Car breakdowns and dogs

[Danni675]

Imagine you’ve broken down on the motorway and are on the hard shoulder. AA on the way. You get out of your car and wait behind the barrier away from the road.

Question- do you take your dog with you or leave him in the car? Obviously humans aren’t supposed to stay in the car because it’s not safe, and so of course not safe for dogs either. OTOH any chance of a dog getting loose on the motorway is absolutely terrifying.

I’ve never been in this position but wondered if there was a right answer.

I would take the dog on her lead.

You'd put the dog on the lead and keep it with you, surely? Attach lead to dog before opening doors, obviously.

Yes of course the dog would be on a lead. But it’s still more likely to get loose out of the car than in the car, especially as it’s such a noisy, frightening environment.

Ah, having googled it seems the answer is “it depends”.

www.yourdog.co.uk/the-your-dog-blog/survival-guide-to-breaking-down-with-your-dog/

I think you have to make a risk assessment based on your dog. I have a collie who with a tonne of training can now be walked safely by a road. Hard shoulder of a motorway could easily overwhelm her and as you say if a moment's inattention by me meant she panicked and bolted onto a motorway I would be putting multiple lives at risk. Of course she stays in the car - small risk she gets injured or killed if the car gets shunted but she's in a crate, none of them are technically safety tested but I am confident hers is pretty robust. BUT if an owner of a small placid dog traveling in a harness weighed the risks and thought it might be safer on a lead out of the vehicle fair enough - I am pretty sure I have driven past people with their dogs out of the car in this situation and not given it a second thought.

Thank you- this sounds sensible.

My big dogs wear a car harness that is crash tested and I'd take them out on leads having the reinforcement of a harness not just a collar.

My little dog is very anxious and she is transported in a small crate. I'd move the crate out.

I don't put my dogs in the boot anyway, crumple zone, but a tremendous amount of people do.

For anyone wanting a decent crash tested harness for a big dog (not even crates will hold up in a boot unless special crash tested ones that cost a bomb), check out Sleepy Pod. Sadly a lot of dog harnesses are designed to protect people in the car from a hurtling dog. They are not usually designed to protect the dog

This is another good example of why securing your dog in a vehicle is important though. To prevent them running loose if and when someone opens a door or it breaks open.

I would keep a spare lead in the car and double lead - one to harness and one to collar (it's how I used to walk rescue dogs. They all had to be on two leads after an incident of a lead breaking)
Then if they slip out the collar/leaf breaks, you've got another attached

This is also very sensible.

Another issue of course is who else is with you. Easier to guarantee your dog definitely doesn’t get loose if it’s just you and the dog. For people also wrangling babies and toddlers it’s all going to be harder. Honestly, it’s enough to make you stay at home!

I broke down on the M25 with my dogs at Easter and had to leave them in the car. They are both anxious and would be at high risk of bolting if I’d taken them out. They both wear harnesses and are secured in the car. I was nervous the whole time but luckily it didn’t take too long for the RAC to get to me.

When I broke down on the M25 I stayed with my dog in the car . It was in the small hours of the morning and years ago but the lorries thundering passed were terrifying . We had a lovely tow truck guy though who took us back home. He even stopped at the services on the M3 so my dog could have a wee and stretch of legs .

I left mine in the car when I broke down on the 'smart' m1 motorway. It was terrifying as initially I was in a live lane. Some really kind lorry driver stopped behind me about 50m or so and waited till the police got there. It was dark so I didn't get the registration or a company name. But I cannot tell you how grateful I was to that driver!

But to answer the question no I wouldn't get the dogs out unless I could move along way from the road and have somewhere safe to take them. I wouldn't hold them behind a crash barrier for example

This happened to a friend on the M4. I'm pretty sure the RAC told her it was illegal to take the dog out of the car. They certainly told her that she mustn't. It was a hot day on a dangerous part of the motorway. She was terrified.

Will the breakdown people let you take animals in their vehicle ?

I'd get mine out of the car, if it was safe for me to do that. They have slip leads which, tightened properly, they'd not get out of.

Plus I am haunted by the story of a horse lorry which broke down. Someone drove into it and all the horses were killed.

In a motorway breakdown the Highway Code states that you must leave any animals in the vehicle or, in an emergency, keep them under proper control on the verge (Rule 56 of the Highway Code interprets this as being on a short lead and under control)

Re breakdown vehicles it is up the drivers discretion if the dogs can go in the cab or remain in their vehicle if the car is being towed. I am happy for my dogs to stay in my van as it has crash proofed crates and would be safer than being in a tow truck cab.

My dogs travel in an air travel crate strapped into the boot so I would lift the crate out and relocate to a safe distance. Please God it doesn't even happen.

DH broke down and got the dog out to wait for the AA behind the barrier and the police phoned his mobile and told him to put the dog back in the car.
The dog had to stay in the car when it was towed home.

They did with me. But I had told them I had a dog at the time I made the call to the AA. The highways men got me to a safe place for me to wait for the AA.