Car travel with baby and multiple pets

[Chocolatecakefan]

First born is due in 3 weeks time and I have a question for those who drive with pets in the car (corsa)

We have 2 small lhasa apso's and whenever we take them out in the car we use a harness and strap them to the seat belts on the back seat (similar to this- www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/other-dog-travel-products/car-safety-harness?pageSize=56&orderBy=1#)

However, my concern now is how to transport them with the baby in the car seat taking up one of the back seats. My initial plan had been to buy a crate a put the dogs in the boot, but it was pointed out to me that if the pram is in the boot, there wouldn't be any room. Obv I can't keep them strapped in on the backseat next to baby - one dog is fine and literally doesn't move in the car, the other is a fidget pants always moving around so I wouldn't want him anywhere near the baby without on of us sat in the backseat keeping hold of him

How do others travel in small cars with multiple pets and a baby?

We've never taken the dogs longer than 15 mins in the car to either of our parents, so that would be the longest distance we are looking at

Can you put the baby in the front seat?

I thought that was illegal?

Buggy wedged into the other backseat, dogs in the boot, room for your partner in the front??

To be homest I need to check this weekend that the pram even fits into my car (I don't think it will). We've bought a silver cross pioneer but mum insisted that we couldn't keep it at ours due to the old wives tale so I've not even seen the pram since it was delivered!

If it doesn't fi in my boot, it's not going to fit on the back seat will it?

Boot space in corsas are shockingly bad

babies can go in the front seat so long as the front airbag is turned off (I think I've understood the rules right - happy to be corrected) if there's not space in the back.

www.gov.uk/child-car-seats-the-rules

No, it's legal to put a child in the front so long as they are in an appropriate seat, and if rear facing the air bag must be off.

Ok thanks for that! That's a relief!

Would a crate fit on back seat next to car seat? I know someone who does this, her husband rigged up a strap that passes through the back of the crate and around the back seat that secures the crate safely in place and then they have a cover over the end if the crate nearest the child seat to protect the dog from their ds shoving his fingers into the crate and poking/pulling at her (which also protects ds from being nipped if he did annoy the dog).

Baby needs to go in the safest seat in the car. One dog in the front and one in the back. Buggy in the boot.

Please please get your pram though - seriously. You need to have a good play with it and practice folding it etc before the baby comes.

My boots, I thought of that and need to have a look at the variety of crates available. I like the look of those fabric carriers you can get - that would at least keep them from moving around the back seat without him feeling caged in!

In all honesty, I don't think this will be a huge problem, I very rarely ever take the dogs in the car without my husband being with me, so I can't see many instances where it will be a huge prob - if he's with me, one of us can sit in the back keeping dogs away from the baby!

Thanks for the advice hacked - I'm going to pick it up tomorrow I think so I can have a play with it

We have the pioneer too and thanks to DS arriving very early we got it delivered after he was born but it's very easy to fold/put together so don't worry about that.

DS is in the back, pram in boot and dog on front seat. If DH in car too then dog just sits in front on his knee. Wouldn't want dog beside baby when I can't properly supervise. If loads of shopping too then sometimes just pram wheels in boot and the carrycot section in back seat.

Not to add more worries but we have the pioneer and it is quite chunky when folded down. I did have a Peugeot 207 and I would've needed to take the wheels off to fit it in, I imagine the boot space would be similar with a Corsa. We had the same problem as you but we have one big dog (chocolate labrador) so we've switched to a Audi A6 estate the boot is absolutely huge so dog and pram can both go in boot. I know it's not practical for everyone to change to a bigger car when DC come along but there would of been no way we could of travelled with DC and our dog otherwise and both sets of parents are over an hour away.
Could who ever isn't driving have the dogs on their lap or in the foot well?
Hope you find a solution!