Spinoff to leaving your dog in the car

If you take your dog with you on errands, etc. Or just for a ride in the car, do you make sure the dog is secured? Meaning, seatbelted, crated, etc?
I do not have a dog, but if I did I would make sure he was secured before going on a ride. When I take my cats in the car I seatbelt the carrier in. I can't stand it when I am driving and I see a dog with its head sticking out the window or running around the backseat or even worse, sitting in the driver's lap. What would happen if that person got into an accident??

Re: Spinoff to leaving your dog in the car

My big guy just sits in the back seat looking out the window. I don't secure him. And my little guy usually sits on my lap or curls up on the passengers side. I had a booster seat for him but i am looking for a different one. The one i have is a piece of cr@p.

Message edited 10/17/2007 4:45:08 PM.

Re: Spinoff to leaving your dog in the car

My dogs are in their doggie seats, harnesses buckled to the seat belts.

Re: Spinoff to leaving your dog in the car

I am one of those terrible people who lets their dog hang her head out the window. She stays in the passenger seat....
If we go on long trips she goes in her crate just because she starts moving around alot after a few hours.

Re: Spinoff to leaving your dog in the car

Re: Spinoff to leaving your dog in the car

We tried the harness thing - and Scout almost hung himself. From now on he goes in the back, loose, with a netting between him and the back seat so he doesn't lick DD to death.

Everyone loves to preach, but you do what works for YOU.

Re: Spinoff to leaving your dog in the car

My dog is only 4.5 pounds so she is in her crate and seatbelted in.

Re: Spinoff to leaving your dog in the car

I always carry Daisy in my lap if DH is driving. Or if she's hot, she sits on the floor btw my feet. She's always on her leash.

If I'm along with her, she's in the travel case secured to the seat, and she wines, but there are windows for her to be able to watch me.

Re: Spinoff to leaving your dog in the car

Re: Spinoff to leaving your dog in the car

Posted by SweetTooth

Posted by karacg



Everyone loves to preach, but you do what works for YOU.

I just want to clarify, I was really not trying to preach... Its just g-d forbid someone got into an accident with the dog loose in the car - he can become a projectile and injure everyone in the car, and most likely will be killed himself. I have seen what can happen first hand riding on the ambulance, and its not a pretty sight.
Its a safety thing.

Re: Spinoff to leaving your dog in the car

Bonnie sits in the backseat, unbelted. We tried the seatbelt and it just didn't work out. She usually will just lay down in the backseat, or stick her head out the window when we're not going too fast.

Re: Spinoff to leaving your dog in the car

our dog lays on the back seat unbelted

Re: Spinoff to leaving your dog in the car

We tried so many different things and finally we have a harness that is right for us. It is attached to his back and there is a strap that goes into the seatbelt buckle.

We tried some other ones, and like an above poster said, he would get so tangled up in them and almost choke himself. We would be pulling over to untangle him all the time. Our car is big and if we don't have him secured he gets nervous and shakes.

We had a lot of trial and error until we found this.

Re: Spinoff to leaving your dog in the car

When she was a puppy and we didn't know if she would be able to control her bladder in the car, we kept her in the airline bag...now she roams...she spends most of her time either on the armrest in between us laying down or in the backseat laying down....it's what works for us...

Re: Spinoff to leaving your dog in the car

I know I should buckle him in but I don't. He loves running around and having the whole back seat to himself. He also loves sticking his head out the window. I cant take that away from him

Re: Spinoff to leaving your dog in the car

We take her in the car with us for rides but we never secure her. She sits on the backseat or will lay down, sometimes she puts her paws up front and we have to nudge her back but otherwise she's pretty good. And she's a lab, she's not a small dog, so she won't go flying if I need to stop short or something. She's tall enough to put her feet on the floor and catch herself if necessary.

ETS: She doesn't like to stick her head out the window while we're driving, only when we're stopped.

I hear what you're saying Lauren, and you're absolutely right. We don't take Kasey with us very often, but I know the one time we do...

Message edited 10/18/2007 4:19:00 PM.

Re: Spinoff to leaving your dog in the car