how a dog should travel in car?

[johndoran]

dog bag is perfect for bonnieboo fits in a Seat Toledo boot and she happily jumps in and settlesdown

[*Theresa*]

Mine go in a crate in the boot....parcel shelf off naturally. The reason I chose this method verses others was in case on an accident, I would like to think the were safe and contained in the crate at least....well as much as they can be 

[SkyeSue]

I've tried a car harness with some success, but found it a hassle to get on. I finally decided on boot of car behind guard.  and Chloe would settle happily in there even on long journeys.  However I now have little romahome campervan and will have to rethink!  She's outgrown her harness now, so will get her a new one and she can sit in front passenger seat.  But if I go away with a friend, she'll have to go in back and I haven't worked out yet how I shall secure her.

[Mudmagnets]

I've tried a car harness with some success, but found it a hassle to get on. I finally decided on boot of car behind guard.  and Chloe would settle happily in there even on long journeys.  However I now have little romahome campervan and will have to rethink!  She's outgrown her harness now, so will get her a new one and she can sit in front passenger seat.  But if I go away with a friend, she'll have to go in back and I haven't worked out yet how I shall secure her.

You can buy an attachment for the harness that clicks into the seatbelt housing, mine has two available seatbelt ends, I bought it on one of the online shops but cannot remember which one - sorry. The clip end I use directly onto katies collar - she sits on the front seat. had a quick shifty - this might help you!!

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/dogs/dog_cages_carriers/car_harness/14340

[SkyeSue]

I've tried a car harness with some success, but found it a hassle to get on. I finally decided on boot of car behind guard.  and Chloe would settle happily in there even on long journeys.  However I now have little romahome campervan and will have to rethink!  She's outgrown her harness now, so will get her a new one and she can sit in front passenger seat.  But if I go away with a friend, she'll have to go in back and I haven't worked out yet how I shall secure her.

You can buy an attachment for the harness that clicks into the seatbelt housing, mine has two available seatbelt ends, I bought it on one of the online shops but cannot remember which one - sorry. The clip end I use directly onto katies collar - she sits on the front seat. had a quick shifty - this might help you!!

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/dogs/dog_cages_carriers/car_harness/14340

Thanks for that. Will have a look. Don't want to hijack thread but when she has to travel in back of camper van, there's no seatbelts (bunk beds!) so I will look and see if I can get a soft crate of some kind that I can wedge on the floor between the beds. She won't be happy though!

[LynseyAndChester]

When we just had Molly, she would ride either up front or in the back (if someone else other than the driver was in the car too) in her RAC approved harness with the wee strap you put the seatbelt through(?) She seemed comfortable enough cause she could sit up and look out the window or lie down on longer journeys.
But now that we have the two of them, they're in the boot behind a guard. But when I get my car, the harnesses are coming back cause I thought they were adorable. 

[ARNOLD]

When we first got Barney he travelled in a crate in the back of my hatchback with the parcel shelf taken out.  He travelled really well and just layed down.  We have recently got a Landrover with dog guard so we thought we would just put him in the back and he would have much more room to stretch out than before.  What a nightmare, he was all over the place jumping up and didn't settle at all.  So in went his crate and he is a happy doggy traveller once more     

[ladylola]

If you have a dog travelling in the front passenger seat of a car, you must remember to disable the air bag if you have one. I think it's the law that dogs have to be restrained in cars. Soft crates are great to put on the back seat, you can also get tube ones. I have the new honda civic and used to fold the rear seats down and used a large crate but I do have 3 dogs. I bought an ex police mondeo estate fully fitted at the back with moulded crates. I don't know what I did without it. You also have to think about dogs travelling loose in the boot what the consequences would be if your car was hit from behind.

[LucyJ]

You also have to think about dogs travelling loose in the boot what the consequences would be if your car was hit from behind.

I don't have our dogs in the boot for this reason - I read somewhere that it is a crumple zone so isn't safe for dogs, plus if you are hit from behind the boot can spring open so an unsecured dog could jump out.  Having said that we don't have children so it is easy for us to have the dogs on the back seat  .

We used to have them secured with harnesses, but Cooper worked out how to tread on the clicker bit to release the seat belt  so now we have their big metal crate on the back seat.  I also have a soft crate which we use for camping, but is useful if they need to travel in someone else's car.

[emderpenguin]

having seen this on another thread mine are having a custom built crate for the care with escape hatches. although my current set up is pepper in crate on back seat and kye with harness and seatbelt clip in the boot (i only have a Clio)

it's in german but hey.
Where there is more than one photo = bad results, click on first to enlarge and you can go through the slides.

Translation:
Ohne Sicherung = on parcel shelf
Hundegurt = dog harness
Transportbox im Fußraum = crate in footwell
Transportbox auf Rücksitzbank = crate on backseat
Transportbox im Kofferraum = crate in luggage space

http://www.adac.de/Tests/Crash_Tests/Tiersicherung/default.asp?ComponentID=213536&SourcePageID=213765

[Cob-Web]

I think it's the law that dogs have to be restrained in cars.

I asked a Traffic Sgt friend of mine about this a few months ago; he said that although it is not a legal requirement to secure a dog, there is plenty of legislation that could be used to prosecute a driver who doesn't safely restrain their dog in the car; not only the Animal Welfare laws, but also sections of the Highway Code that relate to distractions while driving and the requirements to secure loads while in transit 

[Mundyboy]

I think it's the law that dogs have to be restrained in cars.

I asked a Traffic Sgt friend of mine about this a few months ago; he said that although it is not a legal requirement to secure a dog, there is plenty of legislation that could be used to prosecute a driver who doesn't safely restrain their dog in the car; not only the Animal Welfare laws, but also sections of the Highway Code that relate to distractions while driving and the requirements to secure loads while in transit 

Well done Cob-Web.  Having been 'out there' myself I can tell you how distressing it is to see dogs injured or running loose after a road traffic accident.  Your job is human life but as an animal lover it is really upsetting to see injury/death to a dog which could have been avoided.  I think the majority on this thread recognise the need to restraint their dog - it is just method that differs.  Be safe.

[cazza]

My two cockers travel in this, with the divider so they have their own space   http://www.feedem.co.uk/dog-2/dog-carriers-53/ferplast-atlas-100-car-230.htm

If I need to take all 3 dogs out then they are loose in the boot behind a dog guard. I don't like doing this - these are my reasons 
1) I got smeary windows  
2 ) when i opened the boot and have 3 dogs to grab hold of it's difficult if there is something they see and decided not to stay.
3 ) If I had an accident and was hurt, if a well meaning person decided to get the dogs out and they weren't in a crate they would most probably bolt due to having a shock themselves  
4) If I have to stop suddenly at least having the 3 behind a dog guard they stay in the boot and not fly over and hit a passenger ot the driver, like an un strapped rear passenger could (I never drive off if everyone is NOT strapped up and some people have made fun of me because of it but hey safety first in my opinion is well worth being laughed at)
5) also i normally need all seats in the car with kids - so a harness and seatbelt adjuster is not feaisable (sp)

[Hurtwood Dogs]

How does the law interperate 'restrained'?

After years of my last cocker being loose in various 2 seaters and eventually my golf cab... I submitted and now have a 4x4 Estate 

Which actually, was a great choice as I wouldn't have been able to get a Weimaraner as well as a cocker if I hadn't 

Mine both travel loose in the boot behind a dog guard - is that restrained in the eyes of the law or should they also be wearing harnesses?

Hannah xx

[cazza]

How does the law interperate 'restrained'?

After years of my last cocker being loose in various 2 seaters and eventually my golf cab... I submitted and now have a 4x4 Estate 

Which actually, was a great choice as I wouldn't have been able to get a Weimaraner as well as a cocker if I hadn't 

Mine both travel loose in the boot behind a dog guard - is that restrained in the eyes of the law or should they also be wearing harnesses?

Hannah xx

I'm not sure of the (law) answer to your question - but I would say that is restrained enough as if you have an accident then the dogs can't be flung in to the car body and hit a person (hope that makes sense)