# Dog car travel safety



## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

The Dog Trainer : Dogs and Car Safety :: Quick and Dirty Tips ?

Well, I've always used my plastic, Vari Kennel crates for the dogs, thinking they kept them relatively safe if I have to slam on the brakes or something less violent than a real crash or collision. But I knew in my heart of hearts that the plastic would never hold up against metal squishing together from the car or if it flew around in the car as a projectile. There have been times lately when I didn't use the seat belt around it. I use to be more diligent about strapping the crate in, which I thought would add some safety.

But that article really drives home the point to me that it's worth more research and looking for the safest way for dogs to travel.

What are your thoughts? To what extent do you go to keep your dog relatively safe in the event of a crash?


----------



## hopetocurl (Jan 8, 2014)

I have often wondered about this. I usually crate my dog and strap her in. However, now I see I need to turn the crate long-ways... I'll start doing that. I've been putting her crate in the floor board in the center lately...that may be a better bet.... but wasn't included in this review. In my car, it is wedged in.


----------



## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Thank you for starting this thread. I looked at safety restraints and got discouraged at poor reviews and no crash testing. I don't own a hard-sided crate. Any brand recommendations by size of poodle for a comfortable seat belt?


----------



## beanz (Jul 14, 2014)

I've heard good things about the Clickit . Apparently it attaches to the seat anchors like a child's carseat would and is crash tested for safety of the dog, not just to keep the dog from wandering the car.


----------



## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

We have a barrier between the seats and the cargo area, but I know that won't actually protect the dogs, just us. The Clickit harness looks very interesting, and much safer.


----------



## nifty (Aug 2, 2013)

I was looking at the click it very seriously - however, upon reading reviews etc it seems that for poodles and other dogs who are narrow across the chest, the design is too wide. The harness chafes and cuts into the poodles legs and hips.

Apparently, a poodle owner had written to the company about that and apparently they are working on a design for poodles and similar dogs which they expected (at the time of writing) to be able to see in production later this year. Anyone else heard anything about this?

Currently, I am using a barrier between cargo and seats like JudyD - because none of the other harnesses on the market are crash tested or apparently any good for safety except to keep the dogs from jumping around the car (which I admit is one type of safety issue - but it doesn't work like a car seat or seat belt in the event of a crash). So I figured if that is the best I can find, it is just as well to put Dulcie in the cargo area with a soft toy and a blanket to lie on so she can stretch her legs if she wants to while on the road, and she is still safely away from the driver (me) or any open windows.


----------



## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

At one time I had 3 dogs, each about 50 lbs. Two of them got along and they were in the back seat with pillows on the floor board to fill in that area in case I braked fast and they fell forward. The 3rd dog was crated in the cargo area of our SUV as a puppy but outgrew any crate that would fit into that space. So we got a divider that keep the dogs in the back seat separate from the one in the cargo.

Now we have 2 dogs and they still lay on pillows in the back seat area. I use to put harness on my dogs and attached them to the head rests but the belt could get tangled and one time I had to pull over to untangle one of the dogs and I happened to pull into a parking lot where it was restricted because of an upcoming football game. A uniformed man (parking police?) came over to tell me to move, and my dogs were barking and I couldn't hear him, he couldn't hear me, and it was just a mess. So I decided to forego the harness and safety belt. I know it is a risk but the dogs travel more comfortably, and I get to keep my sanity (or what's left of it).

If I were going on a long trip with the dogs, I think I would re-evaluate how they travel in the car. Right now, it is just short trips and I have to help the older dog up onto the back seat. I certainly am not going to put a harness restraint on her now because of the reasons I stated and I do think it would be uncomfortable for her at her age. She has many fatty tumors on her belly and arthritis in her legs.


----------



## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

I saw the Clickit. Is everybody lashing their poodles in? My Scottie was a free range, ace traveler so this is new for me. He was going to be thrown clear or crawl out of the wreckage in my accident scenario, that never happened.


----------



## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

We used to carry our Lab, who weighs about 85 pounds, in the back seat of a Toyota Camry. Any sort of sudden slow-down would toss him against the back of the front seats or, worse, up between the seats. It was never actually dangerous, but only because we were lucky. When we got a new car, we bought a small SUV and had a dog barrier put in before we took the car home. As I said above, I know it won't protect the dogs themselves in a bad crash, but it will keep them from slamming into us.


----------



## shelhey (Jul 16, 2014)

Sleepypod

Passes child safety restraint tests. I believe they have harnesses for SPoos.

I'm taking my TPoo home in one Wednesday. I'm a huge car seat freak (most people don't use them right or buckle child correctly) so I figured id do same for new puppy. Plus he has to come with us places so he isn't home alone much.... I hope he likes it.


----------



## poolann (Jan 31, 2013)

I'm glad to see folks using some type of restraints. I saw something really scary the other day & I hope this will educate or remind folks about windows. 

I was on my way to the training facility with Racer in the back seat. A car pulled up beside us at the light with a dog that had his head out the window. Racer was sitting up (in a harness buckled in) When the other dog saw him he was leaning his chest into the window & a few barks were exchanged. My windows are up or a very very small crack at the top when the dogs are with me. I cringed seeing the dog with his head out but then a fire truck came through & this rather large dog was flinging himself against the partially open window with his head out. All I could picture was the window breaking & the dog falling or jumping out & going after the fire truck in rush hour traffic. It really shook me up. Please be mindful of what could happen with no restraint or windows open. 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I once saw a dog fall out of the open window of a moving vehicle. It was on a very slow speed road inside a park where there is a dog run and the dog was ok (thankfully no other cars), but I think it is really stupid to leave your dog unrestrained in the car (worse still if you are holding it in your lap while you drive).


----------



## Oreo's Mommy (Dec 18, 2012)

Oreo has many seat belts/car seats. I have OCD and safety is my big issue. The one that works best for Oreo is a seatbelt harness. He wears a harness that has a seatbelt loop attached to it. I run the car seatbelt through the harness strap. 

I have the one that clicks into the seatbelt. Oreo likes to turn in a circle to get comfortable and steps on the seatbelt release. It seems to unlatch too easily. 

I have the strap that turns any harness to a car seat restraint with a clip that goes to the harness and the seatbelt goes through the strap. This one comes unattached from the harness when Oreo spins and stretches. 

I have the Kong Harness with seatbelt loop. It works but just doesn't seem as safe as the first one I mentioned. It is not made out of seatbelt material. 

I have the dog seat that attaches to the car seat so he can look out the window but he is too big for it now and it wasn't able to be attached snugly. The restraint attachment from the seat to the dog is flimsy. 

I have a great soft sided carrier...unsure of the brand. It has a seatbelt attachment made into the bag itself that runs along the back of the bag. Oreo is too tall for it now. 

I have a soft sided Sherpa bag with a seatbelt loop attachment. Never got to try it out...Oreo is too tall. 

Also I have a hard sided crate and a wire crate. I have never put the wire crate in my car and the hard plastic crate is too big for my corolla but was ok in my suv in the center back seat belted in.


----------



## Manxcat (May 6, 2013)

I have the dogs on the back seat in harnesses with the one point of attachment bits that click into the seatbelt locks. I looked at the clickit 3 point one but Pippin does like to move around a bit when we're driving and the 3 point ones seemed too restraining for my liking (and Pippin's!).

The ones we have are adjusted short enough that they cannot fall into the foot well (done an emergency stop and proved that!) and if the car overturned they would not hit the roof. I don't have room for 2 crates/cages or whatever and hubby doesn't have room for even one in his little car.

I know a lot of folk put their dogs in the cargo area, but having been in a bad RTA a few years ago where the back end of my car was reduced to about a one foot chunk of metal with the back seats nearly touching the front I've always said I'd never put my dogs in the rear like that or in the footwell. Just my personal choice of course.

If we are stopping somewhere I loosen the length of the attachment so they can move around even further but when we're on the move they're fairly confined.

I have meanly figured that they are as safe as I can make them without taking away the pleasure they have on any car ride - Pippin especially likes to look out of windows. 

I don't think there is any way to keep them perfectly safe. Same as people.


----------



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

There are crash tested crates available in the UK, but they are huge, take up most of the luggage space, are very expensive, and are not available for all cars. I tend to go for the 80/20 approach. My dogs are happier travelling in a crate, so I have a canvas crate on the back seat, long side against the back of the seat, crate door facing the car door, additional door on top of the crate. It stays in place through emergency stops, is within the safety cage built into the car, and should be sufficient to stop the dogs flying around the car in case of a more serious crash, given their small size and low weight. It would not, of course, survive a major impact, and I must remember to put the seat belt back around it ... Too long between bumps is making me complacent!


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Oreo's Mommy check this out. It would help with the problem of Oreo stepping on the seatbelt releaser.

Clean Run: Angel Guard Seat Belt Release Cover


----------



## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

It's good to see everyone trying to make their dogs more safe...all kinds of products and ideas out there, some maybe better than others. 

I can't imagine strapping Maurice or Matisse for that matter into any kind of belt. He's so small, under 4 lbs that it seems the belt itself could cut him right in half. I can see it on a big dog but I'd really be just as worried with a strap or belt around a tiny dog as I would be with just a crate. Can they even lie down with a belt type thing? We all hope, of course, that we won't have a terrible accident. 

I bet a person could have something custom made, like a crate made out of tubular steel all around it...kind of like my car. It has tubular steel bars in the doors so if a car hits my car from the side, it's less apt to collapse too much.


----------



## Oreo's Mommy (Dec 18, 2012)

Lilly cd re:BRILLIANT!!!! Thank you so much for the link. I must get at least one of these. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Bizzeemamanj (Apr 14, 2014)

Cooper travels in a harness that has a seat belt attachment that attaches to a locked seatbelt that secures his booster seat. Does that make sense? Harness, seatbelt attachment, locked seatbelt securing the booster seat - in the back seat middle.

That said, in a violent crash, he would get jerked around because the harness to seatbelt attachment gives him enough room for him to sit up or lay down in his booster seat.

I've recently heard there is a law in NJ that states dogs may not ride in the front passenger seat of the car. Not sure if this is true or not, but it does make sense to me. He's much more distracting when he's next to me than when he's in the back seat.

ETA - It's called the Lookout 1. I use it with his harness.


----------



## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

States unleash laws on restraining pets while driving ? USATODAY.com


----------



## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

I'll look for something more current.


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Mfmst one of the important points in that article (even if it is old) is that the issue of unrestrained pets in an emerging one. I also thought the point that this is another aspect of distracted driving is important. How can you really be paying attention to your driving if Fluffy is on your lap and trying to lick your face.


----------



## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

I can't imagine letting a dog ride in the front seat. Aside from being a distraction to the driver, can you imagine what might happen to the dog if the air bag were to go off?


----------



## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

JudyD said:


> I can't imagine letting a dog ride in the front seat. Aside from being a distraction to the driver, can you imagine what might happen to the dog if the air bag were to go off?


Those air bags could kill a dog. And sometimes it doesn't take all that much to set them off.


----------



## Aubrey (May 18, 2013)

In Germany, a dog must be restrained in the car, out of reach of the driver.

Mine always ride in their crate. Always. I've got a jeep that fits a 48" crate, both dogs fit. It sits on top of the back seat folded down, and it's strapped down to stay in the center of the vehicle in case of side-on collisions.

The worry about having the crate in the cargo area is that most cars are made to fold in the event of a crash- cargo area first.


----------



## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

In a similar discussion several months ago, someone posted a link to a crate that's designed to withstand the crumpling of the cargo area in a rear-end crash. They were very expensive, and we couldn't have gotten two of them in our small SUV, but they looked like a safe alternative.


----------



## sparkyjoe (Oct 26, 2011)

Having a new puppy, with plans to take him with us whenever and wherever we can, this is an interesting topic to me.

I wanted something to keep baby Fletcher contained and somewhat safer than being loose in the back seat, but we didn't want to put him waaaaay back in the cargo section in a crate, We also wanted to have that area available for luggage. I wasn't sure about a harness because when I tried them before my dog was so excitable that he'd end up twisted and strangling/hurting himself.

We ended up with this, in medium, for Fletcher...

Amazon.com : K&H Manufacturing Travel Safety Carrier, Medium : Pet Carriers : Pet Supplies


And so far it's been a success. When we first started using it, Baby Fletcher protested a lot, but now he may give a whine or two, then he's off to dream land.

The carrier is strong enough to hold up to some puppy "abuse" but soft enough so he doesn't hurt himself if he rolls forward during a sudden stop.

Here he is after a trip into the city for training.


----------



## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

Here's the link to the crumple zone crate I mentioned above. Very expensive--the double size is over a thousand dollars--but maybe the best option.

http://www.mightymitedoggear.com/MIM_Variocage_crash_tested_Dog_Car_Crate.html

Incidentally, Chagall's Mom made the original post. Haven't seen her posts for quite some time. Hope all is well with her.


----------



## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

JudyD said:


> Here's the link to the crumple zone crate I mentioned above. Very expensive--the double size is over a thousand dollars--but maybe the best option.
> 
> Variocage U.S. - Mim Variocage Dog Crate, Variocage Car Crash Safety Crate
> 
> Incidentally, Chagall's Mom made the original post. Haven't seen her posts for quite some time. Hope all is well with her.


She's on vacation. She posted a while back and said she'd see us in Sept. Wow! What a vacation that must be. I hope she's having fun. 

And I apologize if I'm not able to post too much today and through the week end....crazy busy getting ready for a show and other stuff...just insane around here. But I popped on during my lunch break. You guys are awesome with all your ideas. I'll check back later.


----------



## LucyWucy (Jan 28, 2014)

I use a combination of things to keep my Lucy safe. 

Car hammock:Wander Hammock | Car Hammock for Dogs
I love this one because half of it can be folded down for a passenger. Only thing is that it only came with three straps to go around the headrests (which seems dumb) but I just crocheted a strap with a clip on one end and a keyring ring on the other and thread it through the holes and around the headrest. Also it stops her from falling into the foot-well. 

Click Seat Belt: Dog Travel Harness | Click Seat Belt Restraint
A new investment. Have only used it once since purchase but I'm very happy with it. On our last trip it was just long enough for her to lay against the forward side of the hammock. I only clip it onto her puppia walking harness. 

Lucy used to have one of the harnesses with the seat belt loop but she would constantly turn around and get herself twisted. 

We take long rides a couple of times a week through the city to drop our housemate at his hospital appointments and this set up is really great. She's very relaxed the entire trip and enjoys the treats she gets on the way back home.


----------



## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

Snowball was trained to ride free in the back of a pick-up. He would never jump out, even parked, even with another person or animal next to the truck. He knew his place. And I wanted him in a place where he could easily jump free of any accident. 

We got stopped by an SPCA guy once. He was trembling so badly I leaned out of my window to make sure he wasn't armed... just in case. Strange thing he was going thru I guess. I still had a chain attached to the bed of the truck, left over from our training days, so I hooked him up and we carried on. 'Till we lost the SPCA and I let him ride free again. 

To this day Tonka rides, asleep, in the back seat of the car. He'll sleep from Toronto to Montreal if we don't stop to stretch our legs. There is NOTHING on the market that would restrain him safely. So I'm not gonna try this, and then try that. I'm gonna carry on, keep my wits about me, and do my best to keep us both safe.


----------

