Back Seat Or Boot?

[Bella & Poppy]

hi,

im currently looking for a new car and wondered what everyones opinion was on safest way to travel with dog.

In the boot of an estate with a dog guard

or

on back seat with a seat belt harness on?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts

p.s we have 2 cockers

[lettie10]

We have 2 cars and my OH's is a LR defender so the "Boot" space is not dog friendly (different levels and corners) so we always use a back seat harness & seat belt clip in there.  However I have a small 4x4 with normal boot space and Jazz will happily travel in there too.  She seems to know which car is which but I have to say I think she particularly like to look out of the windows when on the back seat on the OH's car!!!!!!

[Karma]

Dog Guards give no real protection to the dog - they only prevent the dog being flung forward and injuring people in the car.
Either go with a harness attached to a seatbelt, or a crate secured (not just loose) in the boot.   

[sarahR]

Ozzie used to have a harness on the seat but after a few occasions of coming back green from walks after rolling in wet cow pat we changed and she now has a crate in the estate car. Leather seats do not take kindly to cow pat.

[Petepreston]

We have Posie on the back seat with a harness - and waterproof seat cover 

We were soft with her so wanted her close to us when we were driving, bu I would never put her in the boot/tailgate area, crate or no crate. Have you seen what happens when a car gets rear-ended at high speed? Plus, how quickly do you think you could get to the crate if you were in a big crash, even if no other cars are involved.

I understand the practicalities of it for many people, and yes I am a bit paranoid, but I've seen some nasty things in my time.

[ebony girl]

i have two cars and the dogs are always in a secured crate in the boot in both, IMO its the safest method as this protects them and others in the car in the case of an accident but also stops them escaping at any point as they cant get out until i open the crate...

[Catie74]

Atlas car crate in the boot.  They settle much better in there.  Well mine do anyway

[KellyT]

Crate in my estate, a dog bag pet tube on the back seats of my hubby's saloon.
If we're going somewhere with the 2 of us and just 1 dog they may travel in the passenger footwell.

[Geordietyke]

Atlas 80 carrier in the boot, with 2 children and a smallish Peugeot boot I don't have the space inside for Odie.  Hubby has an estate so he goes in between the girls in his harness on the back seat.

[Petepreston]

I should've been a bit more specific. I meant in the boot space of a hatchback. Estate cars have so much more crumble zone, and most 4x4s are too high to be the same problem.

[theshrew]

Having a dog in the boot is not a safe way to transport your dog.

Why

These days a cars are designed for the boots to crush if something hits your rear end. It does this to reduce the impact giving the main seated part of the car to stay as intact as possible.

I have seat covers that i use if the dogs are in the car they really are very good and waterproof. Slide over the seat in less than 1 min job done.

[Clare B]

We have an 8 seater mummy bus Toyota and an estate Audi .
Flo is usually in the Toyota and although put in the boot when the car is full of kids, she jumps over the back seat and works her way to her favorite position in the foot well of the front passenger seat, there she sits happily and safely, so now straight into the front and " lay down" on the foot-well .

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

Charlie sits on the back seat with a seat belt and harness. I just have a throw on the seat so it can be washed easily.

[Pudding]

I first had Bob in a crate in the back of my 4x4 as you can see there is a lot of room to one
side for shopping and any thing else you may need to put in the boot
and Bob is very safe in there


I sold my 4x4 and got an Alfa Bob now sits in the hatchback... i don't have a dog guard but
 he has never jumped over.. there is not much room in the boot for any thing else only Bob
i don't think he is as safe as he was in the crate.....
when it is time for me to get a new car i will go for a 4x4 type so i can have a crate again

[Jan D]

IMO mine are safest in harnesses on the back seat. I went so far as to buy a dog guard to put in my hatchback but then someone on here put me off the idea of them being in the boot space in case of a rear end collision so I sent the dog guard back and bought 2 clix safe harnesses instead and a cover for the back seats.