# Dog safety harness question



## Lesleykh (Apr 13, 2009)

Hi,
In our new van - a Devon Monte Carlo - we have a small space for a table behind the driver's chair and a single seat with seatbelt behind that.

It looks like a good space for our Collie X. However, all the pictures I seem to find of dog seat harnesses have the dog on a back seat of a car, with the harness plugged in the seatbelt.

What I'd like would be for him to be able to sit on the floor, but be attached to the seatbelt. Do any of you use something similar? Or have you any ideas for a solution?

We were originally thinking of getting a travelling cage, but several people have said you need to train them in these from pups and that a 12 yr old dog might not take kindly to one. He does, however, love squeezing into confined spaces.

Lesley


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## cbcft (Jul 16, 2007)

Hi Lesley
We have a small dog so he is able to sit on the seat with the harness fixed to the seatbelt. I've not seen one which has a strap long enough to allow the dog to sit on the floor. However we also have a flexible travelling "cage" which is made of canvas type material and folds up when not in use. One of the best buys we have made! 

Our dog has been crate-trained from a pup so is used to his crate but our daughter has a 10 year old dog. Our daughter was so impressed with our crate that she has purchased one for her dog and the dog loves it. So I would give it a go. It keeps the dog safe and contained in their own personal space.


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## Lesleykh (Apr 13, 2009)

Would the dog still need a harness if they were in this soft crate? I don't want him flying around the place!

Of course, I'm sure he'd love to sleep on the rear lounge, but since that's also our bed I'm drawing a line at that.

Lesley


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## Kelcat (Apr 20, 2008)

Hi Lesley,
If I understand correctly you want the dog to be on the floor - but attached to the seat belt?
You could do this by fastening the belt & making a simple attachment with 2 x climbing caribiner's (screwgate type) & the requisite length of dynamic type rope (this will absorb any shock). We use a ruffwear harness for running & scrambling & Pushka travels in the van in it.
Hope that helps,
K


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## cbcft (Jul 16, 2007)

No - you wouldn't need a harness if he were in the crate.


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## telboy1 (Nov 3, 2007)

Hi we have a strap that at one end clips onto our dogs collar and the other end slots into the seat belt, like a normal seat belt does. She just lays on the floor but is nice and secure. Cannt remember where we got it from, sorry. Hubby thinks it was a RAC product
Dawn
Just looked at your picture our dog Casey looks like yours and about the same size. she is a Pyrenean X but looks like a Landseer


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## Kelcat (Apr 20, 2008)

Dawn - if you had to stop in a hurry all the load would be on your pets neck - that's why we use the harness - just a thought


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## telboy1 (Nov 3, 2007)

Kelcat said:


> Dawn - if you had to stop in a hurry all the load would be on your pets neck - that's why we use the harness - just a thought


Thanks good thought, have got a harness so can use that with it
Dawn


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Why must he be fixed to the seat belt?

If that's inconvenient why not install a ring eye in the seat front, with a small wooden stress plate on the inside for it to screw through into. _(Poor English but you know what I mean.)_

It need not be large or intrusive and should do the job perfectly when his harness attachment is adjusted for length.

If a different attachment (like a dog lead clip?) needs to be added, that's only a few minutes with the sewing machine.

Dave


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## Lesleykh (Apr 13, 2009)

Dave - the idea of starting to screw things to the van is scary!

I would rather use a chest harness than something round his neck.

The trouble is I want to have something, even temporary, but feel we need to have a trip in the van with the dog before we make firm decisions or start screwing bits on.

Lesley


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## Steamdrivenandy (Jun 18, 2007)

We used to have a Horizons Unlimited Innovation (Zeb's seen it) based on the swb Transit. It had a purpose made crate that slid between the rear wheelarches and was home to our two beardies.

At one time we had three beardies and the pup used the standard harness clipped into a rear seat belt but he couldn't lie down on the floor. The oldest dog passed on and the pup took his place in the back. Shortly afterwards I read a report that dog harnesses can act as a sling shot under fast deceleration and even if they don't slip out of the harness they can do a lot of damage to themselves and other people in the car.

For our Adria we purchased a canvas crate and we remove the dinette table and store it in the rear garage. The crate fits snugly right behind the cab seats and can't shift even under fierce deceleration. Both beardies love it in there and we can see them at a glance from our seats. The only downside is that the crates in the way if you want to nip into the back of the van. So a trip outside via the hab. door is required if you need the loo etc.

HTH


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

If you would like your dog to travel in a crate then there is no reason why he couldn't be trained to use one.

The most important thing to remember is that he must associate it with nice things. When you bring it home just leave it for him to investigate. Your attitude must be that you have just bought him the most amazing new "toy"  Throw his toys in, put some treats inside for him to find. Feed him in it. Take it very slowly and only close the door for short periods once he is happy in it. Give him a nice chew toy to settle him.

Always let him out before he whines. If he whines don't let him oiut until he is quiet. This prevents him learning that whining gets him out.

I would find a way to secure the crate to the van though. Pointless exercise otherwise.

Our dog travels in a chest harness attached to the seat belt on the forward facing dinette seat.


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## leseduts (Jun 3, 2008)

We are down to one dog since Paddy died. Maisie is a German Shepherd and travels in a soft dog bed behind the passenger seat. She wears a collar and lead, the lead goes through the air gap under the bench seat and is fastened to the metalwork that holds the seat belts for that seat. I agree with a previous poster who said that a harness would be better for her that the pressure on her neck.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

leseduts said:


> . . . the lead goes through the air gap under the bench seat and is fastened to the metalwork that holds the seat belts for that seat. I agree with a previous poster who said that a harness would be better for her that the pressure on her neck.


An obvious way to test out the arrangement before fixing a screw eye, and the lead can be attached to the harness quite securely. 

If anyone thought I suggested earlier that the dog should be restrained using his collar, I can only apologise.

(We don't even walk our dog using her collar in case she runs after a rabbit and is jerked to a stop at the end of her lead. She wears a body harness at all times when on the lead.)

If you don't want to try a cage I would use the above restraining arrangement, and get a big slab of 4" thick foam off the market and place it behind the driver's seat, so that if you did have to hit the brakes the old dog would have a soft landing as he flew into the seat back.

Dave


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## Groper (May 17, 2007)

We bought a harness from Pets at Home which comes with a small strap which you can attach to the seatbelt and with a clip which you attach to the harness.Our dog Suki can lay between the front seats and seems perfectly happy with the arrangement.She cannot move very far but that means she is secure and you do not want a dog wandering around whilst you are on the move. 

Clive


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

Bryn Dog travels behind the passenger seat under the table unrestrained.

My biggest worry in a crash would be the table, which weighs heavier than the dog! 

99% of the time he is laid down flat and low and the only place he would go is into the base of the front passenger seat, and then it would only be a movement of a few inches.


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## Ralph-n-Bev (Nov 27, 2009)

We have 2 Border Terriers. They always travelled in a cage in the back of the Terrano when we used to tug. 
Since getting the MH they dont. We used to put the cage on the bottom bunk , which on the side in the Mizar. But found the cage got in the way once at our destination. Too much faff collapsing it all the time too. 
Now they both sit in one soft dog bed in the entrance to the MH. The Mizar has integral steps . Ralph cut a piece of ply to fit round the bin over the step gap, the bed fits nicely. Wedged between the wooden end of the side dinette settee and the sink unit.
They actually dont like walking about in the MH and stay put. Looking confused as to why they aren't caged. :? 
As soon as the MH stops they are both out of the bed like a flash . I dont know if it will last , maybe once they get used to it we may have to re think. We were going to lock them in the bathroom , if the present idea didn't work . So we'd probably try that next. 
Bev


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## Lesleykh (Apr 13, 2009)

I think I'll get a harness to start with, with an extender strap so he can lie behind the driver's seat.

I quite like the idea of a soft bag, as he could then use it outside the van, though knowing him he will crawl under the van. I think he'd like a space of his own though and it might stop people coming up and trying to stroke him as he looks very cute, but he is very nervous of strangers.

However, if some of you think the bags are in the way when travelling it might not work for us as we will be sorely strapped for space.

I am looking at a big zip up bag towel and wondering what the chances would be of getting Charlie into one of those when wet. One shake and all the cared for upholstery from the one previous owner will be specked with mud.

Thanks for the advice. We'll get the van out of storage for the weekend so we can do some measuring and thinking.

Lesley


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## littlenell (Aug 1, 2008)

Our guys (two dobes) travel in  MUTTSLINGER harnesses that can attach to a point on the floor, if fitted or to the seatbelt, which is what we do. They are not over here but in USA so had to special order...but I liked the fact they encase the dogs rear to prevent catapulting out.

Since then I notice RUFFWEAR  have a new harness used for hoisting etc, and it has rear straps too.

This is Maple modelling her harness


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## xgx (Oct 14, 2005)

I solved the problem by getting a seat belt anchorage from the scrapyard... 

fitting it in the m/h was simple....for once Murphy was on my side as there was an existing hole in the seat frame !!

(hardest part was freeing the strap from the donor car)


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## JLO (Sep 27, 2006)

Hi 

we got a seat belt holder off a transit from the scrap yard and fitted it behind the passenger seat, our labrador wears a harness and this just clips in the seatbelt anchor, he can't move a long way but can stand up turn round etc whilst strapped in. I made sure the part of the harness which went around his chest was well padded so wouldn't hurt him. Our son borrowed the harness to take the dog in his car and forgot to give it back, the dog did NOT like going out in the motorhome without his harness, he was very unhappy about it and couldn't settle so we now make sure we have it with us!


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