Car safety harness (for big dogs)

[KatiesMumWoof]

Can anyone help me?

i'm trying to find a car harness for a chunky lab. He's barrel chested & heavy (42kg). He's losing weight, but he is what he is right now & I need a safe harness, to preferably clip into the iso fix, but the seatbelt will do (as long as rated safe for his weight).

I can't seem to find anything.

I have a hatchback and I don't like putting them in the back/boot because it doesn't feel like there's much protection if I'm rear ended in an accident.

Please, can anyone recommend a supplier?!

(Katie is a much smaller dog, spaniel!)

sorry no tax, both difficult rescue adoptions.

I have the Kurgo car one for my lab, albeit he is working line and on the slender side + only just over a year at the moment. The kurgo one is rated up to 34kg. I went for it because it fits him well and was £30, and I think unlikely to get over 34kg.

if I had a large chunky type lab, I would have gone for the sleepypod click it sport plus. sleepypod.co.uk/products/clickit-sport-plus?variant=42952914829496

it is rated to 40kg (which is much closer to your labs weight, than all the other ones I looked at when researching for my dog, which mainly seemed to be between 32-34kg at most) and the largest size is 34.5in to 40 inches. Which is 13.5 inches bigger than my labs chest girth. So will hopefully fit yours?

it is quite expensive though, not sure of your budget.

as for seat belt things, I got the kong ultimate safety tether. As it attaches at both isofix in the seat plus the anchor tether point on the back of the seat back. I then put the tether that came with kurgo through the kong tether as the carabiner on the kong thing is quite small (not necessarily not strong but it’s not crash tested so I just wanted that extra protection). I got the Kong one as I wanted isofix attachment so if it steps on the seatbelt it doesn’t unclick, but I got very confused on the isofix weight limits, and I’m still not sure whether that includes the anchor point or not. It seems good, plus I felt Kong was a good brand so hopefully.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/KONG-Seat-Tether-Ultimate-Safety/dp/B0BGLYDT2P

@123dogdog

thank you so much for that!

sorry I disappeared, had a call for an urgent pick up!

Within reason I don't mind how much it costs just as long as it's SAFE, for him, for other dogs in the car and us, plus should the worst happen I don't want to launch a 40kg projectile missile through the windscreen!

I actually need to buy 2, but the other lab is American/Working line and is very very slim & like a kangaroo. They're getting on great, so funny together!

I'll go and check out the links now.

Thank you xx

I use ruffwear webmaster. Has the extra strap at the back to prevent slipping out ! You’ll be able to get it cheaper than on the ruffwear site though. 34kg mine
ruffwear.co.uk/products/web-master-harness

You will always be compromising if you use a harness. Ruff wear is not crash tested Kong is only strength tested not crash tested. Not sure any harness will be tested to 45kg

Crash tested crate is the safest way and with a large dog all passengers and the dog are at risk if there is an impact even a small one

@Levriers Thank you 🐶

@KeenOtter

thank you for the information re testing.

compromising may have to happen then. I have a Ford Focus hatchback and wouldn't fit a large enough cage for 3 dogs in the boot. (can't change the car right now) and can't fix a crate permanently in the boot due to other caring responsibilities.

Ad I said, I know there are risks, trust me, I've been in a passenger in a rolled car, I don't have ANY loose objects in my car, let alone dogs.

The sleepypod is looking like my best option for chunky, maybe both as it seems like the only one I can find that's crash tested. Might end up needing 2 or 3 of them €€ ouch. Still needs must

There's a ruffwear harness that is crash tested - the load up. I'm not sure if the large would be big enough though, you'd have to check.

The variogate tailgate guard might work in a focus, worth a look. £££ but then the load up harnesses aren't cheap for three dogs either and it can be put in whatever car you need.

Ezygo Carasafe harness, Kurgo and Company of Animals also do crash tested harnesses but only up to 34 kg . Kurgo not crash tested to UK standards.

Sorry the ruffwear load up is now crash tested but not to uk standards and not to 45kg.

Bit of a soap box with me as in my line of work I have seen too many car crashes with passengers with life changing injuries or people killed from dogs in harnesses in cars. People think they are safe they are not.

One I still have nightmares over a gsd in a harness behind the driver. A 40 mph head on impact and the dog killed the driver outright by flying into her neck and then flew out of the back window killing the dog. They were just coming back from a 2 mile journey having walked the dog. An everyday occurance turned in a nightmare.

All could be avoided with correct crate usage. People rarely cost in travel costs when getting dogs. For some a fatal mistake

Unfortunately as PP has said, you're not going to find a crash tested harness for such a large dog.

I hope this is not an ignorant question, but my three dogs (two 40kilo) travel in the boot of an estate with a fixed dog guard which is bolted to the roof. Am I being naive thinking that is adequate?

Will the guard protect them in a crash, or will it just crumple along with the boot? I suspect it's likely to be the latter, unfortunately.

If your dog is going to travel in the boot then they really ought to be in crash tested crates.

From looking into car seats for my dc, isofix has a maximum weight too. It's an 18kg plus the weight of the seat. Your dog likely exceeds this.

I have a seat belt adaptor thingy I got from an independent pet shop ages. It clips between their harness and the seat belt and isn't long so they can't move far. I use their normal walking harnesses.

@ricecrispiecakes - the mimsafe tailgate guard i have is crash tested (in Sweden) and designed to protect to some extent in case of an accident.

Agree with Mims Varigate guard as a safer option
mimsafe guard Crash and crumple tested.

A normal walking harness will not be strong enough to protect a dog on impact in a car.

@tizwozliz I didn't realise you could get crash tested guards, that's amazing!

I suspect the average guard online isn't tested to anywhere near that extent though.

This really worries me as I was always obsessive about baby/child car safety but have struggled to find info about dog car safety. We have a 16kg dog that can't really be crated in the boot, as she's an assistance dog and needs to travel on the back seat with her handler. We use a normal walking harness (I think I need a better, crash tested one though) and a seat belt adapter that clips onto the harness and clips into the car seatbelt socket.

I know there's bugger all protection with the dog using this system, but it's what was recommended by the charity who supplied the dog.

But am I risking my own death as the driver, and the lives of other passengers, by trusting a harness and seat belt clip?

Any advice would be really welcome.

Motability and guide dogs encourage the dogs to travel in the back of the car in a crash tested crate.

I guess a risk assessment needs to be done on the dogs role when travelling eg if they are a medical alert dog and need to warn their handler whilst travelling against the risk of accident.

Yes you do need to get a car crash tested harness at the very least as the fixing on a normal harness may not stay closed on impact. I would also talk to the trainer of the assistance dog to see if the dog can carry out their role or alternative help can be given to the handler when travelling.

What is the assistant dogs role?

Kurgo is the only crash tested harness afaik.

But you're best off getting a crash tested boot box like a trans K9

If you want a harness that will properly take the weight / strain of your dog in a crash, make sure the harness is properly / independently crash tested. I see so many dog harnesses online listed as being car harnesses but that doesn't generally mean anything. Only a few are crash tested. EzyDog was one brand that had a specific crash tested dog car harness.