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?

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

I have taught Riley and Boris not to exit the car until I tell them it's ok to do so and then only one at a time. It is extremely scary to think of them bolting out of the car from either an open door or an open window.

[Becka]

I've taught Sadie the same thing--she can't hop out of the car until I say it's OK. Of course, the other day that didn't stop her from nearly severing my hand from the rest of my body when she saw a cat sitting on our front stoop. She waited until I said OK, and then she LAUNCHED herself at that cat. Everyone was fine, though (me, Sadie, cat).

[Adrienne]

Wow!!  I think that I would keep the window closed, at least half-way, like Lori suggested.  That's a lot of love for grandma :)).

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Peri would jump out the window for sure.  I also worry about debris hitting her in the eye or something. So I just open the sunroof and she likes to lean up and feel the sun on her face and get a little breeze. 

Always use harness!

[Leslie and Halas]

I think the comments about training make a lot of sense.  If you train her to stay in the car until you tell her it's ok to get out, that's going to have the best result, whether she's restrained in the car or not.  But I would always use the harness, and I would only open the window a little bit, so that she doesn't have room to get out.

My coworker's dog jumped out of her moving car once, and broke his leg.  So besides being dangerous and painful, it was expensive.

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

You need to readjust your harness strap to not be able to reach any farther than then inside of the door.  You want it short enough that no matter how much she tries to jump she is not going to make it out the window and dangle there.  She can still sit there by the open window but can not put her paws up or hang out.  

[Pat and Traveler]

Scary!  But so cute that the puppy loves your mom's place so much!

I leave a back window down a few inches, but not enough for a dog to get through.

[Michael Gurley]

Sunny has jumped out of the car window with her harness on. She was held against the door of the car until I could stop the car (YES, we were moving!! I had just pulled into my driveway and she saw a squirrel). I don't think she slammed into the car door, but I know she would have been injured and possibly run over if she had been able to jump all the way out and didn't have a car harness on.