Can you have a dog on the back seat of a car without using a seat belt clip?

[FoxandDuck]

As the title really. This weekend, I ideally need to get four teens (so no car seats) plus the dog in the car for a journey. All of the teens (two of whom are mine) are huge dog lovers, particularly the two we’re giving a lift to.
Is there anyway of getting them all in the car? Usually, I attach DDog to a harness which then uses a seat belt socket. But all of the seat belt sockets will be being used by the children. Putting DDog in the boot isn’t an option as that will be full of kit already. I know DDog will end up on the knee of one of the teens were giving a lift to so there’s space for him, I just need a way of securely fastening him in the car.

Use a loop that goes round the headrest, they’re a couple of quid on Amazon.

We ended up using the headrest ones as one of our dogs kept sitting on the seatbelt release.

Great, until the dog becomes airborne in an impact and injures the passenger in front, before going through the windscreen and is then killed.

We have a crate in the boot for doggo storm. We do have a seatbelt clip for short distances, occasionally, if I’m just taking her to the school drop off she’ll sit on the back seat but it’s not very stable for them

You could loop a lead around one of the teen's seatbelts and clip that to the harness. I don't rate those straps that go around the headrest they don't look safe.

Ruffwear do a harness that you put the actual seat belt through, so you can get one of the passengers to have the dog on their lap and put their seat belt through the harness then into the socket. Everyone is safe then.

I read recently that it can have massive insurance implications. Apparently if anything was to happen, even if you are not a fault, your insurance can still be invalidated as an unsecured dog would be viewed as driving without due care and attention. I don't know how black-and-white that is, but worth considering. We have huge dogs with restraint slings, but must confess to sometimes just popping them on the back seat of the van for short trips. Not any more!

Yes this, my Dd has 1 for her dog it attaches to the dogs harness. You are really supposed to have them restrained in the car if your dog will sit still for the duration im sure it will be fine.

A dog flying off the back seat in an emergency stop isn't going to do it much good, nor is it going to help any human it encounters.

Fair, it was just for a quick solution really but you are right, it was a stupid suggestion.

I think it's a legal requirement for dogs to be constrained. Can't remember the proper word

Crate in the boot ?
BTW not all crates are crash tested..

OP said the boot would be full of their stuff. You could buy a roof box instead so you have more room in the boot I guess.

Yes, what’s wrong with that?

We have a headrest restraint but clipped onto a harness not his collar so he wouldn’t be strangled in the event of a sharp stop.

Could you get a roof box for your kit, freeing up the boot for Doggie?

My ddog has a seat belt clip and a headrest clip but both clip onto her harness, not on her collar.
If your ddog wears a harness, slip a seat belt through the harness or put the stuff from the boot in the footwells and on passengers laps and crate the dog in the boot

Use the dogs lead. Thread the end of the lead through the gap in the backseat headrest and then through the handle of the lead and then clip the lead to the dogs harness.

Use the dogs lead. Thread the end of the lead through the gap in the backseat headrest and then through the handle of the lead and then clip the lead to the dogs harness.

Can't kit go on the knees of passengers and dog go in the boot

Presumably op wants her ddog safe. Not in a crate that buckles and sends ddog flying..

we have a chain type thing which can either plug into the seatbelt plug or clip onto the isofix.

We use a seatbelt loop that goes over the headrest. Our dog was in the car when when a RM van smashed into it and he was absolutely fine.

Do you have an isofix bar - accessed through a gap in the back seat?
I use it to attach a double ended clip lead, one clip on the isofix bar and the other on her harness.

If your car was full of people, and someone had a baby/small child, would you be happy with them sat on someone's lap instead of being properly restrained or clipped in?
Same for a dog. They become a missile in an accident.