What to do in car...suggestions needed...car seat? harness?

[Laura & Chewie]

So far Chewie does good in the car, but now he's getting bigger and I'm looking for suggestions on the best ways for him to ride safely. When I last had dogs, there weren't all these choices and I am open to suggestions, advice, etc. What works for you and your doodle?

TIA!

[Kai Doodle (Kathy & Keith)]

Kai uses a harness. Not only is he safer but it also stops him from being a projectile so we are safer too.

[Adina P]

I just recently got my harnesses for Rosco and Thule, but haven't had to use them yet. I will write up a review when we go on our first ride. I ordered them from Champion K9 -- if you google it use the site (two look similar) from Aurora CO not the other one. The one in Aurora delivers FAST...the other tends to take weeks or months. They look to be quality and I've heard only good things about them from people on other forums who have used this product.

I have used cheapo harnesses in the past with short leashes not intended to withstand much force. They worked fine, but I wouldn't trust them in a real accident.

[HANNAH 8/2/07 & HONEY 7/2/08]

I think the car harnesses can be used as a great saftey measure. Depending on what type of vehicle your riding in, I have seen with SUV's where they have the backs gated off and the dog rides behind the gate, or some just use crates for their dogs. I like the harness because it's probably more easy to get to your dog and get them out in an accident, like a child. They also can not jump out windows, or roam around and destroy things in your car while driving. Honey has a habit of playing "Shreky the Shreeder". Car or home she does not miss a beat when it comes to shreeding paper! If you research the internet you can find several companys who sell the dog harnesses, If you click on the link below they have Pet harnesses on sale for up to 39.99, dogs weighing from 60 to 100lbs. Which you might want to wait to buy till your dog is fully grown.

http://www.petstreetmall.com/Pet-Vehicle-Safety-Harness/7367/2723/

[Beverly Wright]

I use a harness as well. Our Millie thinks she is a lap dog and even in the car would want to crawl in our lap! the harness works great and she does not seem to mind! I got an inexpensive one from dog.com and it works great! She understands when I say "wanna go for a ride" and she will stand still for me to apply the harness.

[Debbie and Toby]

When Toby was smaller, we used a seat belt harness. I did not want him to have free roam while we are driving for obvious safety reasons, but he managed to chew the seat belt up. So we now crate him. We have a SUV, so the crate goes behind the seats. He seems to feel very secure in there, he sometimes sits up and watches out the windows, other times, when tired, he lays down and sleeps. Whenever he knows we are going "bye-bye", he sits at the back of the vehicle, waiting very patiently for us to lift him up, then he goes in the crate on his own.

[Deb, Connor & Simon]

We have a vest/car harness @ Three Dog Bakery, Stony Point that does a great job. It keeps your dog safe in the car, and when you get out, there's a D-ring on the back you can hook your lead to for a stroll around the mall. :-) They come in a variety of colors and sizes and are made of washable mesh. If you have a chance, stop by, check them out and see if you think it might be a good thing for Chewie.

Connor and my collie both use these in the car. :-)

[katherine willis]

For short trips we use a harness but for longer ones I have a traveling crate. My husband was a chief automotive engineer and among other things developed crash simulations. When we selected our harness we checked to make sure that it had been crash tested. A web search will turn up those that have and for what weight. This is important to make ure that the harness will remain secure if an accident occurs.

[Megan]

I use the harness for the car with Brooks. He was all over the place and use to leash him to the door, but then he started chewing the leash and I just like the harness better from a safety factor. He didn't like it a first, but has gotten used to it. I got it at PetSmart for around $20

[Krista, Angel, and Toby]

Harnesses are fine and dandy. Angel does great with a harness...if she's laying down in the front passenger seat, which is not a great situation as she is getting too big to lay down there and I do have airbags that could be harmful to her. But when she's in the back, she gets completely wrapped up with both the seatbelt AND the harness. I've had to pull over several times before to readjust her, simply because I was afraid she couldn't breathe. I use the Easy Ride harness, the one with the fleece on the chest part.

Any suggestions for keeping Angel from becoming a car mummy?

[Adina P]

How does it attach to the seat belt? is the leash/attachment thingy really long?

[Krista, Angel, and Toby]

Th seatbelt goes through a loop. It's not very long at all.

[Krista, Angel, and Toby]

Just in case anyone else is having this issue: I found a solution. It's a leash/car restraint that I attach to Angel's car harness, which allows her to move about in the car just far enough to stick her head out the window, but not long enough to let her climb out. Nor can she climb to the front. And no more getting so tangled she can't move, either!

The restraint is made by Bamboo, and I got it at Big Lots for 5 bucks!