I’m sorry I haven’t done a lot of picture posts or Barbie posts lately. Those are pretty time consuming, as I think I have mentioned before, and if there is one thing that has been in utterly bleak supply lately it’s been time. Between the end of school, holidays, birthdays, colds, and some other junk going on I have barely- barely!- had time to breathe, let alone set up what I have planned for the next Barbie post. It’s in my head, though, where it has remained since Mother’s Day.
Father’s Day was the usual mass chaos around here. We were invited to my mother’s house for lunch, and she lives an hour away. My daughter also was supposed to perform at the county fair in the evening, which is a half hour away but on the way to my mom’s. I felt badly leaving the dogs home all day, so I recruited my accommodating in-laws, who were also going to my parents’ home, to bring the dogs back to my house so I could bring Brody and Koa to the family gathering and then go straight to the fair afterwards. (I have a point, really I do.)
Usually when I am driving around with the dogs it’s just me, or maybe me plus one kid on the short surface street drive to work. I have a little harness for them that clips into the seatbelt, which is probably not going to protect them a whole lot in an impact but would keep me from getting decapitated.
However, today it was the whole family, squished into the smaller of our automobiles. It is smaller, but it is the main family auto. Two adults in the front, two kids in the backseat in their carseats, and in the hatchback, the dogs plus presents, hurtling at 70+ mph down the interstate. Tight fit.
Brody wasn’t really feeling it there in the back, so about halfway through the trip he propped himself up on the back on the middle row of seats so he could see out the front.
“No, Brody,” I said. He looked at me blankly.
“Down, Brody!” I said. He laid his head down on his paws (still propped up on the seat.)
Now I was getting nervous, picturing an event on the freeway that would launch him like a SCUD missile directly over the backseat. After a few minutes of cajoling, me poking at him and doing other probably not-so-safe maneuvers in the ironic name of highway safety, I finally realized that I owe it to them as well as to us to start using a reliable and safe restraint system on a consistent basis.
I have no idea what that might entail, though. Most of the secure systems I’ve seen are designed for small dogs. I need a system that would ideally work in a regular seat as well as a cargo area, one that not only prevents the dog from becoming a projectile but also doesn’t break their neck in the process. I realize the simplest solution would be putting a crate in the back, but because the hatchback slopes, fitting a crate in that car wouldn’t work.
So I’m looking for ideas, here! Do you use a restraint system? What do you like and dislike about it? Have you seen anything super clever I need to know about? Does such a universal system even exist?
We have a harness that you thread the seatbelt though, but the dogs hate it and it certainly wouldn’t work in the hatchback area. 🙁
(The harness is an issue because if the dogs turn around, they get all tangled up. Then, instead of sitting or lying down, they just stand there, immobilized. Not safe!)
I have one of those too Jessica, and have the same problem with Daisy getting tangled up, etc. Haven’t found a solution yet.
I used a nice new harness/seat belt restraint system a few years ago. I don’t think we were a mile down the road before Bella, my Weimaraner, ate through the strap and ended up on my lap. I anxiously await your solution.
There are those metal bars that you can adjust to fit between the floor and the ceiling. They work great except I find they tend to wiggle loose (especially on gravel roads) if you don’t check them regularly and I have a feeling if you were in an accident and the dog hit it, it would come loose, and you’d be left with a dog and a large metal item as a projectile! I used one for years, but was never in an accident. We now use crates in the SUV and seatbelt harnesses if we have to take them in the car.
This is the BEST system that I’ve seen. It is the most heavy-duty system I’ve seen. Worth the price for safety, both mine and theirs!
http://www.champk-9.com/
I forgot to mention, if you order the ‘Champion Seat Belt System,” you get the restraint strap that works in the backseat or will hook to the back of your hatchback or an SUV on the tie-down hooks. There are lots of options on the website, I just ordered one for our puppy.
I have heard really good things about those! I will have to check it out.
I notice they specialize in large dogs, but I’ll bet a puppy size harness would fit a smaller dog.
I’ve used a combination of stuff. Seatbelts/harness systems are ok if you do not allow your dogs to wander too far and they stay in their dedicated spaced. Picture two dogs totally entangled in seatbelts…not good. There’s a harness system where you can put up a runner the width of your hatch back or rear seat area and clip your dog into it. With only one dog then there’s room to pace back and forth. My other dogs are confined in soft crates that are secured in hatch area with the one not safe in a soft crate clipped to the runner.
I use these: http://www.ruffrider.com/ which are actually crash-tested, and then get some *weight-rated* climbing carabiners and runners (http://www.rei.com/category/4500701) to make it easier to clip them in and out and to give them more room to turn around.
I do have a really solid dog barrier (Subaru Forester) but never put a dog in the “way back” if I can avoid it, particularly if we’re going to be on the highway, as there are *so* many cases of dogs escaping in a panic through broken windows after accidents.
That’s a good point. How sad. 🙁
First, I have to preface my comment by saying that I love Pawcurious; and based on posts I have read since discovering it about a year ago I think you are a great vet, and a good person with an awesome perspective on all things pets, life and family.
That said however, I have to admit that I don’t get the harness or crate thing. My lab loves the car, and one of her favorite things is to stick that big black nose out the side window in the front or back seat. She lives for that, among other typical Lab things, and I can’t imaginge depriving her or another dog of that becuase I think it is one of the greatest joys dogs have in the short time they are with us. To me it would like putting a life jacket on her every time we go to the lake. I love my dog to death, she is truly man’s best friend, and it would be terrible to lose her to an accident; but we live with risk every day and if something did happen, I know that she was able to live her life to the fullest through the little things like sticking her head out the window.
I am sure I will get some negative feedback on this, and no I wouldn’t let kids ride without seatbelts, but there are lots of things I wouldn’t let kids do that I let my dog do…like eat off the floor 😉
That’s fair. With the exception of dogs in pickups I would say it is very rare for me to see a pet restrained in the car, so you’re certainly not the only one who feels that way.
To be honest, my concern is as much for the humans in the car as for the pets. The way Brody was sitting, he was poised like a rocket launcher.
Thanks, I didn’t look at it from that perspective. I can see it now…a new air bag–100 lbs. of four legged black fur flying at me. Ouch!
Dave, I know you love your dog – who wouldn’t love a Lab! But consider what it would feel like if a stone hit that lovely black hanging-out-the-window nose … at 110 kms per hour. Or how about being decapitated by the window in an accident? Or jumping out in the middle of a highway? There are lots of things my dog loves to do. It’s my job to keep her safe.
Unfortunately both of my dogs (50 pounds and 75-and-growing-pounds) are confined to the back seat of a Camry Hybrid. Oscar tends to encroach so much on Sophie’s space the she crams herself into a corner and won’t push back. But I really need a good restraint system — I think about it every time we get in the car. I hope someone has a good suggestion and that it doesn’t take ten minutes to get them safely hooked up….
for me crates work so far. Medium and small size used in the back seat in my vehicle. Seat belts strapped around the crates and padded beds inside for comfort. water bottles et al. I do worry but I know if I left them loose I would have 3 little lap covers and God forbid , projectiles while driving, and thats not safe. The Aussie shepherd I had years ago ” Tillie” would sit in the back seat no problem with the nose stuck out the window. Still not the safe thing. harnesses didnt exhist when I had her.
Since I was a kid, I’ve always thought dogs should have seat belts. Mostly ’cause I heard the story of my dad being in an accident and his dog being impaled on the shifter of his truck. I don’t really have anything crash tested I use, but I have a very heavy duty lead (that is for horses I think?) that I slip knot through a seat belt and buckle in. It hooks into a harness with one of those climbing clips (the type of harness I have has two metal loops that I hook through, so it doesn’t put any strain on the buckles of said harness) then I clip the leash to my dogs collar. I can’t imagine it being SUPER safe, but my dog can still walk around enough to get her nose out of both the windows, and she isn’t going to go flying into the windshield/someone in the front if we’re in an accident.. at least, I hope not. I would like to get something safer, but my dog isn’t in the car very often anymore. I live in Ontario, and she’s a pit bull, so it’s not like I can take her out to a beach or something to go for a swim without muzzling her, and well, she hates being muzzled. Stupid laws 🙁
There are crates that are sloped for hatchbacks. See them in Subarus all the time at dog shows. Personally, my dogs rarely ride outside crates. Their crates are open and they can smell just as much as they can with their heads hanging out the window without the dangers of crap flying in their eyes or of them becoming projectiles if you are in an accident. Car accidents are pretty common, and even small ones can result in any dog being ejected. Most dogs are the size of 12 yo kids or smaller. I used to have two 60 pound mixes along with the Dachshunds, so I bought a Toyota Sienna. Plenty of room for kids, dogs and an amazing amount of stuff. And all family members get to be safe, on their own and from each other (kids not guaranteed).
Check out the Pet Net http://thepetnetshop.com/ – we just installed it and it makes perfect sense.
I have had dogs for decades and travel frequently with dogs in my vehicle, and I will never, ever take an unrestrained dog anywhere in a car.
I do understand that many dogs seem to enjoy putting their heads out the window, and it’s so wonderful that owners care about their dogs’ enjoyment of certain activities. But my dogs seem to enjoy riding in the car quite well in the comfort of their safe, hard-sided, secured travel crates — they have toys, a soft blanket, and a water dish in the crate, and they can enjoy scents coming in through the window as well from that location as any within the car.
There are three aspects to consider in terms of the danger of pets traveling loose in the vehicle — safety to the pet, to the vehicle’s human occupants, and to other drivers on the highway. First of all, a loose pet in the vehicle becomes a flying projectile at even a slight impact or deceleration at a fairly low speed, so that the pet can be badly injured or even killed in something as minor as a “fender-bender.” Secondly, having that projectile flying through the car is, needless to say, likely to cause injury — not to mention distress — to human occupants in the event of an accident. Third, if they survive, dogs that were loose in cars involved in accidents often end up either lost or loose or injured on the highway, causing risk to other drivers and possibly to emergency responders as well.
I find reliable belt-restraint systems to be greatly preferable to the dog being loose, but in my experience a traveling pet is by far safest and most comfortable in a hard-sided, secure crate, out of the sun and with appropriate ventilation.
Ask anyone who believes it’s OK to travel with a pet loose in the car if they’ve ever been in an accident while traveling with their pet. I was. On a two-lane country road, a driver in an approaching car fell asleep at the wheel, going about 50 mph. I was hit head-on, and my vehicle rolled and was totaled. I was miraculously unhurt, and my three beloved dogs would most certainly have died on that day if they’d not been in hard-sided travel crates.
This is one of those things where a slight inconvenience — and yes, perhaps a slightly less “fun” time for some pets — is greatly offset by the prevention of potentially disastrous consequences. A no-brainer, in other words, if you care about your pet. Just my two cents. So sorry for the long post! Thanks.
I think I have mentioned this before but I have tried numerous seatbelt systems out for my labs and the only one that keeps them where they need to be, works in the seats and the cargo area, doesn’t pop out when they step on the seatbelt button and one that they do not twist up in is the ‘Champion Seat Belt System,” http://www.champk-9.com/CCSS.htm. Another poster Melissa mentioned it to.
Most seatbelt systems just snap into the seatbelt but when the dogs walk on the seatbelt release button suddenly you have a dog where you don’t want them.
The part that makes this work is the way it attaches to the seatbelt and the attachement strap that comes with it. It is even made for GIANT dogs.
If you already have a seatbelt harness that fits well and is well padded all you really need is the restraint strap and you can buy it separately.
A dog that is not restrained can be thrown from the car but is also a missle in the car. You don’t have to be on the freeway to have a serious accident with an unrestrained dog. I had a friend who was just driving in her sub division when she had to stop suddenly as a car backed out in front of her. Her dog put its head threw the windshield. In another accident a dog jumped into the front seat and landed on the driver and it caused an accident where the dog and driver were killed. Dog seatbelts save lives..
Dave: My dogs can still stick their noses out the window ( they don’t get to stick their heads out though, I have seen eyes damaged doing that ). They can sit/stand up and look around. They just can’t be thrown out.
Dr V, I love your blog, but I’m too heartbroken to read for a while.
My Brody has passed away last Friday. It hurts to see his name right now. I’m sorry.
Oh, no. I am so, so very sorry for your loss. 🙁 I’ll be thinking of you.
Thank you. =( This was my boy, and I loved him.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2368/1678769214_32ce42c53b_b.jpg
anyone know of products for cats? My cat magoo LOVES car rides and sits well but I am so scared of him getting hurt or jumping around. I dont like to put my cats in to carriers, not when they sit well in the car and at the office.
I’m very bad, Puzzle usually cuddles in my lap (when I’m a passenger!) or is put in a down-stay on the passenger side floor. We’ve tried restraint systems for him in the past, but he always chews through them. He is too big for the crates that fit in our cargo area, and NO crate we’ve had for him has ever fit in the back seat. Not to mention the howling in the crate or the chewing on the car doors and seat belts if in a harness system. I’m kind of at my wit’s end. We’ve tried every kind of Bitter Apple-type anti-chew spray and while we’ve found how bad they taste to us, Puzzle seems to find them a delightful garnish. If you happen upon a titanium-reinforced harness setup, let me know…
we have a gate-like-thing that you can put between the back seat and the cargo area. the gate covers the open space above the back seat but does not touch all the way to the floor so it works for sloped back seats. we manage to fit two berneese mountain dogs in the back of a VW golf like this, lol. and neither the dogs nor the driver gets uncomfortable…
great discussion! our dogs ride unrestrained right now b/c none of them like their crates (3 would be a lot to fit too, even in a Rav4) and they’re really good about not jumping around or distracting the driver, and they only get to put their noses to a cracked window so there are no heads hanging out unless we’re in our neighborhood going 10 miles an hour. but anway — my biggest problem is finding a seatbelt restraint that gives them some flexiblity without getting tangled with the other two! the zip line sounded like a perfect idea, except putting three dogs on it is just asking for a mess…i really want to find a solution here where they have some roaming room in the backseat but are still safe. i don’t know if this is even possible!! i’ve been looking for over two years for a solution…
Longtime lurker, first time commenter!
I have a boxer and am in love with the Kurgo Auto Zip Line. I have the “zip line” connected to the overhead handles, but it can also be connected to seat belts or headrests. I believe when I purchased the Zip Line it came with Kurgo’s Tru Fit Smart Harness, which includes a notched leash and carabiner (which clips to the zip line) so you can adjust how much slack/wander room you want your pups to have– I usually leave just enough length so my dog can lay down and doze comfortably, but is unable to jump in the front passenger seat.
Forgot to include a link…
Auto Zip Line – http://www.kurgo.com/products/azl.html