Dog in Car..Safety Belt/Harness

justaskin likeyakno

Hi,

Is it good enough to just have the seat belt around my dog when they are travelling.

My old dog likes to sit on the passenger seat and will leave the seat belt around her. Around her chest and across her belly. She puts her paw through like we would our arm nearest door. I rarely have her in the front as i know i shouldn't.

My other dog was put in the back from a pup and will sit on the back seat, but i'm aware he should be harnessed.

What seat belt systems have people used or recommend and how do I introduce it to my 11 month old dog. Both dogs for that matter, but I can't see it being a problem with my older dog.

Both are large dogs and unfortunately my car is small. We never travel far though. If i'm in the jeep, there's no back seat so they sit on the passenger seat.

Does anyone know if a dog is harnessed in the passenger seat is that safe enough and legal.

Thanks.

Stheno

I have always used the dog seat belts that clip into the normal clip a human seat belt goes intoo and attached to the dogs collar, like a lead.

You can get them in most good petshops

alroley

I have a car seat for mine, like this one.


I got it on ebay a few years ago. There's a little lead to attach to their harness.

Stheno wrote: »

I have always used the dog seat belts that clip into the normal clip a human seat belt goes intoo and attached to the dogs collar, like a lead.

You can get them in most good petshops

I would think attaching them to a safe harness would be better?

Think what would happen if you were in a crash and it was attached to the dogs collar.

tk123

There's been a good few posts on this eg - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056577372
If you're going for a harness it should have a chest plate imo - just attaching a regular harness to a seat belt extender thing mightn't be the safest option depending on the size of the dog - think about the force on the dog if you crash. I know any harness I've had for my retriever has said it's not suitable for use in the car. Also I'd be wary of having the dog in the passenger seat too with the airbags? We use a clix car harness btw - I have it 2.5 years and no probs with it.

Stheno

alroley wrote: »

I would think attaching them to a safe harness would be better?

Think what would happen if you were in a crash and it was attached to the dogs collar.

Probably I just use those and haven't had a problem to date.
I've also got harness ones, but don't use them as much

tk123

Stheno wrote: »

Probably I just use those and haven't had a problem to date.
I've also got harness ones, but don't use them as much

Are you willing to take the risk?!

ISDW

Stheno wrote: »

Probably I just use those and haven't had a problem to date.
I've also got harness ones, but don't use them as much

When you say you haven't had a problem, have you had any crashes, even small impacts? I think most of us think these things will never happen to us, but accidents can happen to anyone, and would awful to take a chance.

carav10

ISDW wrote: »

When you say you haven't had a problem, have you had any crashes, even small impacts? I think most of us think these things will never happen to us, but accidents can happen to anyone, and would awful to take a chance.

+1 on this. Went into a series of spins last Christmas on black ice, hit the ditch a number of times throughout. If my dog hadn't been crated she would have been killed or she would have killed me as a loose canon. As it was, she left a dent in the crate from being thrown around. Both of us escaped unharmed fortunately but I'm a crate user in the car at all times. Seat belts are useless if you've chewers (or will be useless!!). Wouldn't use a human seatbelt, dogs will easily slip underneath it when being tossed around.

Ps. I don't give a toss what the dog likes when it comes to the car. Safety first...Mine have been brought up to be happy in their crate. And don't get me started on people who allow their dogs to hang out the window or travel on their lap...

justaskin likeyakno

Thank you for the replies and insight.

I looked at harness' yesterday and will be purchasing today. I had a crash earlier this year and thankfully the dog was in tha back, she would normally be in the front. It wasn't a bad crash, a truck hit the side of my car and sent the wing mirror through the drivers window, there was glass everywhere and i got lots of small cuts to my face, and hands. It'd have been a nightmare for the dog and probably have put her off getting in the car, she was fine though and it didn't faze her at all.

For the jeep we got the separating bars you put up behind your seats, but in the case of an accident they only protect the humans from being hit by the dogs.
Would it be safe to use the harness system that I would have on the dogs in the car...the ones with the chest plate...and clip them unto the latches on the floor of the jeep. It's a long wheel base jeep with no rear seats. They's still get thrown around but not as much. Obviously this is not something I like thinking about but worse case scenario and the like! How do I protect the dogs because as passengers we'd be ok.

Thank you for pointing out the Airbags, something that had escaped my mind.....no more front seat riding for my old dog, sometimes the obvious does have to pointed out to people I guess.

And as for sticking the heads out, thankfully I don't do that, i'm also getting those plastic things you put in the window so I can put the window down and they can't put the heads out.

I don't think I could see very much with my rotti on my lap when driving, i'm sure the traffic cops wouldn't see the funny side either...;-)

nala2012

I have a seat belt harness thing on nala and i'm glad i do because on the way to work i'd a close call and had to slam on the breaks, nala sleeps stretched out on the back seat, she would've been flung off the seat if she wasn't cliped in. Also they say a dog should be strapped in because if you do crash the dog could freak out and run away or get protective of you and not let paramedics in to the car.