# Car Rides



## Kel (Feb 1, 2011)

We are driving out of town to my Mom's on Easter Sunday, only about an hour away, but still the longest Chloe has been in a vehicle. So...I am wondering what everyone does with their puppy in the car. Do you put your dog in a carrier/kennel? Or in the back with some sort of barrier keeping puppy there? In the back seat or front seat, free to sit or lie down? Does anybody use any sort of restraint/seat belt on their dog? 

When Chloe was little, we would keep her in her plastic kennel whenever she was in the car but lately I know my husband lets her sit in the front seat when he takes her to the pet store, etc. I am not entirely comfortable with that. It just seems a bit risky. Not only for her own safety, but for others in the car. I am sure Chloe prefers being out of her kennel though, and I know my husband likes it.

I would love to hear what everybody else does


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## sonatalady7 (Apr 4, 2011)

We use a dog seatbelt. I don't have a picture, but here is a link to the ad for it: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3951211&lmdn=Travel 

It has a large loop on the back where the harness snaps and you just put the seatbelt through it.

My only issue is that her hair gets matted more easily when it's long. But...we take her in the car for 10-11 hour rides to go back home or visits. So, an hour or so might not be a big deal. 

No matter what you decide, you want her connected to something while you're traveling. I see a guy at the vet who got in an accident and his dog went through the front windshield. They think he has neurological problems now.  

BTW - I don't think I ever told you, I love the name Chloe! I named my cat Chloe...but she lives with my parents still! 

HTH


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

we don't have her in anything....I know not the best idea. we drive 4 hrs to get to my moms and lady usually ends up in our laps....or last time spent 3 hrs sleeping around my neck...she however isn't a good traveler yet...she is a little panicky in the car...but getting much better.


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

we have a 6 seater so Inca, Echo and Delta tend to go in the boot and Gypsy sits in the middle seat in the frount. 

we should strap her in and we do have a harnes but never realy use it past puppy stage.


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## Enneirda. (Mar 5, 2010)

My kids go free in the back seat. They are not allowed to get on the floor, nor go to the front seat unless called. I do sometimes bring a crate, but it's hard with the main car I go places in not being mine. Once I have my own, I'll get a soft crate and buckle it in the back permanently.


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## embee (Dec 27, 2010)

Flo travels in a secured, covered crate in the boot of my hatchback.


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

Dylan travels free in the back of my hatchback. I do have a seatbelt harness like Paula descibes, which we used to use when he went in my husband or daughter's car, but for a short journey we wouldn't bother- he'd be on a lap or free in the back seat. If it was just the driver in the car then I think a harness is good, in case they decide to go see the driver!


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## JulesB (Mar 6, 2011)

I use an Ancol car harness for Betty and she is fine with it. If I am just popping round the corner (like when I pick her up from the dog walker) she will just sit on the front seat. I always have a dog bed in the car so she knows this is her place as for some reason if she just sits on the front seat she wants to climb over to me. She also likes to rest her chin on something so the side of the bed gives her that place to rest her chin! Until about two months ago she sat in a plastic storage box in the car which I had used the day I picked her up as it meant if she had been sick or weed it would have stayed in the box but for some reason she loved being in that box and if I had it in my house on the floor she would jump in and go to sleep in it!!

Here is a pic of her in the car wearing her harness (even though you can't see the harness) but it shows how relaxed she is!










This is one where you can see the harness a bit better (and when she was in her pink plastic box which I used to also stretch the seatbelt around to stop it moving).










And one final one of how relaxed she gets in the car (and how much she loved the pink box!).


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## Tressa (Aug 31, 2010)

We have a car seat harness. It is easy to use but I must confess we rarely do it. I am not comfortable with him loose in the back seat though in case of accidents. He is a wonderful traveller and just sits or lies quietly, and never tries to come over to the front. I do worry in case we have to brake suddenly, and I do feel guilty at not having him secured, and I am going to change my ways very soon! I do think there should be some restraint just as there is for your kids.


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## weez74 (Feb 9, 2011)

We got a new car not long after getting Rosie and so we ordered it with a dog divider that is basically a fitted, lockable crate in the boot.

Our vet recommends seatbelt harnesses (for when she comes in my Mini - no crate in the world will fit in that boot!) but they recommended one that actually plugs into the seatbelt socket bits itself, rather than one that loops though the seatbelt as they said these ones aren't really very secure.


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## JulesB (Mar 6, 2011)

weez74 said:


> We got a new car not long after getting Rosie and so we ordered it with a dog divider that is basically a fitted, lockable crate in the boot.
> 
> Our vet recommends seatbelt harnesses (for when she comes in my Mini - no crate in the world will fit in that boot!) but they recommended one that actually plugs into the seatbelt socket bits itself, rather than one that loops though the seatbelt as they said these ones aren't really very secure.


I have a Mini too so know what you mean about crates etc fitting in - to be fair once I have my stuff and Betty's stuff, sometimes its a push to get both of us in the car!!!

Can only assume that ones like I have are considered less secure as potentially the seatbelt may not lock and stop the dog from moving should you need to break hard/be involved in an accident??? From playing with the seatbelt with the way the harness goes on (with the Ancol one the loop is made from seatbelt material and you put the metal bit of the seatbelt through the loop and click it in place bit of the seatbelt so the harness loop has both the lap and the shoulder piece of the harness through it) even if I pull the seatbelt out as far as I can she wouldn't hit the dashboard so this made me feel that its fairly secure. I know this from when I used to use the pink box for her, the seatbelt only just went round the box and was still some way from the dashboard!!

I suppose it's about doing what works best for you really with the space you have in your car!! Betty has travelled on someone's lap before or in the footwell, depending on how many people are in the car. With her harness sometimes she is in the front seat if its just me and her in the car or if I have a passenger she goes in the back with her bed and harness.


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## caradunne (Nov 29, 2010)

I put a crate on the back seat for Izzy. I know she wouldn't sit quietly and behave!!!


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## Dawny (Mar 28, 2010)

hi in the car wispa sits in my nicese child car seat and looks out of the window or curls up and sleeps in it, but we have a motorhome and travel all over the country and she love to sleep on the sofa part or by my feet in the front. she is a really good traveler any chance she gets she is in the car or motorhome! lol


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## Tressa (Aug 31, 2010)

So jealous - I so much want a motorhome - in fact just been looking on eBay this evening to see whats around (in my very low price range). Very tempted by some but they are all too far awy to have go and have a look. One of these days......


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## Vikki Pink (Apr 12, 2011)

I drive a TT convertible which only has two seats, so no option but the front seat for Louis! If driving short distance i.e. down to mum's about 5 mins away I don't bother strapping him in. But if going further i put the seatbelt through his harness. I did get an actual car harness from Pets at Home but found it to be rubbish - didn't restrain him at all and he kept climbing all over me. Now I just put the seatbelt through his normal harness that I got for walking him (he pulls a lot!!) and it is great - he normally fidgets for about 5 mins then settles down and goes to sleep. He does like to stretch over and put his head on my kneee  and has been known to chew on the handbrake


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