How do your dogs ride? - Page 3

I used to drive a Honda CRX and loved it until I got Link.  He couldn't fit as it was a 2-seater so I bought a Honda CRV (SUV) and also bought a gate to keep him in the back.  It not only contained him safely for riding, it also eliminated hair on all of the seats.  He was so good in the car, would start to get up and if I was running a short errand I would say "wait" and he would calmly lay down and wait.  He wouldn't even get up to look at people passing by, nobody ever knew he was there.  Drake has gotten used to riding in the back (at first he tried to get through the bars) and is pretty calm in the car also.  The only thing that worries me is getting rear-ended, I'm always checking how close to my bumper other cars are.  I leave room between me and any car in front in case of a quick stop, that gives me room to move up if the car behind is too close, still worries me though.  After losing Link I'm so paranoid about Drake, he's slightly "overprotected" :D  My daughter just got a seatbelt harness for her dog and it's working out just fine.

gsdfan,

If space is limited, look into wire crates instead of the standard plastic ones.  Our Honda is not a large vehicle and we had to ditch Chaco's "500" plastic crate to make room for a second crate for my husband's soon-to-arrive Mali pup.  My husband went on-line and surfed around to find crates with the right measurements to fit two side by side.  They barely fit but we've got a working system, and plenty of room in the crates for both dogs. 

The Element has tie-down anchors built in the sides so we can secure the crates with nylon straps.  They'll also get better ventilation on warm days with this design. 

Surf around a bit with measuring tape in hand and I'm sure you can find wire crates that can fit the dimensions of your vehicle. 

Good luck!

Yvette

These are the wire crates we use.  I've seen some cheaper but also were a smaller gauge wire.  The prices here are about the best I've found and the free shipping saves a bundle.  I've never had any problems with my orders from here.  I'm getting read to order more items from them now so feel very comfortable using them.

http://www.petstreetmall.com/Life-Stages-Triple-Door-Dog-Crates/1372.html

BIG Caveat on the car dog harnesses. None (that I am aware of) have actually been tested in a crash test. So you are gambling on the essential question  of would they actually work in an accident?

Secondly, we don't have (that I'm aware of), a "crash test dummy" that would simulate the what would happen to the dog if the dog actually "hit" the harness in a crash.   These harnesses allow the dog to move and shift into a variety of positions (resulting in a problem right there - seat belts and car seats are designed to hold you basically in the optimal "crash position") there is no such security for the dogs with these harnesses.

Also, the ones that are out there now only secure the chest - the hind quarters would likely flip and rotate with a lot of force in an accident. 

Some of the harnesses that I've seen are padded with sheepskin but really if you feel them, there's a very very thin piece of material that would really cut into the dog if he hit it with force. 

I suggest that a dog in a crate with a crate secured to the vehicle is the safest bet.  Think "egg carton" - we call that "compartmentalization" and its the same premise behind why regular sized school buses don't have seat belts - the high seat backs and close proximity of the rows of seats "contain" the children in event of impact.  

That being said, do I use the harnesses? If I'm in a situation where I can't fit a crate in a vehicle, you bet I do - but they are certainly not my first line of restraint.

We have 2 "dog cars" and a trailer.

One car is a Ford station wagon and I had a metal crate made to measure for the cargo area about 15 years ago (luckily Ford have never varied the cargo area enough that I have had to get a new crate made as I have updated cars). The crate has a channel divider and 2 doors, so that I can either have one large area or 2 smaller crates, but still heaps of room for an adult male on each side. Without the divider in, I can easily fit 3 adult females if I have to (and once fit 4 in, when evacuating from a bushfire).

The other is a ute (like a pickup) with a fibreglass canopy with additional vents and solid metal grills over the windows that allow maximum ventilation without the worry of my dog getting his head out of the window or strangers putting anything much inside with my dogs. At present, we have a collapsible metal crate strapped into the cargo area that holds only 1 adult male, but we will eventually build a false floor and crate that will hold 2 males and give us space to put our show/camping junk underneath the dogs.

In a pinch, I also have dog car harnesses that lock into the back seatbelt and I have used these a few times when I have not been able to take the dog trailer but have needed to move 4 dogs over a short distance (like to the boarding kennel). They are definitely better than an unrestrained 30kg lump of dog in the car!!!

My dogs love their car crates. Sometimes my old girl cant even be bothered to get out of the car when we reach our destination - she is happy with the ride and doesnt want to leave her car! We start all of our pups in the crate in the station wagon and they very quickly come to love their little den.

gsdfanatic1964,

Just tie those 2 girls to the bumper and tell them to keep up!!!   LOL  JK  ;o))))))))

Let's see, I have a lounger(Cash)  that takes the front seat, I have Trinity who takes the third seat and won't share, aw heck they all ride where they want until we go to training, then they are crated til we get there, they always seem to know exactly where we are going!!  :) 

 Give those girls a hug from me!!!

Elizabeth

As a German Shepherd lover and paramedic, I can not tell you how many accidents scenes I have arrived on, only to find a dog propelled through the windshield. If the dog is not killed by the impact he is usually run over after being ejected. PLEASE take this into consideration.

I was also witness to a small pup riding in the lap of his owner and an additional dog in a crate in the back seat of a toyota. the crate was seat belted in. The pup was crushed when the vehicle T boned an SUV.

Yes, it's so cool to let your dog hang his head out the window, the wind blowing his ears but please love your dog enough to crate or restrain it properly.