Hi all, My lab gets sick every time we go in the car (he goes in the boot of an estate where we have a safety grill installed). He absolutely hates going in the car as I think the roundabouts and what have you make him motion sick. I was thinking a harness might help him so he can just ride in the back seat and face forward and not be jarred about so much? Any suggestions on a good one? I don't think we could fit a car crate in the back that would be big enough for him, just as an aside.
I use the Kurgo harness and have found it first class. It is crash tested which I like, it was a bit tricky to work the buckles out at first but to be honest that was probably just me. I've used it since Mabel was six months old. http://www.kurgostore.co.uk/best-sellers/tru-fit-smart-harness
I sound like a broken record in my devotion to Ruff Wear, but they do make a nice car-tested harness or the web master which, though not specifically for the car, worked well for me (link below is the car version, photo is the web master). What I actually used for both of my big boys, however, for most of their lives was their leather and sheepskin tracking harness. Nice because it worked in an out of the car so no need to switch out just for a car ride. Link to Ruff Wear car harness: http://www.ruffwear.com/Load-Up-Harness?sc=2&category=1131 Link to tracking harness - as an example - lots of people make them - https://boldleaddesigns.com/shop/tr...rking-dogs-padded-2-latch-heavy-duty-leather/ Brogan in two different harnesses:
Thanks all! Lovely pics Emily, the backdrop is so beautiful too. And oh my gosh...we have the Ruffwear harness with the padded handle, I didn't realise that could be used to loop a seatbelt through That would be so much easier than having to switch it out.
That fist picture of Brogan isn't in the LoadUp harness that you linked to, though, Emily? It's hard to see what the front of that looks like, but it looks like it's more straps than padding, which would cut the dog into slices in the case of an accident?! You need one that has a big, padded chest plate like the one in the link, and which has stitching specifically designed to withstand a crash. To be honest, the crash testing isn't exactly rigorous on any of these harnesses. They tend to only be tested at 30kph and 50kph - about 20 and 30 miles per hour. Anything over that and your dog is still likely to be seriously hurt in the case of a collision, and/or turned into a projectile that seriously hurts or kills other passengers. I appreciate why people use them - I have myself, and still don't have an ideal set-up now my dogs are in the boot behind a guard - but you should still be aware of the risks to make a considered and informed decision.
I think you can go round in circles, beating yourself up about what to do. The absolute best thing would to be to buy the safest car you can, and fit the safest travel cages you can find. But, that's expensive, prohibitively so for most people. Maybe when it's time to replace your car, it will become a consideration, but most wouldn't change their car immediately on buying a dog - it wouldn't even cross most people's minds. Until you're in that position, then something is better than nothing. If you can't put something like a TransK9 crate in your car, then maybe a dog guard with a partition to keep him in a small space (the smaller, the safer) would be an option. Followed by the safest car harness you can find, which invariably will be a different harness to your everyday walking harness, just because the amount of padding they have. I used the AllSafe harnesses, but when I was thinking about Luna's arrival, I decided the Sleepypod was better. In the end, though, we went for the dog guard with partition, two dogs in one side and Luna in the other. I'll be buying a new car soon, and it will be specifically chosen with the dogs in mind.
Yep, you are right. The first photo of Brogan is the Web Master. It does have a bit of padding, but it is not specifically designed and strength-tested for car use like the Load Up. The way my car is set up, I didn't worry so much about the crash-testing and was using the Web Master as walking support. Sorry about the confusion. The link (not the photo) is the right Ruff Wear option for car safety.
As @snowbunny rightly pointed out, a regular stitched harness handle isn't 100% sure to hold when you need it to. I asked Ruff Wear about this when I bought my Web Master and they were very clear that they test the Load Up but not the Web Master. So sorry if I muddied the waters a bit with the photo of Brogan in the Web Master. Even though I did use it for both purposes, it's not sold that way. To make it more complicated (sorry!) I actually don't think looping the seatbelt through any harness handle is a super idea, though I think this is how the Load Up is meant to work. I used to do that with my old car and once Brogan pretty much flew into the back of the front seats because the seatbelt didn't catch properly and there was too much "play" on the belt (if that makes sense?). Then I got one of those seat belt adaptors that sticks into the "female" part of the seat belt clasp and then has a heavy-duty metal bolt snap on the end of what looks like really strong leash (see below). Then you can attach that snap to your dog's harness or loop the leash part through a handle. I get not wanting to switch out...it's a total pain. For me, I kind of picked a solution (along with making some serious adjustments to my car interior) that I was happy with while still realizing it wasn't 100% foolproof. I once had Brogan break a heavy-duty metal bolt snap on his leash when we were jogging and he went one way around a light pole and I went the other. Sort of bruised my confidence in the power of metal against at the weight of a big dog and sudden pressure!
Ah this is so difficult >_< I want him to be safe yet each option has its downside :/ I suppose the best result will be buying a harness and hoping we don't get into an accident I'm going to sit next to him in the back with some treats and hopefully re-associate the car as fun for him.
Found what you're talking about Emily https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00422L57Y/ref=pd_luc_rh_bxgy_01_01_t_img_lh?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
That is to use with the car harness clipped directly into the buckle instead of looping the seat belt through, so there is less play, is my assumption? Not as a standalone.
How well do you think a £1.24 (including delivery) strap is going to hold up in the case of a collision, would be my question. The harness is useless if it's not attached the way it was designed and tested.
A good point. I recommended something like this based on my experience of Brogan being in a proper harness and then face-planting into the backs of the front seat because the seat belt let loose on a hard stop. Scared me to death for the poor guy. But maybe for a harder collision it would work better? Certainly if the seat belt actually locked like it's supposed to, not having a middle piece that could also break would be better. Who knows, maybe this was an issue particular to the type of car I drove at the time. I guess to @SilverFalcon I'll just say I'm no expert but was just trying to do what seemed to work the best with the car and dog situation I had. But honestly, I don't really know what the right answer is so I'm just going to gently exit the advice-giving business on this one!
We use one of those seat belt clips on a regular harness in OH's truck. I am under no illusion that it will be any good in a crash, it is purely to stop the dog wandering all over the car. In my car, he is in the cargo area of an estate, behind a grille.
Do the harnesses allow them to lie down too? I'd like a harness when we get our pup but will do occasional long journeys so don't want it too restrictive but at same time don't want dog wandering around the car
The Allsafe ones certainly do. The harness attaches to the seatbelt with two carabiners which can slide up and down the (locked) seatbelt, so they can sit or lie down, as they wish. You need to ensure it's adjusted to a length that means the dog won't hit the seat in front if the car stops suddenly, but it allows them to get comfortable in different positions.
I've ordered a car harness and will try it out this weekend I'm going to sit in the back with him to get him used to it and hopefully reduce his stress levels with some treats and cuddles. Fingers crossed he's a lot happier with this scenario.
