# loose or tethered while travelling?



## muggers (Jul 14, 2007)

How do you folks travel with your dog/s? I know few who use harness, ours tie themselves in knots trying to lie comfy, not allowed on seats so it's tricky to attach the harness to a seat-belt. We use an old fireguard to keep them out of the cab, jammed behind the seats, then they find their own space to lie on the floor, a couple of comfy dog beds available. Two/ three Labs at any time usually, no room for crates big enough. So far we've never had an issue but friends have expressed doubts about safety in the event of an accident. Any alternatives?


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

A flying dog is a heavy thing, so you do need to either tether them, or find a safe place where if you do hit anything or have to throw out the anchor big style, they'll stay put.

If they could sleep or lie directly behind the cab seats, is probably the best compromise, but in a garage would be best.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Close to the transverse barrier has to be the best compromise. Then if they do become "missiles" they have only a few inches to travel before hitting the fireguard (or whatever) which is far less likely to hurt the dogs, and safer all round as they will be checked before they become an impact danger to either driver or passenger.

Dave


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## 747 (Oct 2, 2009)

Some tether dogs, some don't, some have a mix of both (like us).

One thing is certain, this thread will flare up into an argument.

I'm out. :grin2:


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

To save having a long flare up of opinions, have a search as this was covered quite fully only a little time ago.

cabby


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

Fat dog used to sleep behind the passenger seat on the long bench, and I mean "Sleep", soon as we set off that would be it until we stopped, our new pup well the only way to keep her safe would be to nail her feet to the floor, we did call into B&Q to get a piece of expanded metal that jams behind the front seats, that stops her going into the cab area, except she has found out if she goes between the van and headrest she can get into the front part via jumping on Sandra..

Hmm! back to nailing her feet to the floor, dogs are very sneaky:wink2:.

ray.


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## WildThingsKev (Dec 29, 2009)

Ours is 12kg and stays in his bed behind the front seats. The only time he comes forward is when we are talking to someone at the window, typically a humourless European Cop!


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Our seat belt attachment has a loop on it 

We thread a rope through with a heavy duty swivel clip, which clips on to his padded harness

He then has the full area behind the front seats, in front of the bench seats and can stand between us but not to close

But then we only have the one dog

There are two clips and I guess two dogs could be restrained in comfort , more than that they would get tangled 

We have no windows in the garage doors so there would be no ventilation and it could get very hot so wouldn't really be suitable, we have thought about putting in some ventilation in so he could travel short distances in there eg when he is wet or muddy but are a bit nervous of having holes cut in the garage doors

On site we have no problem as we have internal wire doors either side and a fan
Aldra


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## Sevenup (Jun 29, 2015)

We use a harness bought from eBay under the RAC brand. It is made of seatbelt type material and has loops at the back that the seat belt fastens through clipping into its rightful place. The benefit of inertia real is that the dogs can move around without too much drama. In the motorhomes that we have hired so far, the table top drops to make a bed. The dogs have laid out on the bed while still harnessed in. We don't let the dogs move freely in the car either and prefer to use their harnesses even when they are in the boot. A lead gets fastened to the floor hoops in the boot and to the loops at the back of the harness. If we do have a bump, the dogs aren't fastened by their collar. We think that their necks might be at risk if we tied them down by the collar


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## HurricaneSmith (Jul 13, 2007)

We own a small dog, a westie, and she's happiest when close beside us.

That's very handy as we put her in a standard body harness, hook it's "D-Rings" through our cab seatbelt base fixings, and she lies securely on her soft bed between us both as we travel.

We make sure the cab vents are providing her with appropriate fresh air, and she lies quite happily until I we switch the engine off.

(Our system wouldn't work if we had two dogs.)


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

I always remember that chilling but brilliant advert for using seat belts in the front AND back seats

The commentary was something like

"David stood up killed his mother and sat back down again"

In my opinion all people and dogs should be restrained in correctly fitting seat belts or harnesses

We changed our van to ensure our kids had enough seat belts when they take our grandkids away

And the possibility of a flying hound is not on my agenda

But it's a free choice although I'm sure that regulations in some countries do require a dog to be restrained when travelling

Im sure some people were fined for having a dog on the dashboard

Not the nodding head variety!!!!!!!

Aldra


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## blondel (Jun 12, 2005)

Just found this

http://www.mirror.co.uk/money/dog-seatbelt-car-insurance-rules-5651379

and this

http://brittany.angloinfo.com/forum/viewtopic/98613/0/dogs-in-cars-anyone-been-fined

Years ago we travelled with an English Mastiff unrestrained. She travelled happily behind the cab but one day we had a blow out and she was terrified and tried to get onto my knee on the passenger seat - all 15 stone of her! It was shortly after that we saw the first advert for a safety harness which we thought was a great idea but they did not make them in her size!

We sadly do not have a dog of our own now.


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## Sevenup (Jun 29, 2015)

With apologies for eBay link

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RAC-2-in-...arness-/161055471348?var=&hash=item257fa776f4


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## tugboat (Sep 14, 2013)

HurricaneSmith said:


> We own a small dog, a westie, and she's happiest when close beside us.
> 
> That's very handy as we put her in a standard body harness, hook it's "D-Rings" through our cab seatbelt base fixings, and she lies securely on her soft bed between us both as we travel.
> 
> ...


I made a lightweight folding platform that wedges between the front seats. There is an old pillow and a washable cloth cover. Ellie either lies on that with her head on my thigh, or she sits/lies in a dogbed which is strapped to the passenger seat.

I've tried 2 different harnesses with her, but she is one of those dogs who has to turn around about 3 times before she sits or lies down, so you can imagine the tangle she got into. I got fed up having to keep stopping to undo the knitting. Plus it was a distraction.

I also tried keeping her behind the cab in a harness, but I can't stand whining females , so now I just let her do her own thing. She always stays in the cab with me, never goes in the back, even her water bowl is in the footwell and I give her an occasional treat to reward her good behaviour. (I get the Jelly Babies!)

I know the advice, but want companionship combined with a quiet life. I like her to be able to see out when she wants to, so she can experience the journey rather than just suffer it.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Ah well tuggy 

She's only a little flying missile

Can't see why she can't be secured on the front seat

A harness should have a swivel clip
And anyway in the event of an accident

It's probably only her that will be squashed at high velocity on the windscreen

Aldra


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## Kaytutt (Feb 5, 2013)

tugboat said:


> I made a lightweight folding platform that wedges between the front seats. There is an old pillow and a washable cloth cover. Ellie either lies on that with her head on my thigh, or she sits/lies in a dogbed which is strapped to the passenger seat.
> 
> I've tried 2 different harnesses with her, but she is one of those dogs who has to turn around about 3 times before she sits or lies down, so you can imagine the tangle she got into. I got fed up having to keep stopping to undo the knitting. Plus it was a distraction.
> 
> ...


We do similar with our patterdale, we have a piece of hardboard that slides under both seats with a thick piece of fabric covered foam on top to bring it to the same height as our seats, she sits there for the whole journey no matter how far, she refuses to lie down (she might miss something) but when she gets tired she leans against me :smile2:

She is in a harness that is looped through my seatbelt


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## tugboat (Sep 14, 2013)

aldra said:


> Ah well tuggy
> 
> She's only a little flying missile
> 
> ...


Ouch, I felt that dagger pierce my heart.:crying:


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Tuggy

There are some harnesses that just have a loop on a swivel clip

The loop goes onto a CLOSED seat belt, so is only suitable for dogs who ride on seats

She should not get tangled in that, she is sat next to you, can see out and is safe

Sandra


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

Some years ago I dealt with a car crash where the front seat passenger was killed by their dog flying off the rear parcel shelf and hitting them in the back of the head over the top of the head retsraint

It was a Chuahua !!!!

Just imagine a small bag of potatoes (2Kg) hitting the back of your seat at 30MPH There is a LOT of energy involved.

NEVER EVER EVER travel with any loose items behind you. It has the potential to kill you.

Andy


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## Roverdave (Jul 19, 2013)

We always put Milo in a harness, which had a strap that went round the metal frame of the bed. He had his own bed to lie in, amd his roadie drinking bowl, so he could sleep, or move around somewhat. We could see him in the mirror and kNew he was safe. If you have to slam on the anchors suddenly a loose dog doesn't bear thinking about.

Cheers
Lesley


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