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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

How do you keep your dog secure in your car?

17 replies

Formermousemat · 18/01/2020 23:42

We have recently adopted a cross breed greyhound/lurcher type dog. She is quite large, and because of this in our car she can't fit on the parcel shelf or sit in the boot with it removed behind a grill.

I bought an Ezydog car harness but I'm having a very hard time using it. I might be doing it wrong, but it seemed like it was impossible for our dog to sit comfortably with it on. She ended up being pulled sideways into the seat.

We then tried one of those attachments that buckles in directly to the socket of the seat belt and then attaches to the dogs harness. This was fine, however she manages to undo it by accidentally stepping on the seat belt button and releasing it.

I'm not really sure what my options are now. Does anyone have any ideas?

OP posts:

Nojeansplease · 18/01/2020 23:56

I have the attachment buckle straight into the seatbelt and that goes into the regular harness.
But I put a bed/crate mattress over the seats, so the bit that clips in is under the bed, then little feet can’t really step on it precisely enough to unbuckle it - so far, fingers crossed

DogInATent · 19/01/2020 00:03

I attach her regular walking harness (Ruffwear Front Range) to the rear seatbelt with a Kurgo (amzn.to/3aplEHx) clip.

I use a slightly different arrangement in the motorhome as there isn't a suitable spare seatbelt with an inertia reel available.

BrokenWing · 19/01/2020 00:43

We bought an estate car after struggling with our, often muddy, labrador.in the back seat and he now has the whole boot.

MaitlandGirl · 19/01/2020 01:04

We have custom built cages in the boot for the dogs. It wasn’t cheap but they suit us and our lifestyle.

caranx · 19/01/2020 04:26

I have a tall hound and he fits in the boot of a Golf-size car OK. Has enough space to stand up, turn around, and lie down. What car do you have?

Also double check your dog weight with the seatbelt harness max weight, a lot of them top out at 25kg.

My dog hated being on the back seat he felt the seat wasn't wide enough and he was going to fall off. In the boot he lies down and falls asleep straight away.

BiteyShark · 19/01/2020 06:34

We use a seat belt clip to his harness.

We used to have him in the boot but I was worried about someone driving into the back of me and as my car is a company one I didn't want to buy any cages for it so moved him to the back seat. He loves being on the back seat and just lies down and snoozes, apart from when he decides he is a back seat driver and sighs a lot when he gets disturbed by my cornering

Muddypup · 19/01/2020 07:28

I have one which attaches to my dog’s harness. It’s a metal chain type one because she chewed through the other ones. It has an attachment which goes in the seatbelt clip but also has a clip which I clip onto the isofix point on the back seat. It works well.

FairfaxAikman · 19/01/2020 08:04

I've got a tailgate guard now but I. A smaller car I used a line wrapped around the back of the bench seat and carabiners a crash tested lead and harness to it.

Normal walking harneses are not safe to use in a car due to the forces in a crash.

DogInATent · 19/01/2020 15:00

Normal walking harneses are not safe to use in a car due to the forces in a crash.
That depends on the harness (and the dog).

5zeds · 19/01/2020 15:03

Mine goes in a crate with a seat down to fit it or in the boot. Surely the boot is big enough for a dog?

TheWomanTheyCallJayne · 19/01/2020 15:21

Ours goes in a crate. He's a collie and he likes being in cave like spaces. When we had a GSD as well she was harnessed in the boot.

Yokohamajojo · 20/01/2020 09:24

We have a smaller dog but also have an estate so tailgate guard in the boot and when boot is full for holiday journeys he has a car seat harness from pets at home that attach to the seat belt. Works well

FairfaxAikman · 20/01/2020 09:55

That depends on the harness (and the dog).

Of course it depends on the harness! If it's crash tested it's safe, but otherwise it's not.

Funf · 20/01/2020 09:58

Crate works best for us, dogs very happy in it, but was crate trained from birth which helped, could you not fold one seat down to make the boot bigger?

SlothMama · 20/01/2020 12:52

I have a crash tested crate in the boot, keeps the rest of the car clean and her safe!

Laughterisbest · 20/01/2020 15:52

I have a largish lurcher (about 29kgs). She wriggled out of the two crash-tested harnesses I tried for the back seat. I think the problem is that the harnesses aren't a good fit for deep chested hounds.

I really didn't want to have her in the boot but there was no alternative. I got the proper dog guard for my car fitted and she absolutely loves it.

Original poster

Formermousemat · 20/01/2020 19:50

Thanks for the help everyone, I managed to find something that fits to the isofix in our car based on your suggestions. Our harness is crash tested so it should all be fine.

I think eventually we'll have to go with the boot and dog guard option. Our car needs to be replaced soonish anyway so we will be able to take that in to account next time. Thanks again.

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