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Transporting in car...

4K views 28 replies 20 participants last post by  Oisin's Aoire 
#1 ·
How do you transport your dogs in your vehicle? Crate , loose , lapbelt thingy ?

I had him loose in the back of my SUV ...and I just had to return the lease and did not realize he chewed through all 3 3rd row seatbelts . He was pretty stealth about it! Anyway , he goes everywhere with me. I just got a new vehicle and it is not quite and SUV..more like a Subaru type wagon ( a Lincoln MKT ) .

I do not want him chewing stuff in the new vehicle and besides the crate is admittedly safer. I underestimated how big it was though and he can't stand up in the rear of the car without having to airplane his ears like Yoda. I put a wire crate in there that is 26" tall which is about what he is at the withers. It is smaller than what I would normally put him in , but it hits the roof of the wagon. He can stand up and turn around in the crate no problem so I am hoping he will be fine. He gets a stuffed kong for trips.

Anyway , I was wondering if anyone else had any other tricks/solutions they have tried and was also wondering if any of those crate cooling systems were worth it an helped at all. Obviously I ride with the air on and or windows open..but sometimes it still seems like the back does not get as cool on real hot days. They all got mediocre reviews on Amazon. I was thinking of maybe just a regular portable fan back there?

Input appreciated :)
 
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#4 ·
My guys ride in the back no crates, no problems. :) Rocky kinda fills the back seat of the PT Cruiser.
I stuff a comforter on the seats and fill the foot wells with dog pillows and use one for a bolster. When we get a second dog I'll have to lower the back seat. :)
 
#6 ·
I use a seatbelt system for both dogs, and a seat cover plus blanket to cover the backseat where Delgado lies to keep hair, scratches, other potential gross things from harming the actual seat.
 
#7 ·
I have a 4 dr. Jeep Wranger and Ollie rides in the back unrestrained. He did chew through a seat belt as well. Those things are expensive! The seat belts now have been soaked in biter apple and he hasn't touched them since.
 
#8 ·
I use crates. They're so much better for the car. Especially a luxury car.

They tend to keep the hair a bit more contained, and you can then comfortably roll down windows and leave him in the crate if its a bit warm out.

I have a 530 wagon and my back window opens up without the whole tailgate needing to be up, its really nice to be able to have that raised, open the front windows, and get a good breeze through the car when we're at training and the dogs are in their crates.

I wouldn't worry about the height...its much safer for your dog to lay down while you're moving anyways. Mine is like 25.75 inches tall and the crate is 25 inches tall I believe. I have a smaller female, and I usually have her in a 30 inch crate. My theory is that the smaller the crate the safer it is for the dog...if I do happen to be in an accident, they are much more contained and won't be flung into the side of the crate due to too much space.

Car rides aren't about comfort, they're about safety for both you and the dog.
 
#9 ·
Rides in the back seat behind me. When we went looking for a new car, rear AC was a must! I was surprised many cars did not have it. For about a year I had the use of a 02 Explorer and it had AC in the very rear (3rd row) where we used to put my daughter's dog and she loved it.
 
#10 ·
I believe in crates. Not being able to stand up properly is not so much an issue for transport but I also made sure I got the dog out of the crate every few hours on a trip and let them move around. I agree with the statement about the smaller crate being safer.

I love the 12 volt O2 cool fans as they move a lot of air. There is a better fan available at boat stores and Ryobi makes a very nice rechargeable fan at the home supply stores.

Everyone I know who drives an SUV has an Aluminet tarp to cover it during stops. SUVs really heat up, even with the windows open, in the sun.
 
#17 ·
Do you have a link to the fan you like? Thanks :) The car can run with no key for as long as I need it to. But it still gets hot in the back when you are not moving! Not like , deathly hot , but uncomfortable.

Thanks for all the replies everybody :)
 
#11 ·
My dogs are crated in the back...

You can see crates in this picture, and I have the lovely decal to deter people a bit as well from messing around near the car and tailgating.

 
#13 ·
I use a 36 inch crate in the backseat of my car (Hyundai Sonata). I wish I could fit a bigger one in there, but there's not enough room. It wouldn't be comfortable for trips but is fine for transporting to/from class around town (usually in crate for no more than 30 minutes before getting out).

Since my car can't fit a larger crate, I would prefer if he could be belted in, but I'm afraid of damage to the car at this point since he's only a year old. He's never torn anything up that wasn't his, but I certainly can't watch him and drive! Hopefully, eventually I can go with a carseat cover, blanket and belt. I think it would be more comfortable for him as well. He's fairly cramped in the 36 inch crate. He's at the top end of the breed standard.
 
#16 ·
My 4 year old is in the back seat with a seat belt system, and the puppy is in her crate in the cargo area. Once she gets bigger we won't be able to put two crates back there, but by then I will have a cap for my Dodge so both dogs can be crated for long drives.
 
#18 ·
#19 ·
On short jaunts.. he is in the back of my jeeps, seats down. He lays there, doesn't do much.

On long rides, he gets the middle seat hammock. It latches to the front head reasts and the back head rests and is essentially a hammock.. IMO it keeps him more secure and I dont' have to worry about him rolling around.
 
#21 ·
My girl wears a seat belt harness, my boy is unrestrained. A crate won't fit in the car if both of them are in there, and he has gotten out of every single restraint I've tried on him. Unrestrained, he simply puts his nose to the window to get sniffs of things. I also don't travel far or on many highways with him, whereas the girl goes on road trips with me.
 
#22 ·
I used to keep mine loose in the back but decided to fold the back row seats down in my Sante Fe, build a "ledge" to make it level, and put crates in. Sooooo much easier for transporting them - they settle faster in the car, don't slide around when stopping/turning, don't spread mud and dirt everywhere, no chewing on anything, I can take out one at a time, I can leave the car wide open for airflow at training/trials and not worry about escapees, I can keep their stuff (mostly) organized, and... yeah, it's got loads of benefits. They are both 65-70 pounds and in standard 36" crates. In hindsight I wish I'd gotten the SUV-sized 36" crates since they are slightly narrower to fit between the wheel wells better.
 
#24 ·
Seatbelt system in the back seat of the crewcab dodge truck; seatbelt system in front seat of ford truck (has no back seat but old enough to have no airbags). The harness would keep the dogs from flying around the cab as heavy, furry projectiles were we in a wreck. Might not save the dogs, might not save me but to my mind much better than loose. BTW I recently saw an article (don't remember where) regarding crates - none of the plastic airline ones held up in a safety test.
 
#26 ·
Seatbelt system in the back seat of the crewcab dodge truck; seatbelt system in front seat of ford truck (has no back seat but old enough to have no airbags). The harness would keep the dogs from flying around the cab as heavy, furry projectiles were we in a wreck. Might not save the dogs, might not save me but to my mind much better than loose. BTW I recently saw an article (don't remember where) regarding crates - none of the plastic airline ones held up in a safety test.
I remember reading that all seat belt systems pretty much failed as well.

Crates are for restraint, and since the chances of a major accident are way smaller than a small fender bender that causes whiplash, IMO a crate would at least protect the dog in that situation much better than a seatbelt restraint system.

Think about it...that small moment of whiplash, the dog's whole body will probably go up against the crate wall. That means there is way more square inches to absorb the impact and energy. With a seatbelt restraint system, the dog's chest will absorb all the energy and the neck is likely to keep moving and snap back (just like a human's).

If you have the room in your car...a crate is always the way to go. I just have the black foldable ones in my car side by side. If you have the money, I'd go with this...

Variocage U.S. - Mim Variocage Dog Crate, Variocage Car Crash Safety Crate
 
#25 ·
Any of you guys that don't use crates, have a dog that jsut won't sit up in a seat.. Titan WILL NOT sit in one seat.. he has to be laying down.. he would never just sit upright in the seat, he would bunch himself up into a position where he could fit, in a down, in the seat. Which is why we do the hammock in the whole back seat deal.. jsut curious.
 
#29 ·
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