[Pherl]

I have a harness that attaches to the seatbelt for our 11mo puppy; problem is that now he cannot fit on any of the vehicle seats. I have to fold one of the captains chairs down into the floor (I LOVE the Stow N Go feature of my Grand Caravan!!!) to give him room. So is it safe to attach a lead to the caribeaner (sp?) on the harness and find a spot on the floor to tether it to (front passenger chair leg, etc), or is there some special way to restrain a 135# and quickly growing dog? His projected weight is between 220-250lbs, based on lineage and bone structure, if that helps.

 

[LeoRose]

A big boy, huh? What breed is he?

Sounds like you need to invest in a good crate. There is a Facebook group that has lots of information about the different brands and types of crates, and how to install them in your vehicle. https://www.facebook.com/groups/DogSportVehicleIdeas/

 

[clipke]

Both of my dogs are pretty similar in size to your pup currently, and they fit fairly comfortably in a standard sized sedan. Does he fit sitting upright in the front passenger seat? One of my dogs just sits kind of like a human beside me in the front lol. Never needed seatbelts for either of them, so if the seat belt specifically is making it hard for your pup to fit, I'd probably just get a crate that's a bit too big already, then a larger one once he's adult weight and put that in the back of your van!

 

[Felafufu]

Personally, I feel a sturdy crate is better than a harness. Keep in mind that in the event of a collision your dog will become a projectile, and/or be thrown around inside the vehicle depending on the severity of an accident. The physical forces are incredible. I have a crate that is ratchet strapped down for my current pup. A harness might help, but crates tend to keep a dog from standing and is easier on the joints than standing in a moving vehicle.

 

[middleofnowhere]

First Welcome to the Forum.


As regards one suggestion already offered: Front passenger seat is a big absolutely NO in modern vehicles . Air bag deployment will kill your dog. I resisted doing all caps and highlighting that ... but NO don't do it.



Crates need to be secured if you count on them for safe restraint of your dog and I personally don't think they're a good choice, certainly not the wire ones.



Seat belt harnesses are designed to work with the seatbelt so fastening to something else doesn't cut it. My two ride in the back seat of a crew cab pick up with the seats folded. The seat belts are maneuverable so that they can be used to secure the dogs with the seats folded. There is a recent thread about dog safety restraints. I'm too lazy to look it up and link to it for the OP. BUT use the seat belt harness with the seat belt - not something else/