Backseat or in the boot? (Golden retriever)

[snapdragongirl]

Our Golden retriever currently sits in the backseat of the car. She has a Ferplast car bed/carrier which has been amazing whilst she’s small but she is outgrowing it fast! We use a Kong seatbelt restraint attached to her harness. She’s in the middle seat so can see me if it’s only me in the car, and if DC are with us one will usually sit in the back with her. She is typically a pretty happy car traveller.

I’m just starting to wonder whether we move her to the boot…or get a seat cover for the backseat as we have leather seats and they are already getting a bit scratched/mucky.

What do others do with similar size dogs/what do you recommend? Do we need a crate in the boot or just a boot liner? Do we need a dog guard? I’m assuming I can and should still restrain her in the boot? Would love to hear what you do and what you’d advise!

I use one of those hammock style seat covers and a car harness/seatbelt. I wouldn’t feel comfortable with mine on the boot but I’m not really sure if that’s just me being precious. My current set up works perfectly well though.

Thanks flukeman, I need to be able to use the other back seats for DC and assume this isn’t possible with the hammock style seats?

Mine is probably a similar size and he happily travels in the boot, it worked out easier for us.

Ours has always travelled in the boot.

Our dog travels in the boot. She has a lovely comfy dog bed for the boot and loves to jump in.

Mine is on the back seat with a Lovely big blanket to lie on, albeit she doesn't go in the car much at all since we moved house. Used to have a hammock to protect the seat but chucked it when I had to do an emergency stop and she ended up in the footwell 😢. No way would she be in the boot, even with the shelf removed.

My dogs (Labs and springers) have always travelled in the hatch bit. I have had a series of pristine parcel shelves! I start when they are tiny puppies on the drive and work from there.

Our dog (and all our previous dogs) have a blanket on the back seat.

No way would we put a dog in the boot. What if a car hits you?

We have a crash-tested crate for the boot. Wasn’t cheap but worth spending. I wouldn’t have loose in boot or in back seat unless with a crash-tested harness.

Our large dog travels in boot. I have a protective covering in there for muddy paws

This is what we have: https://mimsafe.com/uk/mimsafe_variocage_safest_crash_tested_dog_crates/

Been used for over a decade and still in great condition too.

Boot of estate car which we have fitted with a dog guard. On long journeys we put his bed in there to make it extra comfy.

Even with a restraint/seat belt I wouldn't think it safe to have a large dog on the back seat with children in the event of an accident

ETA we have a car top bag for all our luggage so he has plenty of space

Boot. In a collision you don’t want the dog flying forward and hitting you / causing serious injuries. Sorry but that’s the main reason I can think of.

We use a harness on the back seat or with a dog guard in the boot ( that’s the law). I was once in an inquest where a dog went through the windscreen in an accident so would never leave a dog loose in the back. I hate it when you see people on journeys with the car packed tight with luggage and the dog squeezed into a tiny space in the boot.

Boot - estate car.

Like pp , my concern with the back seat would be that , in an accident, or even emergency stop, she would be propelled forwards , potentially injuring herself or a passenger.

We have a dog guard specific to the. Car model, a boot liner which covers all the carpet bits, and a padded dog bed.

She prefers the boot to the back seat - she has more space, it’s level , and more stable underfoot. It’s also easier for her to get in to, and I have collapsible steps for her.

She’s a lab and very calm in the car.

That wouldn’t happen if they’re strapped in though and the boot crumples if you’re hit from behind. I wouldn’t want my dog on the boot for that reason alone.

You are being ridiculous.
If you are hit anyone in the car is at risk of serious injury from the unrestrained dog being flung through the air and hitting you.

The boot doesn’t crumple! Why do you think that?

Boots are generally designed to crumple in an impact. They're not protected in the same way the passenger cabin is.

Crash tested crate in the boot.

Too many seat belts for dogs fail and are not strong enough to stop the dog fom being flung around.

On a simper reason keep all the mud and dog hair in the crate and the car is lovely and clean

He is not unrestrained though. Ridiculous to me is putting a dog in the boot unless there are so many people in the car there is no choice

Of course car boots (and bonnets crumple). They are known as the "crumple zones"

I once saw a boot fly open on the motorway when a car got rear ended. Stopped putting my dog in the boot at that point as I dread to think what would’ve happened if there had been a dog in there. My dog, albeit smaller, travels in a crate seatbelted in the back, but I have the space to do this as rarely carry passengers in there.

We had an EzyDog car harness for ours. They have passed crash tests which not all dog car restraints have. We had a nice waterproof seat cover, I can’t remember the brand.

Dogs have been killed in road accidents when they’ve been in the boot of a car.

Our Labrador travels on the back seat, like others, I don't want her in the crumple zone if the car gets hit from behind. She lies on thick blankets and is restrained with a heavy duty EzyDog harness as mentioned above.