; it’s something many do not want to think about. Yet according to the National Highway and Safety Administration there were more than 6 million police reported accidents in 2016 with 34,439 of them being fatal. So what will happen if you are traveling with your dog and are in a serious car crash?

Secure Your Dog

First you want to make sure your dog is safely secured in your vehicle. Crates and harnesses are a way to help protect your dog in case of an accident. There are several crates and harnesses that have now been made specifically to help protect your pet in case of a crash (we will go into more details about these in future posts.) Although many people think they are being kind by letting their dogs ride freely in their vehicle, you could be setting up your dog and your passengers for serious injury in an accident. An unrestrained 20lb dog in a 50 mph car crash will exert approximately 1000lbs of force. Imagine what would happen if that dog hits the windshield or even a passenger in the vehicle! If the dog is ejected from the vehicle there is also a high risk of injury and/or the dog fleeing the scene in a panic.

Create ICE Sheets

Even if your dog is properly secured things can still go wrong. What if you are physically injured and unable to attend to your dog? This is why having In Case of Emergency (ICE) information readily available to emergency service providers is so important.

I now carry ICE sheets for each of dogs in my glove box and have information clearly labeled on their crates as to how to find this information. These sheets have each dog’s basic information, any medications, veterinarian and emergency contact information as well as my information. I also included a picture to help easily identify the dog. Since dog safety is something I am very passionate about, I have included links to 3 different ICE sheets I created at the end of this post. Feel free to print them out to use for your own dog. You can also share them with other dog lovers. I just ask that you credit getting them from www.beyondtheqdogsports.com and do not claim you made them or try to resell them.

Great now I have the sheets but how do I label my crates so emergency service providers can quickly find the information? I took advantage of a free offer from the popular photo site Shutterfly to create fun magnets. Currently I have Ruff Tough kennels so I attached the magnets to my crates with magnetic tape. I have seen numerous dog sports competitors that have the popular Variocages take advantage of the bigger magnets to fit even more information right on the crate. Below are examples of magnets I made for my girls.

A rescue group also developed some great ICE tubes that attach with Velcro right to the crate. Information sheets can be put right inside along with leashes and other pertinent information. The tubes come in three sizes to fit a variety of crates. I have no affiliation with this site but think these tubes could be a good option for some people so have included a link here where you can find out more information and order http://www.crafts4k9rescue.org/7-5-inch-k9-emergency-info-tubes-reflective-blue-text-112138

As dog sport competitors we travel more with our dogs and therefore have a higher risk of an accident. Although I hope no one reading this ever has to be in the situation where this information needs to be used, I hope this helps you be prepared in case it does.

Here are the links to the ICE sheets.

Strategic Planning for Agility Game Classes

Strategic Planning for Agility Game Classes

Posted on by beyondtheq

Have you ever found yourself looking at Gamblers or Snooker course map and you’re not sure where to start? Well here are some quick tips to help you mentally break down your options.


Bring the Rulebook
For each organization I compete in, I download a copy of the rules and regulations on my phone and iPad each year. You could also bring a physical copy to the trial. This way I have my reference ready to go and it helps to take some of the pressure off of remembering what the points and requirements are in each class/level.


Take Notes
Just like in school, it can be helpful to note critical pieces of information down on your course map. Once I pick up my course map, I will generally note how many points I need, what the obstacles are valued at and what the course/game time is.


Draw it Out
I like to sketch out some of my options before walking the course. This helps me to focus and not seem so overwhelmed with all the choices. I used to do this with a pencil but my friend Tonni-Sue gave me a great tip; use dry erase markers! But wait, it’s paper, the markers won’t work. Well they do when you bring a page protector with. I got 15 page protectors for $1 from the dollar store and a set of 6 mini dry erase markers for $3.99 from Amazon and it has been a great $5.00 investment. Using different colored dry erase markers allows you to clearly sketch out different paths. If you want to modify something, simply erase. I then note how many points each path would be worth on the side. In the example above the pink opening is worth 24 points and the purple opening is worth 33 points. We ended up doing the purple course and successfully completed the gamble for a total of 53 points.


Time It
When I am walking the course options I bring my phone with. Many smartphones have a built-in stop watch and there are some apps out there if your phone doesn’t. Once I walk the paths and decide which option(s) I like the best, I will use the phone to help me confirm if my anticipated timing is correct. If I have a little more time I can add adjust to add an obstacle or two. If I am tight on time I can see if I have enough points to perhaps leave something out.


Know Your Dog
Know your dog! What are his/her strengths and weaknesses? When you are looking at a course map keep these attributes in mind. Remember every dog is different so what my work for your friend’s dog may not necessarily be the best option for your dog. For example my sheltie Nina can sometime start line stress and it can take a few obstacles to get her up to full speed. When I am looking at a game course for her, I am generally looking for something that flows well to help keep her speed and drive up. Nina also has a fast, reliable running dog walk (it’s her favorite obstacle) and while many handlers avoid contacts due to the extra time they take, I can sometimes use this my advantage to pick up some extra points. On the other hand my sheltie Reba is more driven and fast off the start line. She also does well with more challenging handling so for her I can get to obstacles further out in the course.

That’s all for now. Hopefully these tips will help you better strategize your next game course.