How do you restrain pups and dogs in cars? At the moment, I'm using a travel crate for a mid sized dog, but in a couple of months it will be too small. Has anyone tried harnesses that clip to the seat belt?
Re: Pups and dogs in cars [quote author=chrism link=topic=8196.msg115774#msg115774 date=1412867339] How do you restrain pups and dogs in cars? At the moment, I'm using a travel crate for a mid sized dog, but in a couple of months it will be too small. Has anyone tried harnesses that clip to the seat belt? [/quote] For now, she doesn't need restraining. She curls up in the passenger footwell and goes to sleep. When she's bigger, she'll be going in a crate in the back. I guess your individual solution will depend on the type of car you have. We have a Jeep Grand Cherokee so it has plenty of space.
Re: Pups and dogs in cars Today I switched from my fab dog crate (fits ford fiesta boot specially) to a dog guard. Chepi was squashed! She had a lovely surprise when I picked her up from day care. I would rather use a crate but not enough room in my boot - now she has the whole boot but I am not sure if that's not as safe or just as safe as her crate.
Re: Pups and dogs in cars I use a seat belt clip, it works good for us. Ted lies in the centre of the back seat and I know he is secure. I bought one from ebay it cost about £2.00. x
Re: Pups and dogs in cars I use a harness fixed to the seat belt as I have a tiny car. Molly is fine - she can lie down or sit up but probably not as secure as a crate.
Re: Pups and dogs in cars [quote author=Jane Martin link=topic=8196.msg115784#msg115784 date=1412872810] Today I switched from my fab dog crate (fits ford fiesta boot specially) to a dog guard. Chepi was squashed! She had a lovely surprise when I picked her up from day care. I would rather use a crate but not enough room in my boot - now she has the whole boot but I am not sure if that's not as safe or just as safe as her crate. [/quote] Jane, I have done exactly the same thing and a dog guard has worked really well.
Re: Pups and dogs in cars The seat belt clip doesn't work for Tatze - she eats them! We have a crate in the boot.
Re: Pups and dogs in cars Custom made Guardsman cage in the back of my Passat estate. I wouldn't trust anything else after being in a very serious car crash several years ago. The car was hit both front and back and was a total right off, I had to be cut out of it, yet the dog cage survived with hardly a dent. Luckily the dogs had been left at home.
Re: Pups and dogs in cars Mandy I hear you....Heidrun one of our other Moderators had a dreadful bang last year,she was hurt but her dogs where just shaken.I use a dog guard and Dexter is in the boot....I do very little main road driving though as most of our roads in Dubai are 7 lane 120 km/ hr motor ways inhabited by nutters! I can stay away from it for what I need or choose my times and routes.In the UK I'd definatley consider a purpose made crate.i haven't got any experience of dog car harnesses,but I would just say to anybody ....your dog needs to be secured in the car.dexter at 6 months climbed through from the boot onto my lap before we had a dog guard.It was scarey and dangerous and we ordered the dog guard that afternoon. Drive safe everybody x
Re: Pups and dogs in cars Yes, absolutely agree. It's essential that your dog is secure and is not free to move about the driver/passenger area. Puppies in the passenger footwell can suddenly be in the driver's footwell..... In an accident the priority would be to prevent the dog being thrown about the car or through the windscreen. Horrible just to think of it. For that you need a secured crate, cargo barrier, or independently crash tested harness. A car harness that has passed crash testing is going to be build like a Kevlar vest. There are only three harnesses I know of that have been properly tested (to date) and that will not break in a crash: Sleepypod Clickit, Purina Roadie and the Kleinmetal Allsafe. A walking harness won't cut it - they break at the buckles. I reckon that a proper, secured dog crate (not just a normal crate sitting in the boot) is the gold standard if you can make that work in your car. Heidrun's accident (100% fault of other driver) was a big wake-up call for me... We had been very cavalier about the whole thing before that.
Re: Pups and dogs in cars We installed this exact dog guard in our car last week for Bob... hope he likes it! I wanted something that would work OK as he got bigger rather than have to keep buying new crates etc... Lou x
Re: Pups and dogs in cars Ah, when I said she's travelling in the passenger foot well, one or the other of us is always in the passenger seat keeping a beady eye on her so she couldn't clamber over to cause a problem. But, yes, I understand your concern and she will definitely be going in a crate!
Re: Pups and dogs in cars Heidrun's accident was a big wake up call for me too - I changed my car and bought a safedog crate.
Re: Pups and dogs in cars I have a Trans K9 dog crate and I've left the dog guard that preceded it in place to stop my game bag and dummies from flying through the passenger compartment. I don't want to be hit in the back of the head by half a dozen dummies!
Re: Pups and dogs in cars Thanks for all your replies. I'm leaning towards the harness. Thanks, Rachael, for reminding me to find an approved one.
