Pet Car Seat, What do you think?

Blondie87 · Jun 15, 2011

So I did a lot of research on car seats for my 2 pups. A lot were crappy, they would just strap around the headrest or something, and have a strap coming from inside the seat to hook them in, which would prolly rip out in an accident.

But I found one that was different. The Snoozer Pet Lookout Car Seat. It's basically a huge piece of covered foam that buckles in by the seat belt. And it comes with these straps that buckle around the lap belt, then attach to their harness. So the seat belt and strap is actually holding them in.

Before this they used to be in a crate behind the passenger seat on the floor. I am sure that is/was the safest option. But they have been getting hot back there during the summer, and I want them to be able to see out the window and stuff.

Here are some pics of the car seat. What do you think? Do you think it's safe? That it would hold them in a crash? I am trying to find better harnesses for them in the car, but there isn't a lot of options, especially one that fits my littlest one. They are 3.4 and 6.4 lbs.

It buckles in..

You can see how they are hooked in-

Close up of how the strap hooks-

And for cuteness, a pic of my 2 pups and my sisters Chihuahua all in the seat together-

Pixels · Jun 15, 2011

Better than nothing, but I wouldn't trust their harnesses, the metal clip on the webbing, or the plastic clip on the webbing to hold in a severe crash. It will keep them from getting thrown about with normal driving or even a short stop, and most importantly it will keep them away from the driver so as not to cause a crash.

I'm not sure what else to suggest, though. Putting their crate up on the back seat with appropriate straps to the seatbelt should give them more air while still keeping them contained.

Pixels · Jun 15, 2011

What about the Kwik Connect tether from Petbuckle? That would leave your harnesses, but take out the questionable tether you have right now.

eyeslkethesky5391 · Jun 15, 2011

my concern is more of the harnesses...those harness don't look like they would hold up much in a car accident...what about something like this
http://www.ruffrider.com

Defrost · Jun 15, 2011

I think for most dogs the harnesses you're using would be a concern, but considering that yours weigh so little I doubt they need something so heavy-duty. That's just a guess, of course.

actuallyamanda · Jun 15, 2011

I dont really have any advice...my dog hates riding. I just want to say how CUTE they are though!!

Blondie87 · Jun 15, 2011

I don't have lower anchors in my car tho, just top tethers. It's a 2000. I want to get something like that in the future when we get a larger dog... and hopefully we'll have one that has LATCH by then. I want something that will keep them in the car, or in that seat area.. safe in an accident.

If I buckle their crate in.. in an accident the seat belt would crush the crate.. so yeah.. not really an option.

mommycat · Jun 15, 2011

Defrost said:
I think for most dogs the harnesses you're using would be a concern, but considering that yours weigh so little I doubt they need something so heavy-duty. That's just a guess, of course.

:yeahthat: Although I do like the idea of replacing the tethers with the Pet Buckle one. I don't like the look of the plastic clips and metal ring/clip either. The harnesses themselves look ok to me (also guessing) for such tiny dogs. I like that they have the wider padded sections to spread out the loads. I like the pillow itself too, so comfy. Looks like it would even provide some SIP, LOL. I just wish it had a higher edge on the front too (like a nest) to help slow them down if they were thrown forward. They are just adorable.

ETA you say you don't have latch anchors but it looked like it had a d-ring? So you would wrap the d-ring around the lap belt and attach the latch buckle to the d-ring. I didn't read the details though.

Blondie87 · Jun 15, 2011

mommycat said:
ETA you say you don't have latch anchors but it looked like it had a d-ring? So you would wrap the d-ring around the lap belt and attach the latch buckle to the d-ring. I didn't read the details though.

Wouldn't that defeat the purpose tho? The D-Ring would still be holding them in..

Since they do weigh so little, the harnesses would probably be fine holding them, but I DO want to try to find better ones for them in the car. Most XS would fit Bella, but Izzie is sooo thin in the chest in neck, that is the ONLY harness I have found that fits her so far. I just got one more that I should be recieving soon that should fit her, that I think will be much better for in the car, but not perfect. It was on sale for $5, I wanna get Bella one like it, but her size isn't on sale, so it'd be $20..

. But I may end up getting it anyways.. so they'll match...

I like this harness a lot.. but it would not fit Izzie. Plus, it is not at my local Petsmart so I can't try it on them. I am sure I could figure out a way to hook it onto the D-Ring rather than buckle it in.

I don't like the ruff rider harness because of how strapy it is. I like more padding, or a bigger area at the chest, not to put so much pressure.

amelia222 · Jun 15, 2011

These harnesses are good and they have an XXS.

Blondie87 · Jun 15, 2011

amelia222 said:
These harnesses are good and they have an XXS.

But what really is the difference between those and the ones they are wearing in the pics? They are pretty much the same thing. Ya know?

Evolily · Jun 16, 2011

I don't see it holding up in a serious crash

even for such small (and cute!) dogs. I'd rather have a pet carrier wedged on the floor between the front and back seat, then you'll have something like compartmentalization. I just really do not trust those plastic buckles!

Pixels · Jun 16, 2011

The difference between the PetBuckle Drng and the one that you have now is the PB has been crash tested.

mommycat · Jun 16, 2011

Pixels said:
The difference between the PetBuckle Drng and the one that you have now is the PB has been crash tested.

:yeahthat:

In the original tethers, it is the plastic buckle and the pivots/hinges that I don't trust, not the metal ring itself. Obviously it may be fine, and they are teeny dogs, but I have seen pivot type buckles or the springs on a clip similar to those give way and fall apart just in normal use, so I don't have the same sort of trust as I do in webbing/tether hook/etc. on a product designed and tested by a latch strap manufacturer (isn't the Pet Buckle produced by Immi?)

Brigala · Jun 16, 2011

Pixels said:
most importantly it will keep them away from the driver so as not to cause a crash.

:yeahthat:

The only serious accident I've ever been in was caused by an unrestrained dog.

Even if the harnesses break in an accident, which is the worst case scenario, it should at least slow the doggies down.

I suspect the only thing that would keep a dog really safe in a car would be something that immobilizes the dog like a child restraint does. And I doubt the dogs would be very happy with such a restraint (some children aren't, either, but... and this is harsh, I know, because I'm a dog lover too... children are less replaceable than dogs).

For what it's worth, in the accident that broke my back, in which the car flipped end-over-end and landed upside down at the bottom of a 20 foot embankment, the unrestrained dog walked away unscathed. The baby was fine, too, thanks to his infant seat! Dogs are pretty tough, I think.

And the safest thing for the dog, of course, is not to be in an accident in the first place. Making that less likely is the first line of defense for all occupants of the vehicle.

Pixels · Jun 16, 2011

The point of restraining the dogs is not so much to protect the dogs, but to keep them from causing injury to others; to keep them from delaying first responders attending the humans, as even the gentlest dogs can be dangerous when injured or scared; to keep the dog from running away from the scene of a crash and getting lost or running into traffic.

Blondie87 · Jun 16, 2011

K, Well I like the PetBuckle stuff... It's just, The strap looks long, so I am just worried it won't be able to go small enough to make them stay IN the seat in a crash, or even without a crash. Right now I have their straps short enough where they can't get out of the seat. Maybe hang off a little to the side, but that's it.

mommycat · Jun 16, 2011

You do have a point that having a shorter tether is probably a benefit. It looks like the PB does have the metal adjuster to slide it shorter, but not sure how short it would get.

Oh, I forgot to mention before that I like their style! (fluffy pink "bunny" blanket... leopard print in your siggie... LOL)

Blondie87 · Jun 16, 2011

Thanks! They had a leopard print car seat, but I got black cuz DH would freak if I got leopard.. lol.. he doesn't even like my Cowmoo FR85 back there.

Yeah, it goes down to 12 inches, not including the D-Ring. There strap is prolly at the most 8-10 inches now, I'm not sure. So it would make it a lot longer...

Squeaky McMurdo · Jun 16, 2011

You know... I've been soooo tempted to design a REAL car seat for dogs. I'll start a new thread so I don't hijack yours

Pet Car Seat, What do you think?

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