So far, I've been putting Corona on the seat next to me while I drive and for the most part, she lays down and goes to sleep. When we have passengers she sits on the back seat while being praised for her good behavior by the person sitting next to her. I use wire crates in the house with a blanket over them but they would be a heavy pain to transfer to the car every time I want to leave. I do have a large plastic travel crate but I'm reluctant to use it, because I don't want to scare her (since it's different than she's used to). My other option was to use a hammock style back seat cover. What do you use?
I have tried crate and hammock style back seat cover. She loves the cover and sleeps in the crook of the hammock. The crate was for when she was really little and was climbing all over and trying to chew wires etc. She did not like it much (see my other post, sigh), but it was safer. I've been reading up on safe travel with dogs (and as a freelance writer, planning to write about it for a dog magazine, which I'm looking forward to!), and really, they should be in crash-tested harnesses or a Variocage in the cargo area for safety for you and them. I am still doing research on the specific details of the tests, but AllSafe and Sleepypod Clickit (Sport or Utility, Sport being less restrictive but possibly allowing more movement) are the safest ones, it seems.
Ours either ride in the Wayback with a dog barrier, or in the back seat. We do have a hammock to protect the seat in the Outback, but it really does not work all that well. Occasionally one of them gets to ride in the MX-5. Then I use a seat cover and maybe also a harness. Neither Tilly nor Cooper are inclined to put their head out the window, or try to get in our lap. They would probably be safer with a harness/seatbelt, but I don't think they would be very happy and probably get tangled up. Coopers crate is so big that we could not get it in the Outback (or the Miata). It would fit in our AeroStar, but I don't think I could get two in there, and both dogs would not be happy in one crate.
Xena travels in the backseat with just an old throw over the seat. Her harness has a seatbelt attachment (not crash tested). Sometimes I can't be faffed putting on the harness if it's a quick journey so she travels unsecured.
Bailey has never been in a crate in the car - our car is too small for a crate that he can be comfortable in. He has a harness (which he hates putting on despite desensitizing him to it - he's fine when its on just a nightmare getting it on ) which is clipped into the seat belt clip on the back seat. He just lays down and sleeps, or he has just started sitting up watching where we are going or gazing out of the back window at whoever is behind us. As soon as we get on a duel carriageway or motorway he starts snoring!
My two are in AllSafe harnesses and, whilst better than nothing, I want to get them safer, so am looking into options there. My favourite option would be a crash-tested crate. I have two extra observations. One is that in most territories it is a legal requirement to have your dog secured when travelling in the car. The second is, it's not just for the dog's safety - in the event of a crash, an unsecured dog will become a massive projectile that will easily kill a human. I think, if you wouldn't travel without a child in a safety restraint, and if you wouldn't travel with an unsecured 30kg load behind you, then you shouldn't travel with your dog unsecured. Personally, I don't let anyone ride in my car without wearing a seatbelt, because of the damage they could do to me. In other words, all dogs should be secured in a crash tested device, one way or the other. Harnesses that are not crash tested are only good inasmuch as they prevent the dog moving about. They won't do anything to protect either your dog or the humans in the car in the case of a crash.
The trainer in our class also mentioned it could be an issue with insurance if you are found to have been driving with an unsecured dog during an accident. They may claim the dog was a distraction to you. The dog needs to either be in a harness, crate, or behind a barrier.
We use the sleepypod clickit harness for Ella and she travels on the back seat as we need the boot space for the pram (and all the other crap you seem to cart around when you have a kid). Plus, Ella thinks she's a human and humans do not travel in the boot so nor should she! I totally agree with Fiona's points about safety, both for the dog and the other occupants of the car. It is illegal here (Victoria, Australia) to drive with an unrestrained animal in the car and you can be fined a few hundred dollars for it.
This is so true. You have to remember that it is not 'just' a 30kg object casually thrown in your direction in the event of a crash. If you are travelling at 60mph and come to a sudden stop in an accident then that 30kg, unsecured, will continue travelling forward at that speed ... until it hits something or someone. Which could easily result in two deaths - the poor dog, who had no choice in the matter because he relies on the owner, and the person that stops the forward movement of the dog. Sorry to sound like a drama queen but I think this is a serious issue. (Harv travels in the boot area with a safety-tested dog guard separating the boot area from the rest of the car.)
Stanley sits next to me as my co-pilot. After reading this I think I'll look into a proper harness though, want my little man to be safe!
Interesting to hear that there are laws about unrestrained dogs. No such laws here. Most dogs travel unrestrained in the back seat or boot. I see the odd crate, but they're not crash tested ones, just standard wire crates squeezed in the boot. My heart goes in my mouth whenever I see dogs prowling around in the back of a ute, though.
I'm currently awaiting delivery of a custom made crash tested crate for Ripple (£££ ). As we have just changed cars I don't have a crate that fits, so currently all our walks start from home. I do have a harness I could use in an emergency but I would rather not - especially as Ripple is still rather too fond of chewing things up.
Do you have air bags in the front? If so, and they can't be turned off, then he shouldn't be up there with you. Air bags can and do kill dogs.
I should revise my previous comment. There isn't a specific law per se. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/rules-about-animals-47-to-58 Rule 57 When in a vehicle make sure dogs or other animals are suitably restrained so they cannot distract you while you are driving or injure you, or themselves, if you stop quickly. A seat belt harness, pet carrier, dog cage or dog guard are ways of restraining animals in cars. But, if you fail to adhere to this rule, you can be charged with driving without due care or attention and, if you are involved in an accident, with the far more serious charge of dangerous driving.
The Highway Code states drivers need to ensure ‘dogs or other animals are suitably restrained so that they cannot distract you while you are driving or injure you, or themselves, if you stop too quickly’. The law recommends a seat belt harness, pet carrier, dog cage or guard as ways of restraining your pet while driving.
My dogs are currently in a divided crash tested crate - but I'm about to swap this for a divided gate system (which is rated to contain heavy loads, but nothing else). The advantage is they will have more room, the disadvantage is that they'll have more room. In that it is safer for them in a crash to be in a smaller space, but weighing up the pros and cons of what I do with them (they often live in the car for days while I'm training) and the advantages of a crate, I've gone for the gate system. I'm going to shift the crate to my other car, so I could still use it for motorway travel.
I have a cage made especially for my car. It doesn't matter how well behaved dogs are in a car, if you have a crash then the dogs will be thrown forward, either through the windscreen or at the back of your head
Ha! My dogs usually travel in my lovely safe car in a lovely safe crate But today they had to slum it as my car was in the garage and I used our very old land-rover (series 2 not even a defender!) which is a soft top. I wanted them in the passenger footwell but they decided the view was much better sat on the seats! Away we went at a snails pace (4th gear will get you a noisy 30mph if you're lucky) mostly in 1st to pull away and 3rd for anything else. I was driving (obvs) Riley sat on the middle seat and Obi sat on the passenger seat. Hideously unsafe but enormous fun for the 5 minute journey. Back to the boring, safe crate at 3 this afternoon. Sorry boys!
@ bbrown, I can remember years ago when picking up with my first German Pointer, we were taking through a wood in similar vehicle with Inga on the back seat, peering excitedly over my shoulder. Those were the days
