How do you secure your dog in the car....

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littlefluffball

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Wehn I had multiple dogs they all went in my spacious boot with a dog guard. I am down to one little whippelata who isn't the best passenger. At first she was happy just sitting in the boot with the dog guard. however recently she has taken to getting through it (it is the universal one with gaps at the side) the first time she done it she just say on the back seat until I could get stopped and put her back in the boot. However at the weekend we were coming back from my boyfriends and she squeezed through and then clamboured over and wedged herself between my (driver) seat and the door! She was squeezed right into that little gap!!! Obviously I can't drive about like that and luckily I was on a rural road and was able to quickly pull into a field entrance way to rectufy the situation....I had to do the same thing another twice though to get us home!

So I have thought about a fitted guard - one that is specific to the car but I do have this (irrational I know) fear that if she is completely stuck in the boot what if someone rams into the back of me and crushes her??? Do I crate her - then I have the same problem unless I put the crate on the back seats but is that allowed?>??

Grateful to know how you travel with your canine copanions??? thanks
 
A crate in the boot? Basically somewhere she is safe and can't escape as that is the priority. She sounds like she finds it stressful. She might need time (ie: shorter journeys) to build her confidence. You can buy properly crash tested crates for the boot, in case someone runs in the back of you.
 
Fanatical said:
A crate in the boot? Basically somewhere she is safe and can't escape as that is the priority. She sounds like she finds it stressful. She might need time (ie: shorter journeys) to build her confidence.
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She has never been a keen passenger but we have worked on it since the day I got her Feeding in the car with engine off, building up to engine on, short journeys etc) and is now loads better (though this recent behaviour does seem to be a step backwards)
 
Mine travels in the boot behind a dog guard (the small square mesh type that is more adjustable). She used to travel on the back seat with a harness and seatbelt but when I got another dog they went in the back.

A proper harness and seat belt attachment might work better if your dog likes being nearer to you.
 
We always had a harness that the seatbelt passed through so that our dog was secure in case of an accident. She could still move around and was comfortable. Personally, I’d not be keen on putting the dog in the boot with a guard or crate because if you are in an accident, there is nothing to stop your dog or the crate from flying around! Also, if someone rear ends you, your dog is more likely to be hurt.

Just my opinion but I’m sure others will have a different view :)
 
I have two custom made large boxes (for two dogs) which came with the vehicle and before that I had an anchored airline crate with good clearance from the tailgate. If she is an anxious traveller a crate or box which restricts her view might make her feel more settled. A lot of them don't actually enjoy watching the scenery whizzing past. That's a human thing ;)
 
I used to use a crate, which had an escape door once you drop the back seats, if the boot is damaged in an accident.
I now have a custom made dog guard, which again has an escape door simolar to the crate.
 
dlou1 said:
We always had a harness that the seatbelt passed through so that our dog was secure in case of an accident. She could still move around and was comfortable. Personally, I’d not be keen on putting the dog in the boot with a guard or crate because if you are in an accident, there is nothing to stop your dog or the crate from flying around! Also, if someone rear ends you, your dog is more likely to be hurt.

Just my opinion but I’m sure others will have a different view :)
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My friend's Passat was rear-ended by a lorry and the Trans K9 crate didn't have scratch on it and dog was fine. They're expensive, but worth it. If a car is rear-ended, side swiped or overturned a dog on a seatbelt will get thrown around as much as a dog in a crate or a boot. I don't want my dog to 'move around' in transit, personally I want them to sit at peace and chill out, same as with a child, we don't let them have free roam for a reason.
 
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http://www.safedog.co.uk/

These. The prices are high but so is vet treatment after an accident. I know of one dally that escaped from a car after they were rear ended on the motorway. She was then hit by two different cars, she did survive but has had numerous plates and operations. She is doing okay but is always going to be fragile and has hydro therapy regularly. Much better to contained properly and the dog not have to go through something like that. When I mentioned these crates to the owners they quibbled about the price. You would think having seen first hand what can go wrong and how out of pocket they had been with her treatment that they would jump at the chance to buy something like this. They do sell second hand ones too on the site.
 
CorvusCorax said:
My friend's Passat was rear-ended by a lorry and the Trans K9 crate didn't have scratch on it and dog was fine. They're expensive, but worth it. If a car is rear-ended, side swiped or overturned a dog on a seatbelt will get thrown around as much as a dog in a crate or a boot. I don't want my dog to 'move around' in transit, personally want them to sit at peace and chill out, same as with a child, we don't let them have free roam for a reason.
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I’m sure there are probably crates which are much better and safer now than they used to be that I don’t know about!

I do have a different view re the seatbelt though. Because seatbelts ‘lock’ in an emergency, the dog was actually very secure and it wasn’t a harness that plugged into the seatbelt but the seatbelt passed through the harness -if that makes any sense!

I agree that I wouldn’t want a dog moving around in transit or having free roam.
 
Big plastic dog bed, with padding and a blanket, that takes up the whole of the rear seat, with car harness that fits through the seat belt. The passenger seat is pushed back so that it wedges the dog bed as much as possible, and so far it's been pretty stable and he travels just fine.
A situation that evolved due to his car sickness, and my pandering to his every whim. Sure, giving more than one person a lift is an issue, but I'll let you know the day I find three people I like more than my dog ;)
 
littlefluffball said:
Wehn I had multiple dogs they all went in my spacious boot with a dog guard. I am down to one little whippelata who isn't the best passenger. At first she was happy just sitting in the boot with the dog guard. however recently she has taken to getting through it (it is the universal one with gaps at the side) the first time she done it she just say on the back seat until I could get stopped and put her back in the boot. However at the weekend we were coming back from my boyfriends and she squeezed through and then clamboured over and wedged herself between my (driver) seat and the door! She was squeezed right into that little gap!!! Obviously I can't drive about like that and luckily I was on a rural road and was able to quickly pull into a field entrance way to rectufy the situation....I had to do the same thing another twice though to get us home!

So I have thought about a fitted guard - one that is specific to the car but I do have this (irrational I know) fear that if she is completely stuck in the boot what if someone rams into the back of me and crushes her??? Do I crate her - then I have the same problem unless I put the crate on the back seats but is that allowed?>??

Grateful to know how you travel with your canine copanions??? thanks
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It is worth watching ALL of this short video before making a decision.

 
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i ave the back seats flat and a double crate for both of mine. the crate is secured to the back of the passenger seat with a leather collar. i prefer to habe them more in the middle of the car in case if being rear ended. the crate has doors both front and back so i should be able to get them out if in a crash...i rarely have more than one passenger in my car and if i need to have the other seats i take the crate out and leave it at home.. if i had the dogs with me i could move it to the boot area as a temporary measure so i could carry more passengers..
 
If I'm pootling about locally (1 hr max, local roads) I use a harness that clips into the seat belt. Any further and hes in a spacious crate with water bowl etc in the boot.
 
splashgirl45 said:
i ave the back seats flat and a double crate for both of mine. the crate is secured to the back of the passenger seat with a leather collar. i prefer to habe them more in the middle of the car in case if being rear ended. the crate has doors both front and back so i should be able to get them out if in a crash...i rarely have more than one passenger in my car and if i need to have the other seats i take the crate out and leave it at home.. if i had the dogs with me i could move it to the boot area as a temporary measure so i could carry more passengers..
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Likewise, back seats down and crate in the middle of the car, bungeed in place. If I'm carrying more than three passengers only then does the dog crate move to the back.
 
Roxie is on the backseat in a harness attached to the seatbelt which works nicely for her- she can't move around but can sit up/lie down comfortably and won't get thrown around in an accident.

I only have a tiny boot (which she would be fine in as a Dachshund) but I worry about her being squashed in an accident.
 
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