Exceptions To Securing Dog In Car?

[Gharrissc]

I got the idea for this thread from another one I replied to and wanted to know if any of you think there is ever any excuse to not secure a dog in a car while driving. For example if you are driving at night by yourself and have a dog that you know will at least provide the physical deterrant . The common sense idea is to avoid situations like that,but things do happen that are unplanned and sometimes you have to take that detour. I've personally never done this,because I haven't thought about it in that way until now,besides I don't think a 9 year old 30lb dog is too intimidating.

[Mooch]

To me there's no excuse or reason to not secure your dog in the car.
Lock your door if you're driving somewhere where you don't feel safe!

A loose dog in the car is so dangerous both for the driver and the dog. I think usually it's laziness that makes people not secure them. It takes a few minutes to put the harness on and its a short trip down to the store......

[Chicagocanine]

I think the chances of an accident are much higher than of someone attacking you in your car? So it makes more sense to use something to keep your dog safe.
Although if you're using a seatbelt the dog is still a physical deterrant, and people may not even know they are secured and wouldn't be able to get to them...
If you are really paranoid you can have the dog within reach of you and use some type of quick-release strap on the seatbelt harness so you could "deploy" them if you are threatened. For example a horse tie with a panic snap would secure them safely as a seatbelt strap if used with a safety rated seatbelt harness and allow you to release them quickly if needed.

[MaggieRoseLee]

Originally Posted by Mooch

To me there's no excuse or reason to not secure your dog in the car.
Lock your door if you're driving somewhere where you don't feel safe!

A loose dog in the car is so dangerous both for the driver and the dog. I think usually it's laziness that makes people not secure them. It takes a few minutes to put the harness on and its a short trip down to the store......

I agree with everyone else.

If you are worried about security, if you buy a black safety harness (if your dog is primarily black) people won't even notice any harness at all. All they see is GERMAN SHEPHERD so will have no idea the dog is tethered.

I've been in more accidents in my car over the years (6? hey, 1/2 of those were with deer and the others NOT MY FAULT ) while I have NEVER been attacked while driving. So the real danger to my dog to leave it loose is obvious to me.

[Liesje]

No exceptions here. I was in a near-accident with a dog loose behind a barrier - never again! My dogs are always crated. It's not safe for them, or me, or any passengers to have a 75lb projectile. I have a decal on my vehicle indicating there is a dog inside and that alone is enough. We have tons of vehicle break-ins here and I leave my vehicle unlocked with stuff inside and no one has ever touched it because there *might* be a dog inside. They do not know if the dog is loose,or even in the vehicle at the time

[jocoyn]

Plus figure how many accidents involve broken glass or door sprung open where an injured dog can escape and run into traffic?

[Jo_in_TX]

I've thought about this, because as Teddy matures I will likely travel alone with her to visit family.

She will be secured in the backseat where I can easily turn around and free her so she can come in to the rest stop with me. Ditto for drive through windows, etc.

[jae]

i refuse to use a harness to secure my dog, just based on something i read about a study that most harnesses had decapitated a dummy dog in tests. i don't trust wire crates or the airline crates, if i can break them with my own strength then a car crash would mutilate it and the dog. so, he sits or lays down in the back seat and i allow him to stand on the center console at times. sometimes he likes to curl up in the front seat. when i find an indestructible crate, i will use it.

eta this

In July, the Center for Pet Safety ran a series of videos from its pilot study of the “crash-worthiness” of canine automotive restraints. They report a third-party independent test lab, MGA Research Corporation, tested a variety of pet harnesses to the conditions of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213 for child safety restraints.

The results were a complete failure -- for ALL restraints tested. Four harnesses were tested in the control group, and every time there were multipoint failures. At one point, the videos reveal a complete separation from the connection point; another shows an instance of complete decapitation of the test (dummy) dog as a result of the harness moving upward on impact. In its press release, the Center for Pet Safety reported, “no protection would be provided to either the dog or to vehicle occupants in similar crash conditions.”

http://www.dogster.com/lifestyle/dog...or-dogs-safety

[Capone22]

I have to seat belt rogue because my car is too small when I have the kids with me for anything else. I so wish we had a van!


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[jocoyn]

Well we could all get police interceptors. Hahaha I would if I had the money. The inserts in THOSE vehicle have saved officer lives when the car rolled with the cage intact.

I guess the seat belt dog in car with kids is pretty common. It does concern me greatly. I always had some sort of wagon or SUV with the crate in the back. Until I got the welded aluminim boxes, I zip tied the heck out of the wire crates. Figured it may not be much since one zip tie has a 75lb break force but my husband sells stuff to auto stores and he can get them by the thousands pretty cheap.

Two crates that look pretty good to me are the variocage and the rough tough kennels.