Car travel

[Sunflowers765]

Getting a new Labrador puppy soon. I want to be able to put him/her in the car. I have an Audi TT so front seat makes more sense. Could possibly go on back seat but boot is not an option! I don't mind changing my car but DH wants me to keep it!
Anyone else squeezed a Labrador into a sports car safely?? Any thoughts?

Bet you change your car

We have a sports car and no way was our lab going in it. Mud hair etc etc.

So now have sports car plus dog car fully crated for safety and helps contain all the dog mud, sand etc.

Legally dogs have to be restrained and a front seat is not the best place to restrain a dog. You can have seat belts but the front seat will not be big enough for your dog to lie down so longer journeys will be an issue.

You can get hammock things that can be used in back seat but not ideal in a small lower roofed sports car.

Thinking about it though could you fold the back seats down and fit the lab in there?

Believe me, your Labrador won't fit safely on the front seat when fully grown! My beagle only just fits and he's 18.5kg. You really need to start as you mean to go on, so back seat or in the boot from day one.

Legally dogs need to be restrained at all times - this could be by crate, seatbelt or in the boot in a crate or with a guard in place. If you use a seatbelt, you need to attach it to a harness not a collar so they don't break their necks on impact if there's an accident.

Saying all that, labs gather tons of mud and shed like crazy so you may not want them on your backseat. Even with a seat cover/hammock you will end up with mud, pawprints, sand and fur all over the place

Nope you’ll need a new car sorry 😂

you can prob get a way with it whilst you have a pup but not once grown up

We've got a big family car too, but I would like to be able to travel in mine too! I could put the back seats down but the roof is too low for crate. Is dog allowed to just be in boot ( like estate car) or does it need a crate?

They can be loose in the boot with a guard and tether to stop them getting in the back seats, but I really wouldn't advise it - what happens if you get into an accident and the rear end of your car gets crushed?

How about a doggy booster seat?
Not sure if they come big enough size for a Lab.

However, best policy is to use DH car for the dog, kids & muddy boots.

(It works for me, I am still married, just!)

You can't put a lab in the boot of an Audi TT! It's a dog, not a dead body

We have the same car- we drop the back seats and have a crate in the boot which is secured and all work fine, but we have little dogs

*Best policy is to use DH car for the dog, kids & muddy boots. *
*
This and the upside is you and DH will always have a clean usable car available

I’ve got a smart car convertible and a cocker spaniel so probably a similar size ratio. He travels in the front seat with a crash test approved harness. I have the seat back as far as it’ll go and also have a box in the footwell that the same height as the seat so he can lay down if he wants to. A seat cover protects from the worst of the mud but I do have to clean it out regularly.

If you can change your car I would. I have a mini and my dog goes on the back seat in a harness. I have a cover that fills the whole back seat and yet the mess, sand, mud is everywhere! This is despite drying him off before he gets in!

I’ve got a dachshund (so lot smaller!!!) and she sit in front seat in a travel bag where there is a tether within the bag, attached to her harness, and she also attached to her harness by a seatbelt attachment

if we are are all in the car then she does the same between our girls car seats in the back seat