Travelling with Dogs?

[shirley]

We are looking at getting another Sheltie (2/4 weeks). With this wee girl we are definitely looking at getting her out and about with the car etc. Do dibbers have specific equipment for safety measures in the car etc? Also any advice on how to get the dog used to travelling in the car?


Thanks

[Gryff]

Our big dogs are in a crate in the cars the Frenchies and staffie have safety harnesses that fit in the seat belt clips
We even when we couldn’t walk them we took them in the car often DH would just stand out side the supermarket etc holding them to help with meeting people etc

[Puddle5]

We have a Springer puppy. She has a harness which clips into a belt which either goes into a seatbelt socket or has a clip to clip onto the d rings in the car boot. She usually travels on the back seat clipped into the seatbelt.

We started taking her out straight away in the car, just for small trips and like Gryff said taking her to the supermarket and one of us waiting with us.

She's 17 weeks now and happily lays down and goes to sleep on her fleece in the back of the car when we go out.

[THE WIZARD]

All my dogs have travelled in a Vari Kennel the type you use for animals on flights for many years now. It travels on the back seat of the car with the passenger seat pushed right back so if in an accident his/her kennel would not move far and would protect them. It also means they can see whoever is driving which helps This is my preference as I once almost had a dog strangle itself on the clipped to the seat belt arrangement & I will never have a dog in the boot end of the car in a cage as I was once rear ended with my dog in the back of the car which almost killed him.
It takes time to get a dog used to a car so that its happy and not either peeing from fright or barking continually. Start by sitting in the car with whatever system you decide on for its carriage, no engine on and talking calmly to the dog or your partner, ignoring the dog. Do that a couple of times a day for a few days the do the same thing but with the engine running for a couple days. Then a small drive from you home to 3 or 4 doors away and back again & make n big fuss and treat on return when you get the dog out. Continue increasing the 'ride' over the next week & you will have a happy calm dog for any journey. Yes it takes time and can be considered a PITA but you will reap dividends in the long run & smile happily when you hear people say how they can never take their dog in the car as it barks or dribbles or pees etc ! Two weeks at most should work depending on the dog & your consistency.

[Princess Ariel]

Willow has a car seat so that she can see out of the window and a seat belt that clips onto her harness, it works really well, although she’s still not keen on the car it keeps her secure and she does seem quite settled on journeys. You can’t really see the seatbelt on this pic but we got it from little wolf apparel

[gl20]

We have the harness and seat belt buckle thing as described above. We also have one of those hammocks that follows the seat contours and is held by in place by 4 loops that go round the front and rear headrests. Luckily our dog has always been really easy in the car - he just jumps in and sleeps the whole way.

[mitch84]

We have a bigger dog and we both have the boot bars up. He’s excellent on the back seat too but doesn’t wear a harness day to day so it’s a faff harnessing him up.
He came in the car twice a day from being small so loves it now. We’d take him to the supermarket etc too. He got used to it really quickly

[TheHughesCrew]

Originally Posted by THE WIZARD

I once almost had a dog strangle itself on the clipped to the seat belt arrangement .

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This is why we always use a harness for the car.
Our dog is clipped on to a headrest seat belt but definitely not from her collar.

If she travels in the boot, she just has a collar and the headrest seatbelt, but I carry a lot of work stuff in the boot so she's rarely in there.
We have an RAC universal boot guard for when she's in the boot too.
Our dog is quite long, and our teenagers are 6ft, but they all just squeeze in the back seat together.
We have taken Luna out in the car ever since she arrived. Even before she had her 2nd jabs, I would take her to Pets at Home stuffed into my jacket, or for a walk along the coast in my coat (she was tiny when she arrived).
We also used to chuck a treat in every now and again to make it more exciting.
But I think it's like everything whether you're looking at puppies or toddlers, just expose them to as many different situations as you can. I used to tie Lunas long lead to the open boot of the car ar school collection time to listen to the hustle and bustle of kids walking by and screaming/ playing; we've taken her to the beach, the woods, the river, to friends, on long journeys, to restaurants, shops and even churches. We also sent her to daycare once a week for socialisation. She's confident and happy at 9 months and takes most situations in her stride now x

[Sitron]

Our pup travelled in the footwell (supervised and wearing a harness) until he was too big to fit (38kg Show Labrador). We did that to prevent car sickness, being low down in the car helped prevent any balance problems and motion sickness, now he's 16 months, rides in the rear of the hatchback and never been car sick thank goodness.

[Harry]

Labrador Straight in the hatchback... got plenty of room... only he has to go up a ramp now being 13 years old...