Question Dogs in Cars

patterson0711

New member
(hope this is the right forum to post this in!)

We are planning to get a Greyhound shortly & I'm sure that it will travel with us often.
I plan to get some sort of seatbelt system for it. I saw some people suggest the PetBuckle system & would like to know if anyone has any input on this.

I'd also like to figure out the best placement for the dog. I have a '12 Odyssey. In the center row, I have DD in a Monterey & DS in a Frontier (both outboard). The center seat is removed & virtually never used. The rear seat is rarely occupied by anyone/anything.

So, I could place the dog on the rear seat & tether/buckle it there OR I thought I could perhaps have him/her lay on the floor between the center row's seats (where my kids are). IF I were to do that, I'd only do so if it would be safe to somehow attach whatever "doggie seat belt" to the floor anchors for the removable seat.

Opinions?
 
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bubbaray

New member
I used to have an Ody. Two children in 2nd row, 3 rd row stowed and 85lb lab in dog crate in cargo area.
 

patterson0711

New member
Thank you!
I think I'd strongly consider the crate if we were going on a long car ride (ie: from PA to ME or FL) but I know it's just not realistic for the several times a week, running around town, etc. types of rides. :(
KWIM?
I used to have an Ody. Two children in 2nd row, 3 rd row stowed and 85lb lab in dog crate in cargo area.
 

bubbaray

New member
patterson0711 said:
Thank you!
I think I'd strongly consider the crate if we were going on a long car ride (ie: from PA to ME or FL) but I know it's just not realistic for the several times a week, running around town, etc. types of rides. :(
KWIM?

Why not? Our dog loved his crate. It was his cave.
 

monstah

New member
MomToEliEm said:
There was a news report last week discussing the pet seatbelts which referenced testing done on various seatbelts for dogs. Here is a link to those test results.
http://centerforpetsafety.org/research/

After looking at their results, I don't know if I would use any of the seatbelts until they change the design. I would try hard to figure out how to get a crate to work instead.

I'm sticking with the Bergan but that's because I have DS in the third row and I don't want all of that force slamming into his seat back. That's scarier to me than the dog getting injured or killed. But if I could get the kids 3 across the 2nd row, I'd surely switch to putting the dog in the cargo area!

Right now he rides on the passengers seat in a Bergan. I just want him away from the kids in a crash.
 

Baylor

New member
There was a news report last week discussing the pet seatbelts which referenced testing done on various seatbelts for dogs. Here is a link to those test results.
http://centerforpetsafety.org/research/

After looking at their results, I don't know if I would use any of the seatbelts until they change the design. I would try hard to figure out how to get a crate to work instead.

This. It was scary. To be honest while I don't want any animal hurt my most urgent consideration is that he would not be thrown and kill one of my kids.
 

patterson0711

New member
At the risk of sounding....well, how I'm probably going to sound (lol), 1) it's going to be a 48inch-long crate. Very large to be trying to get in & out of the car each time & 2) that would leave me with zero space for anything else to safely be in the car.
Hmmmm....what about *maybe* one of those canvas travel crates vs. the metal crate? I would still REALLY prefer to find a safe & much less of a p.i.t.a. option but that's something that I'd possibly consider.
Why not? Our dog loved his crate. It was his cave.
 

bnsnyde

New member
I just read a post elsewhere about a 106 lb. dog sitting between twins in the car. !!! No restraint for this dog. The person thought the main issue was that they needed a bigger vehicle. Well, maybe. But also a restraint so the dog doesn't end up killing these kids/driver in an accident.

So, that's awesome you'll have him restrained properly.
 

Brianna

New member
At the risk of sounding....well, how I'm probably going to sound (lol), 1) it's going to be a 48inch-long crate. Very large to be trying to get in & out of the car each time & 2) that would leave me with zero space for anything else to safely be in the car.
Hmmmm....what about *maybe* one of those canvas travel crates vs. the metal crate? I would still REALLY prefer to find a safe & much less of a p.i.t.a. option but that's something that I'd possibly consider.

Just a suggestion... get a crate to leave in the vehicle, go grocery shopping when he's not with you and just load his crate up with whatever you need to transport.
 

bubbaray

New member
patterson0711 said:
At the risk of sounding....well, how I'm probably going to sound (lol), 1) it's going to be a 48inch-long crate. Very large to be trying to get in & out of the car each time & 2) that would leave me with zero space for anything else to safely be in the car.
Hmmmm....what about *maybe* one of those canvas travel crates vs. the metal crate? I would still REALLY prefer to find a safe & much less of a p.i.t.a. option but that's something that I'd possibly consider.

My dogs crates are XL size even though he's jus a lab. I had plenty of room for any cargo with the 3rd row stowed and his crate on one side. Really not an issue at all.
 

amanny

New member
What would be the best option for a large dog when a crate is not an option (cars, etc)?

I drive a small car. We take our dog in the car 3+ times a week. Even if I drove a van/suv/truck it would not be practical to take a HUGE crate in and out numerous times a week and I can absolutely see where OP is coming from that she doesnt want to do that.

I usually make my dog ride in the front seat with a car harness we got from PetsMart.
 

patterson0711

New member
At the risk of sounding argumentative (which really is not my intention at all), what's to prevent a dog in a crate from becoming an even heavier missile in a crash (or possibly multiple missiles if the crate can't withstand the forces of the crash)?
While I'd never expect any kind of pet restraint to prevent severe injury or death to the animal, I think that the main goal of it is to limit the number of projectiles in the car (especially large, heavy ones) & thereby protect the other passengers.

I'm also wondering if having a dog "buckled" into a restraint of some kind & tethered in some way to the floor vs. a seat would prevent the dog from becoming as much of a "flying" projectile since they'd be so much lower to the center of gravity????
 

robbertbobbert

New member
Uh yeah, how is a dog in a crate not also a projectile? Are you guys tethering the crate down somehow? What part of the crate is reinforced enough to remain tethered in a crash and not just break?

My dog rides in a Roadie tethered to a cargo hook in the back of my station wagon or in a seat in the middle row. I'm sure there are still risks in that, but it seems there's no 100% safe way to transport a dog.
 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member
I can't speak for everyone else, but my labbie was in a crate which was secured down with tie-downs. I don't trust the seatbelt systems, I had a puppy who was a chewer, and I have a 5-passenger vehicle with 3 kids. A vest/harness isn't an option for me.

I leave the crate in, jump the dog in the car, she goes in the crate and I close the door. No biggie at all! If I am getting a ton of groceries (say, costco run) I load them in the crate. Doubles as a way to safely transport my groceries. Win-win.
 

laurengt

Active member
I rarely travel with my dog anymore, since having children because of the risks. When I do travel with him, he rides either using a dog seatbelt in the front seat (if we are i the sedan) or behind the cargo cage in the rear (if in my Escape) -- he is about the size of the cargo area.
I used to have a couple of smaller dogs (basset hound and a beagle), pre kids, that rode with me all the time. They rode in dog seatbelts or tethered cages.

I think a cage is probably the best bet for OP. I'm also wondering why you will travel with your dog so often?
 

bubbaray

New member
We use an airline approved crate. Currently it is used in the bed/box of DHs truck, strapped down. In the van it took up on side of the cargo area with 3rd row stowed -- leaving plenty of room for double stroller, luggage, etc. we had t strapped but I can't remember where.

I'm not interested in arguing the point, using a pet belt was not something I was ever interested in. All the lab owners I know (used to be very involved in the local breed club) use crates to transport their labs to shows, hunt tests,& field trials, as well as just general transport.
 

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