transporting puppy in car on your own

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She's a squirmy wee thing - 11 weeks old cocker. I want something that will keep her safe but is also not too heavy or bulky for me to carry in car. She's ok in the car but she's just been held on people's laps for short in town journeys.

I've transported her in her crate which was OK but it's too cumbersome to do easily.

It might be more than you were looking for but we used the Karlie Transport Box for ours when he was young and wriggly.

amazon.co.uk/Karlie-Transport-Box-Requirements-Transportation/dp/B00F2JM7UU/ref=sr_1_15?keywords=dog+travel+crate&qid=1582890386&sr=8-15]]

I used a cat carrier for my last puppy... I have one for my cats anyway that has slots to fasten it in with a seatbelt

Legally you have to secure the dog in a car. Have a crate for the car or a dog seatbelt or a dog guard and put the pup in the boot. He can’t be on a lap.

Oops!
I put blankets on the seat next to me and clipped a dog seat belt to his harness (NOT to his collar). I still do this now but he goes on the back seat. This means he's nearer to me than the boot and keeps the boot clear but of course the back seats do get dirtier. You can buy special back seat covers which seem good.

(Oops was because it appeared to post halfway though!)

https://www.wayfair.co.uk/Archie-and-Oscar--Elba-Folding-Fabric-Soft-Dog-Cat-Travel-Pet-Carrier-V111523657-L1008-K~PWHT1202.html?refid=GX267237199087-PWHT1202&device=m&ptid=496777098687&targetid=pla-496777098687&network=g&ireid=41419152&device=m&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiMSKoJ05wIVia3tCh2uPgHFEAQYASABEgKkJJDBwE

I found a car harness the best approach. The seatbelt goes through the harness to keep the dog safe and then the lead can be clipped to the harness so you don't have to keep taking it on or off. We have a Cavalier which I think is similar in size to a Cocker and we've used it since he was a pup - 13 years later it's still going strong!

We used a seatbelt with a harness and put a bed down that she wanted to stay on.
I also practiced with a passenger passing treats back when she lay down
She just relaxes and gets comfy now when we get in the car.

Get a proper car seat harness my mom learned the lesson when she let a really well behaved Springer spaniel loose in the car instead of sitting or lying down like she normally did with the kids in the car she decided she was going to try and cuddle up under my moms feet while she was driving 🙇‍♀️ fortunately we can laugh as there was no accident we got a dog guard for the car she worked out how to let herself out and wanted to sit on everyone's laps (including the driver) so we had to fix that too she was an adult dog when we had her

It’s not just that. In an accident an unsecured dog can be killed or even injure the humans in the car as it’s catapulted at speed.

We use a crate she loves it

Cat carrier (for puppies/small breeds)

Usually easier to carry than a dog crate and IIRC good up to 7kg

We have a little thing that you plug into the seatbelt and attach to their harness. The trouble we find is he chews it but it's safer than him being unrestrained. He lies on a blanket. My Nan gave me the seatbelt thing, she got it from amazon and uses them with her own dogs. I looked on there for dog seatbelt and it came up with the same things we use.

Legally you have to secure the dog in a car. Have a crate for the car or a dog seatbelt or a dog guard and put the pup in the boot. He can’t be on a lap.
Being on a lap and being secured are not mutually exclusive. Our dog very occasionally travels on a lap, but always whilst clipped to the lap-owners seatbelt.

OP said held on a lap.
Not secured.
And unless the dog was tiny I wouldn’t want to travel like that. In case of an accident it cause more injury to you and/or the dog.

The thing is, the reason dogs have to be secured in cars isn’t for their safety ( I mean it’s the doghouse so I’m assuming we care about that too) but it’s because if they’re loose or in a harness that’s not crash tested or you’re using equipment that won’t hold in an accident...

If you do have an accident what the dog then becomes is a loose heavy object in your car capable of killing or injuring you or your passengers as it’s thrown about the car.

We have a dog booster seat with integral clips that attach to his harness. The seat is secured with seatbelt. He can see out of the window which a) improves travel sickness and b) keeps him entertained. This sort of thing (ours isn't this exact one so can't vouch for it)

Pet Gear Booster Car Seat, Medium, Charcoal Grey www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0015MI52C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_q-2wEbDFNQY50?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Our dog wears a harness and has a seat belt attached to it. When it is just me and him, he will also sit in one of the children’s high back boosters . He is very safety conscious.

I think I want a decent seatbelt one that will grow with her. Some of them dont look very crash tested. At the moment shes in the cat carrier.