Transporting a collie or other medium dog in Fiat 500

[Tickledyellowish]

Anyone else manage to transport a collie in a Fiat 500? Due to collect puppy in a couple of weeks. Just trying to be prepared.
We have a campervan and a large estate car as well which both have plenty of room for transporting the dog on longer journeys. I could use those but just wondered whether it is feasible to take her out in my little car? It has white seats which are not particularly dog friendly. Could cover them. I also have 2 boys. Any advice greatly received.

[billybagpuss]

My full size one sits on a blanket on the back seat of a polo, she has her doggy seatbelt and still manages to get mud on the seats.

Ours was sick on her first car journey back though so you might be better off in the estate car, do you have a dog grate for the back?

[StillMedusa]

I have a renault twingo so not much different in size... my dog goes in the boot (hatchback obviously) and fits just fine. Sometimes I use my son's old KA..the small shape and she just goes on the back seat with a seatbelt clip to her harness. She rather likes that!

[vanillandhoney]

I have a Ford Ka so pretty small, and my beagle sits on the back seat. I have a seat cover that goes over the headrests on the backseats and clips to the ones on the front so the entire back seat is covered.

It works fine. He has a seatbelt clip that attaches to his harness.

I'm also a dog walker and can actually fit three dogs in my car at once if I need to. My normal mix is a cocker, a collie and my beagle. The cocker and the beagle sit in the backseat and the collie goes in the boot!

[Scattyhattie]

You can get seat covers, I have a waterproof hammock style cover for back seat that clips round the headrests making it quick to put & put bit of rubber backed vet bed on top for comfort/ something to grip.
I have ruffwear car harness to strap her in, oddly not many car harnesses on market are crash tested and can snap/undo with the impact. As my dad often drives her would be doubly upsetting if her flying forward like baby elephant also injured or killed him.

[raspberryk]

I feel like a bad pup parent, ours sits on dh lap, or in the footwell if he's not in the car. We don't have an estate or a hatchback and the kids 2 carseats take up the backseat with not enough room for her in the middle.
All my dogs and those in the family have always travelled in this same way.

[vanillandhoney]

I feel like a bad pup parent, ours sits on dh lap, or in the footwell if he's not in the car.

Please please don't let your dog travel like this.

Firstly it's illegal - dogs have to be restrained by law. Secondly if you have an accident and your dog isn't restrained as it should be, you may find your insurance doesn't pay out.

Put your dog in the boot with a guard up, or secure him safely in the back. An unrestrained dog in a car becomes a weapon in an accident - he could go flying through the windscreen or, if in the footwell, could feel the full force of your DH being slammed forward in an accident.

I really hope that doesn't come across too badly but it's so dangerous to let your dog travel around like that. If you have an accident she could be killed if she's not restrained properly.

[raspberryk]

Our dog can't go in the boot because our one car is a saloon or in the back like I said because of the kids seats. I hadn't even thought about this and not sure what we can do .

[vanillandhoney]

Is there nowhere he can be restrained? It's really not safe for him to travel like that.

[vanillandhoney]

www.clenthillsvets.co.uk/did-you-know-it-is-a-legal-requirement-to-restrain-your-dog-in-the-car/

[raspberryk]

Not if we are all in the car no, when dp eventually passes his test I guess he will have to look into getting an estate or a hatchback with a large boot. I can't afford to change my car for at least 18 months.