How do you keep your dog safe in the car?

[bowbear]

At the moment our westie just curls up on the front seat when I'm driving or on my lap in the passenger seat. I know this isn't the safest way for him to travel but not sure what to get for him... he's never worn a harness but I assume I would need one of those to then connect to a seatbelt as a simple solution.

I've been looking at these www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00GWM8S7C?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_2&smid=AR53ZFM038NSR&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

and wondered if anyone has experience of using them?
I'm not keen on putting him in the boot as it's usually got my son's bike in the back (and various other crap!)

Thanks x

[Wolfiefan]

My mum has her dog in a crate in the car. Not sure that's the best solution but she never travels far at all.
(She sits the crate on the back seat!)

[bowbear]

Thanks Wolfie, I used to have a crate in the car - also on the back seat, when he was really little but it's really impractical with transporting kids too. Hoping to find something smaller and easier to pop in and out of the car.

[mareseatoatsanddoeseatoats]

We have a strap. One end plugs into the seatbelt and the other has a clip (like on a lead) that we put on his harness but you could clip on a collar. It is quite short for safety but he happily lays on the seat.

[mareseatoatsanddoeseatoats]

Have found a similar one on the pets at home website - dog seat belt. £5.50 can't do a link on my phone sorry

[PUGaLUGS]

Ddog has one very similar to that OP although it doesn't rest on the seat it hangs above it. Two straps go around the head rest and one around the back of the upright bit of the seat. She wears her harness and there is a strap inside the seat that clips into the harness/ lead so they cannot jump out.

[TrionicLettuce]

We have a Safedog crate in the boot of the car.

Most harnesses sold for use in cars are more for keeping a dog from moving around rather than keeping them (and anyone else who happens to be in the car) safe in the event of a crash.

If I was going to use a harness it would be the Sleepypod Clickit Utility as it's performed well in two different independent tests; those by the Center for Pet Safety and NRMA Insurance.

[ClementineWardrobe]

Hello, the type that clip into the seatbelt should only clip into a harness at the other end; if you clip it onto a collar your dog could have a very serious neck injury in a crash. I have the same hanging seat as pugalugs, mine is made by solvit. Bergan also make good seats. Good luck OP, I see dogs travelling dangerously in cars all the time, it's great you are sorting it out.

[Florin]

She has her bed on the backseat which she knows to curl up in and go to sleep. She also wears a harness with a seatbelt into the seatbelt plug to keep her secure incase of an accident.

[Focusfocus]

Strapped in with hArbess into back seat beside the car seat. Sleeps through the car ride

[MaitlandGirl]

We have purpose built crates that take up half the boot space in our 4wd. The law here is that dogs have to be restrained on the back seat or in the boot and there are fines and demerit points if they're not and you get caught.

[Noitsnotteatimeyet]

We tried three different harnesses before going back to a crate in the boot as our dog is a Houdini and can wriggle out of any harness in seconds.

He goes to sleep as soon as he hops into the crate and it has the added bonus that when we go on holiday we take it out of the car and he has somewhere familiar to sleep so settles instantly

[mollie123]

have a harness that clips on the seat belt and stops him moving around (although he hates the car so much he lies in sullen silence ) and because he is a large dog he could become a projectile in the event of a crash.
I also fill in the foot well on the back seat with an old dog bed so he can't fall down there.
when he was younger he did manage to wriggle out of the harness a few times on a long journey.
My car is too small for a crate that would hold a large dog!

[Thattimeofyearagain]

RAC car harness. Ddog loves his & gets very excited when it goes on . Was £9.99 from Pethut.

[lavendersun]

Volvo estate with dog grille here. I used to have the thing that attaches to half the boot space in the last car but don't in this one so my lab has the entire boot.

[bowbear]

Thanks so much for all the words of wisdom. I've invested in a Solvit booster seat and a harness so hopefully this will do the job of keeping him safe and letting my nosy little friend see where we are going too! Will be interesting to see how he reacts to it :)

[Kingfisherfree]

Crate that fits into the boot.

[hellhasnofurylikeahungrywoman]

Crate for my two but if they were smaller I might use a crash tested harness. Having seen the damage even lightweight stuff can cause to the driver and passengers in the event of a collision there is no way I would want to be hit by a 10kg dog who was travelling in anything that wasn't crash tested (and most stuff sold as a car harness isn't crash tested).

[BertrandRussell]

I shout "get in the back and lie down!" a lot. Does that count?

[Lonecatwithkitten]

One of the biggest risks of your dog being unsecured is that they or the unsecured crate can be thrown forward and injure you. I have attend several RTCs to assist to police whereby a dog has caused this kind injury.