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The doghouse

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Original poster

Bringing puppy home in car

39 replies

qgirl · 27/10/2019 08:21

We are bringing home a puppy in 2 weeks, and he will be 10 weeks old. Super excited but the breeder is half an hour away by car and I am trying to work out the safest way to bring him home in the car. There are so many different car seat/harness things - I really don't know which is best. I think I would like something to see him through from puppy to adult - is that possible? He's a gorgeous goldendoodle.

Thank you

OP posts:
Tbug · 27/10/2019 08:41

We bought our home in a washing basket with blankets in it

Floralnomad · 27/10/2019 09:17

I bought ours home from Battersea on a blanket on my lap , took at least an hour with dh driving and pup was very well behaved . We’ve always used a car harness since .

EleanorReally · 27/10/2019 09:18

puppy on a blanket on my lap,

AnnastaciasMum · 27/10/2019 09:21

We bought ours home in a cat carrier we borrowed from a friend. It worked really well, put a blanket in that smelled like our house etc.

Original poster
qgirl · 27/10/2019 09:37

Thank you all. My 8 year old will be in the back with him so maybe a washing basket with blankets is best - as much as he would like him on his lap, I don't think his lap is big enough!

OP posts:
EleanorReally · 27/10/2019 09:48

can't he go on your lap op?
or are you driving?

Original poster
qgirl · 27/10/2019 09:54

I'll be driving.

OP posts:
adaline · 27/10/2019 10:01

I wouldn't put him in something where he's "free-roaming" - he needs to be clipped into the car somehow. Maybe pop him in a harness with seatbelt connected to it if he can't sit on someone's lap?

Poshjock · 27/10/2019 10:25

I would never travel with a pet unsecured. If you’re are unfortunate and end up in an accident the dog will become a missile- even at low speed. The best security is in a cage or carrier in the boot and next would be a body harness attached to the seatbelt on the back seat.

Is your doodle from a toy poodle or a standard? If standard he will be about shitzu size now and large Labrador size in 18 months. I wouldn’t buy a harness that could adjust that much - it would be sturdy enough. I used the RAC car harness from Pets at Home until my pups outgrew them. The labs were always in the boot (estate car) behind a factory fitted guard and the doodle is a back seat boy in a K9 harness attached to seatbelt.

You could still harness him and pop him in a basket with loads of blankets. I think that would be comfortable. Your DS will be able to distract him.

Enjoy your doodle, they are an amazing breed.

Poshjock · 27/10/2019 10:26

Harness wouldn’t be sturdy enough I mean. Do not underestimate the grown speed of a standard poodle breed! Mine is small horse sized.

11hairylegs · 27/10/2019 10:32

The law now states that dogs have to be suitably restrained in the car or you risk a large fine.
Why not get a harness and a seat belt connector? (It clicks into the seat belt and connect to any harness) or borrow/use a crate?
Enjoy your new puppy,I love doodles!

Original poster
qgirl · 27/10/2019 10:46

Yikes - Mum is a standard poodle and is huge! Ok, will get a harness and pop him in a basket with blankets.
It was the choice of car basket seat things which I was getting confused with. But the consensus seems to be harness to seatbelt and blankets. I'll try to put him on my son's lap and hopefully he'll snuggle down. If not, we can stop the car and get him settled in a basket.
Thanks all. Looking forward to bringing him home.

OP posts:
BiteyShark · 27/10/2019 10:49

The problem for me with an unrestrained puppy is that they are unpredictable and could distract you plus the obvious missile issue in an accident even at relatively low speeds.

I used a soft crate which I looped one of the handles around the head rest and then strapped the seat belt through another of the handles so it wouldn't go anywhere in an accident. The soft crate had mesh sides so he could see me sat next to him.

The crate wasn't any good when he had grown but we used it whilst he was little before his vaccinations.

Jouska · 27/10/2019 11:31

Can another adult go with you to collect the puppy? If it is his first car trip(i hope it isn't as a good breeder will have got him used to the car) it can be hard for the puppies.

You need to be sure that the dog is secure and able to ignore any whining, being sick etc if you are driving.

It would be a good idea to have an adult holding the puppy on a towel for the first journey.

Then you need to acclimatise your dog to being restrained in the car either a crate or seat belt.

Jouska · 27/10/2019 11:33

Unfortunately Bitey a soft crate will not stop a dog being catapulted around the car in an accident. The dog will be catapulted through the material Sad or just crushed by the impact of another car hitting yours.

missbattenburg · 27/10/2019 11:52

I took another adult who had him on her lap with towels in the passenger seat. After he fell asleep - took about ten mins of crying and soothing - she slipped him down into the footwell where he slept for the rest of the journey (2hrs).

It worked so well that's how I would do it again if I could and needed to.

missbattenburg · 27/10/2019 11:53

P.s. I would not want the puppy's first introduction to a harness to be having to wear it for such a scary journey with limited time to get used to it before having to wear it.

EleanorReally · 27/10/2019 11:58

I agree with asking another adult

Boristhecats · 27/10/2019 14:06

Towels. My one throw up a lot on the way home

Boysnme · 27/10/2019 15:13

Another recommendation for taking a second adult. Ours was sick and a bit whimper on his way home. My 16 year old niece managed with him but no way my 8 year old would have on his own.

We also had a pet carrier that sat at our feet for the journey home that we now use for vet trips and have a harness that clips to the isofix for when he’s a bit bigger

tabulahrasa · 27/10/2019 15:34

I used a cat carrier as well, you can strap the carrier in...

ineedaholidaynow · 27/10/2019 15:38

We had a soft crate that attaches to the seatbelt. Only lasted for puppy stage though

Helenluvsrob · 27/10/2019 15:40

You need a crate in the boot all the lap,options aren’t legal or safe.

adaline · 27/10/2019 15:40

Having a dog unrestrained in the car is illegal and if you have an accident or are caught, you can be fined and given points. Please don't just put the puppy in the footwell of the car - in the event of an accident the poor thing will be crushed.

Ours was trained to wear a harness before we brought him home - DH drove and I sat in the back with the puppy, but he was attached to a seatbelt strap and wearing a harness for safety. It was about a 90 minute drive home and he was fine.

BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 27/10/2019 15:45

30 minutes isn't very long, he would be fine in a crate either in the boot or secured on the back seat. We put our puppy in a crate in the boot, it was secured with bungy cord and I put the centre bit of the seat down so the DC could see the puppy in the boot. We asked the breeder a few weeks ahead of picking him up to put an old blanket or bit of fabric in with the mother and pups. They then cut that up into squares and sent a square away with each pup, and our dog found it very comforting for the first few days. He even slept through the night with the bit of blanket in his crate.

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