Rear seat with a mat that ties to the head rest, with a harness and a lead adjusted in length and also tied to the headrest
Getting a new car and wondering how people transport man’s best friend when in the car.
Up until now our spaniel has always gone in the boot but I’m wondering if he’d be safer in the rear seat area.
Appreciate peoples views and experiences. Thing is how do we make it safe/comfortable?
Don’t mind buying something to do it but would be nice to hear what people use.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
Rear seat with a mat that ties to the head rest, with a harness and a lead adjusted in length and also tied to the headrest
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Depends on the dog I think. We’ve got a Cavalier King Charles that goes on the passenger seat clipped to the seat belt socket with one of those dog lead connectors. He just curls up on the (protected with a cover) seat and sleeps. Bigger, well behaved dog could do the same on back seat. If not well behaved, or dirty after a walk I’d probably say boot is best option.
Our Cavalier King Charles / Pomeranian cross wears a harness and is attached from his shoulders via the centre seat belt fastening on the back seat. He sits in a padded fluffy donut, got one in each car. He loves it. Safe, comfortable, secure and familiar for him.
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These are really good and go over the headrests.
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I use Lintran cages. They're the best I think and help to keep the car clean.
https://lintran.co.uk/
We use one like this (not this one) for our toy poodle. You can get bigger ones for bigger dogs.
https://pawfect4pets.co.uk/product/w...xoCJ78QAvD_BwE
I think the problem we will have is that the front seats don’t have separate headrests to put the straps around.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
I suppose you mean the back seats.Originally Posted by oldoakknives;
You have short leads that lock in the seat belt buckle on the seat.
Basically you want to avoid the dog becoming a projectile in an emergency stop, for your protection as well as that of the dog; The harness will avoid breaking his neck.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
I use a waterproof seat cover for the back seat,plus a dog harness clipped to rear seat belt buckle.
I have two Cockapoos who travel in the boot (Ford Focus). I use a generic full boot liner and clip their harnesses to the built in cargo loops using these tethers. The back seats/headrests come up high enough to the roof to not need any additional dog guard.
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The ones I've seen for the back seats have harness that loops around the headrest on the front seat. Wondering if I could anchor it to the bottom of the seat front seat.
These types.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wuglo-Extra..._source=1&th=1
https://pets-dreams.uk/products/hard...RoCQSkQAvD_BwE
- - - Updated - - -
Kind of similar to what I'm thinking of.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
I guess what you should consider is what is going to happen to your dog in the event of a front end collision, i.e. what is going to restrain him as he shoots forward with considerable force. I understand that the seat harness will keep the dog from killing a front seat passenger and comply with legal requirements but I don't know what forces will be applied to what parts of the dog. I'm sure someone be along to explain that point.
I have always used a custom fit dog guard as I feel that 35-45kg of dog is better in the hatch and staying there. We have always had a couple of dogs, but the above suggestion of the custom fit crate is a good shout for a single pet.
We use one of these, keeps the car clean and the dogs are happy.
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Last edited by TheTigerUK; 3rd February 2025 at 15:17.
The only time Dot goes in the car is a trip to the vet and she lays in the back well tethered.
With people who put dogs in the boot - what if you are rear ended?
Cheers,
Neil.
That's a very good point and all about assessing the potential risks. If it's the usual traffic light/go-stop junction impact I would think they will be fine as I wouldn't expect any intrusion into the load area. If its a 42 tonne artic at motorway speeds I would be concerned, but your dog being thrown forward on impact then suddenly being stopped by the harness is probably going to cause some catastrophic injuries as well.
If we are talking about a single small dog a harness is probably fine, 2 or mor 35+kg hounds on the back seat probably less so.
That was not the point. The point was that a large dog was more likely to suffer dramatic injuries on being stopped violently than a small dog.
I suggest that the same deceleration will lead to similar injuries.
Physics do tell us that the force exerted on the lead and harness is a function of the mass so it is understandable that one of these will break sooner with a heavy dog. The claim of 34kg is not scientific as it doesn't specify the acceleration they base their calculations on.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Whatever. You're far too clever for the likes of this forum.
Why don't you scientifically test the claims by taking a big dog and a small dog, harnessing them up with the same harness, before subjecting them to the same deceleration. Then check to see which one is whimpering more afterwards. Don't forget to post your results.
Sitting on your lap while driving, poking its head outside of the drivers window?
Having re-read my post, I think I should probably clarify that I meant that two big hairy tripe-hounds bouncing aroung in the back seats wouldn't work for me (other owners may be happy with that), regardless of their mass in the event of a collision. I'd be happier with them in the rear. A smaller, single dog, I would suspect, may be a lot calmer and easier to retain in position. My understanding is that the harness clip to the seat belt, and I could see mine wanting to move about which would extend the seat belt? The closer to the front seats would suggest to me that there would be more likelihood of them hitting them.
I just have a mental image of them sliding a few inches into a fixed dog guard (mine lie down) rather than the whiplash type effect of them flying forward to be instantly stopped by a harness. I may be wrong but thats my opinion.
Obviously, I can't say scientifically which is the better system because thankfully I've never had a collision with the dogs in the car. That decision is for the OP to make.
No physicist is using the term 'deceleration'......
Just saying.
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Regarding the lead that clips to the harness, it either loops around the backseat headrest (post 5, the system I use with an 18kg Irish Terrier) or directly into the seatbelt buckle (post 18, in the cartouche).
You are correct that a dog, regardless of its size, is likely to visit the front passengers in case of violent deceleration (emergency braking or accident) and as such need to be restrained. You achieve that by adjusting the length of the lead, this gives the dog the ability to shift position and look around thus making the dog's journey more comfortable -which in itself makes your life easier for the remaining lifespan of your dog: being able to take a happy dog anywhere is a blessing.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
There are special dog seat belts or harnesses that can secure your spaniel in the rear seat, providing both safety and comfort.
Got it re the fastening now, the ones I was aware of attach to the actual belt with a chest harness. The only concern I would have with the head restraints (been bollocked on a previous subject for refering to them as headrests, god forbid) as an anchoring point is I have the mental image of poor old rover having their neck stretched as their lower body shoots forward, like a horrizontal gallows. I make the natural assumption that that wouldn't happen of course. TTUk's set up in P18 looks ace.
Everything being said and each to their own, I guess I'm a bit of a traditionalist that a dogs place is in the back and mine seem to agree as they have always jumped out of the car waggy tailed.
Realistically any collision is going to be horrific experience for the animal. Another consideration is side/rear airbags for those travelling in the back seats.
Our spaniel does travel calmly in the boot, but I have to confess it's something that bothers me around the "what if" scenarios that come to mind.
Will take a look at the constructive posts in this thread a little more
lol I stand corrected on the head restraints. And yes, Tiger’s system is great in combination with harness and lead. It creates an easy to clean well defined area and protects the car from scratches and muddy paws. Unfortunately I also have to fit a 19 yo who wouldn’t take too kindly to the setup
Finally, you are correct that if you make the early journeys enjoyable your dog(s) will go wherever you want them to. In Ian’s case it may be more difficult if the dog is used to going somewhere else, or if it feels more isolated than he’s comfortable with.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.