How do your dogs travel in the car?

MyCharlie · 03-07-2008, 10:39 PM

Do you restrain your dog when riding in the car? If so, what do you use? The only thing I've seen is a little fuzzy box thing that they sit in that clips to their collar. But it's for small dogs and I think Charlie would be too big for it.

So I was wondering what you all do? I know it's dangerous to let them have free roam, but I'm such a procrastinator I haven't gotten anything yet.

Aussiefan · 03-07-2008, 10:48 PM

I know im bad, but my aussies ride loose in the back part of my Tahoe,(seats are folded down so they have all that space back there) my sheltie and Border Collie ride in a crate since i don't fully trust them yet not to find a part of my interior to start chewing on.
I know they do make some cool restrains of different kinds, lots of options out there.

TeddieXRuxpin · 03-07-2008, 10:58 PM

We're not much better.

Teddie rides loose in the car, but usually stays in the front passengers seat. When the other dogs are in the car; the seats go down. Buster and Duncan get fastened in with seat belt clips and Mahalo just sleeps in the back.

Shaina · 03-07-2008, 11:01 PM

Kim rides in the back seat (4 door sedan). She used to roam free when she was little, til I had a near-accident when some guy pulled out in front of me. She now wears a Ruffrider car harness which attaches to the seat belt.

I've heard a lot of people say that anything less than a full crate is unacceptable, but she's just too big for any crate that would fit in my car.

sillylilykitty · 03-07-2008, 11:06 PM

Lily goes in her crate with the crate seat belted so everything is secure. When I'm going for a quick ride to the store or a friends house I just grab her harness (and sometimes I dont get it so shes totally naked) and she sits in my lap. I dont do that much anymore though, I'm afraid if I got in an accident she would definatly be killed

She is only 5.5 pounds so I feel she is safest with the crate in the back seat with the seat belt on it.

Cheetah · 03-08-2008, 12:43 AM

I'm a bad mommy - Shippo and Eevee ride in the back of my matrix... they just fit perfectly back there, and no Eevee-sized crate will fit in my car lol. I am on the lookout for a doggy seatbelt that will hook to the cargo hooks back there though... no such luck yet.

Aussiefan · 03-08-2008, 12:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpudFan

Good old dawg seperator that keeps the hounds in the back. Actualy works pretty well and the space is small enough that they can't slide around to much in the event of an accident. There are also D-rings on the floor if we decide to use their doggy seatbelts as well.

Been thinking about getting a separator like that for the Tahoe since my Aussies sometimes like to come up to the passenger seat (seems like they know when the heated seat gets left on,

)

BTW...nice set up you have, looks like you have quite the sound system in there! If that is a speaker? What kind is your SUV?

Curbside Prophet · 03-08-2008, 12:52 AM

Elsa rides in the front seat with a seatbelt harness, and the passenger side air bag turned off. If I have a passenger, she's crated in the back seat.

trumpetjock · 03-08-2008, 01:02 AM

Rocky rides in the back if there's a passenger, or front if it's just us. Thing is, he always lays on the floor though. He'll sit looking out the back window for maybe 5 minutes, then he'll settle down on the floor and not move even for an 8+ hour drive.

I should probably get him buckled in at some point :/

Puppy_love_122 · 03-08-2008, 01:19 AM

I feel like a bad mommy too... both my dogs go loose in the car. Belle either sits in the backseat and Shadow ushally sits with her or in the passanger seat, with the airbag off (ushally for short trips around town or to the vets) and if we are going for more than an hour or so (like on vacation), we take out the seat and put a dog bed there for both the dogs to sleep on...we really need to look into car harnesses for them.

They are both really good in the car though, they are quiet, they stay in their seats and often sleep.

Aussiefan · 03-08-2008, 01:49 AM

Wow Spudfan, i would have never guessed, they don't seem all that big on the outside, but look huge on the inside looking at your pics. I love the looks of them.

Jak · 03-08-2008, 03:26 AM

I don't have my liscence yet (I'm 19 too..ugh). But I'm been thinking about this a lot too. Usually I ride in the backseat with Jak and keep his leash in hand so he doesn't hop into the front seat, when my mom drives. I've never crated Jak before, so I don't know about that. I was thinking of doing what Spudfan did when I get my first car though. All the seats at Petco seem to be made for small breeds. I'll keep an eye on this thread for any more suggestions.

MyCharlie · 03-08-2008, 08:10 AM

I've thought about the separator, but with kids it's not really that accomodating. Plus Charlie is a 23 lb. schnauzer and with a big Yukon, it seems like there would be more room for him to fly around and get hurt back there in case of an accident. Right now he sits in the passenger seat when it's just him and me but every so often he jumps on my lap with no warning (obviously I can't always watch him for body language when I'm driving) and I'm worried it will cause an accident.

Thanks for all the responses!

RonE · 03-08-2008, 08:25 AM

I was crating Molly even for very short trips because I assumed she'd be bouncing all over the vehicle.

In the course of a week, she outgrew her crate

and I was driving about a mile to the dog park, so I thought, "What's the worst that could happen?"

She spent the trip quietly looking out the window at all the sights. Esther spent the trip, like she usually does, with her head on my shoulder, whining in anticipation.

I think crates are good to confine a dog that might be jumping around, creating a hazard to the driver and himself. I also think they could help confine the dog in the event of a very minor accident or emergency stop.

In a major accident, I'd think the seat-belt restraint would be a better option. Nobody wants a large crate, with a 70# dog in it, flying around the vehicle cabin.

MegaMuttMom · 03-08-2008, 08:32 AM

We have a seat belt harness for Cherokee. We used to use it every time we went in the car but we haven't been lately. I wish there was an easier way than having to put that contraption on and then wrestle the seat belt through. Cherokee plasters himself against the seat and door and won't budge so it's really a wrestling match. (He used to be terrified of the car and I think he finds comfort in leaning in his spot ) If he were a dog that might jump in my lap it would be on him every time. That is just unsafe and the airbag would definitely kill him if there was even a minor crash.

MyCharlie · 03-08-2008, 11:56 AM

That's another thing I never even thought of - the airbag. Are most vehicles made with a turn off switch now for the passenger seat? I'll have to look into that for my Yukon - it's a 2002.

Shaina · 03-08-2008, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MyCharlie

That's another thing I never even thought of - the airbag. Are most vehicles made with a turn off switch now for the passenger seat? I'll have to look into that for my Yukon - it's a 2002.

Most are -- I haven't taken the time to figure it out in my car (a 2000), so Kim rides in the back. She likes it better back there anyway, since she can stretch out over the whole seat.

Durbkat · 03-08-2008, 01:18 PM

Snoopy just sets in my lap when we go on car rides. When we go on long trips out of town I bring his bed and set it in the other passenger seat in the back with me and he sleeps most of the way. I tried using the crate when we went out of town one time but he barked the whole 4 hour trip.

SeraphicN · 03-14-2008, 06:21 PM

Before getting Snickers, I'd never even heard of seat belts for dogs. I just assumed everyone let their dogs ride free, or crated them if the dogs were really car-hyper. After having Snickers about a week, I started taking her for short car rides every other day, eventually building the time up and throwing a few quick errands in there as well. At first she was really anxious whenever I left the car, even if it was only to get out and walk over to a drop box and she could see me the whole time! Once she learned that I would always come back though, she calmed down. When we're in the car together driving, she is such a good girl! She will sniff at the air (I roll the window down an inch or so, not enough for her to stick her head out tho) or just lay quietly on a blanket and watch me sing along to the radio...it must be quite a sight to her! lol

I never thought about the airbags though. I have an old car-1997 Ford. I don't know if there's a way to turn the airbags off or not. Does this mean I shouldn't have her riding in the passanger seat? I'm not sure how she'd react to being in the back...I've never tried it before.

My aunt used to have a dog that would try to climb onto her shoulders while driving. I don't know how they never had an accident!

Mdawn · 03-14-2008, 06:32 PM

Eddie and Uallis have a car harness. I remember the laugh I got from some of my co-workers when I mentioned that I was planning to buy them seat belts...

They thought I was nuts but I don't care.