puppy jumped out the car window

[Jen W]

Last weekend I had my 9 month old puppy in the back seat, in her harness strapped into the seatbelt, when she started acting squirrely.  Even though we were only about 5 blocks from our destination (my mom's house) I pulled over to let her go potty.  Afterwards I did not strap her back in the car harness since we were almost there.  When I got to my mom's (a place my puppy loves more than the dog park and doggie daycare combined) I stopped the car, got out and was coming around to get her out of the back seat when she suddenly leapt through the open window.  I was stunned but she just looked at me, tail and tongue a-wagging saying, "yaay, grandma!!"

 

If she still had her harness on, she would have been slammed against the car door and been dangling there!  Or do you think she would have somehow known she was strapped in and not attempted the escape? 

 

I am not sure if she only tried it b/c we were at her version of Disneyworld and if we were just driving to any old humdrum place she wouldn't be so excited?  Or if now that she knows how to do this she will try it again.

 

I can't decide what to do now.  Never drive with the windows down again?  Never use the harness?  Always use the harness?  Calm down?

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

I think I would keep the windows at least half up-or enough that my pup could not jump through.  Scary!  Glad it was not into the road with other cars or off into the woods after a bunny!  

[Willow and J]

Another flying doodle! I am glad your puppy is not hurt. My husband's dog from childhood jumped out of car window and got hurt (not seriously, just scratches, but still), so we never drive with windows down when Willow's with us. If needed, we open just enough so that Willow won't get through - she's 65 lb. I have a feeling that dogs will know that they are attached and won't try to jump when harness is on, and if strap is adjustable, you can make sure it's not too long. We use one that's for car rides and the strap is only 2ft long. Hope this helps.

[Gwyndolyn Morasko]

Can you show a photo of the harness and how they are strapped in?  I want to know how to safely do that.  I am getting my second doodle on Thursday and would like to see how to do that.  Currently, Kona just rides in the back of the SUV in a crate

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

Wow...When I first read the title, I thought you meant while the car was moving.  I was so worried!  After that big leap, I'm glad she's okay.  My guess is that she only did this because she knew she was free.  But, if you really want to know, you could do an experiment and drive there again, but this time with the window down and the harness on just to see what she does. 

Honestly, I would roll the window down, but not far enough to allow her to fit through.  It probably in the long run is a good thing this happened the way it did because now you will know she will always have to have that harness on in the future, no matter how close you are to your destination (especially if it's your moms!). 

Good luck!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

1)  Calm down

2)  Never drive with her window down

3)  Always use the harness!  She really doesn't need enough length on the strap that she should be able to jump out the window. 

For me, one of the main reasons to use the car harness is so that they cannot bolt out of the car until you allow it, whatever the reason.  When you arrive where you are gong or if you would be in an accident.  I'm not sure I understand why her window needs to be down at all, yours maybe, but not hers ... that coming from someone whose windows are never down, which has nothing to do with doodles, I just don't like the windows down as it is too noisy! 

Glad that everything turned out ok and you have a chance to figure out what works best for both of you!

[F, Calla & Luca]

Calla once jumped out of a not fully open window, luckily when we were parked on a driveway. She was almost her current size too and she's not little! I never leave the back windows open more than a few inches. So harness or no harness I would not open back windows much.

[Seamus & Haidee]

Im a nervous Nelly so I use the harness especially for safety concerns. Seamus always wants to to jump to the passenger seat. Also, during summer months the windows are all the way up. Cant risk it.  Winter months, windows are open just a bit.

[Heather Martinez]

That is scary! I am glad she is okay. Teddy has never tried to jump out the window but once when I unbuckled his harness he ran out the car door and took off across a parking lot to the dog park before I could get his leash on. I was so scared but luckily there were no cars coming. After that, I trained Teddy to sit until he is released from the car. Now when I unbuckle his harness and put on his leash he won't leave the car until I give the command. 

[Adina P]

Oooh scary!  Rosco my huge labradoodle did that once when my car was parked in my friend's driveway.  He was leashed so he didn't get far. What's funny is that he is not a jumper, didn't even really like getting into the car, but he saw my friend's cat and that was more motivation than anything in the world.

[Christine & Camus]

Very scary!  I had a similar experience many years ago.  So, when I put together a tether system for Camus I made sure it was short and not long enough to allow him to jump out.   

[Gwyndolyn Morasko]

I guess I'm more nervous than a lot of you.  It hadn't ever ocurred to me to let Kona out of his crate when he is in my car.  He rides in the back of my Subaru Outback in a crate whenever we go on an outing or to the vet, and I strap the crate down so that it won't slide around if I'm ever in an accident or stop suddenly.  I've always been worried that he would hurt himself if I let him sit on a seat with a harness.  Maybe this fear is because a friend of mine had her lab puppy jump out of a window to follow her and he immediately was killed by a passing car.

I'm just so afraid now because at 8 months for the first time ever, Kona opened a cabinet door and ran off with a bottle of supplements and had them dumped on the back yard within seconds.  I took him in to have his stomach pumped as a precaution within 10 minutes even though he was fine and happy.  It turned out he didn't swallow any, but the drugs they used to induce vomiting almost killed him and it took 2 days and $2000 to bring him back to life.  Needless to say, I spent the next two weekends building upper shelves around my house and moving everything out of my cabinets and into containers high up in my tiny house. So.....I'm trying everything I can to keep this little cartoon puppy alive, including strapping him in to a crate everywhere I go.  (He is 9 months old now.)

[Adrienne]

Sorry to hear about that poor little puppy and Kona's mishap with the pills.  Glad that she is now OK.  How do you strap your crate down?  Is it small enough to fit onto the seat where you can put the seatbelt through it?  I have a large crate that has to go in the back of my SUV and I would love to learn how to secure it to the back so that it doesn't move.