Monday, 15 June 2009 - 12:48 PM CDT

Well, all of my cat carriers have a place where you can secure them with a seat belt, so while I have no dog to buckle up, the cats get buckled in every time they are in the car. Each in their own carrier.

What's good for people can also be good for pets. 

In general though, the cats are usually not too happy about being in the car in the first place.  Except the neighbor's cat, Massimo, who rather likes getting into our cars. Our fear is that he'll sneak in and we'll drive off with him some day. He's spent at least one freezing night locked in hubby's car so far. Hasn't deterred him any from trying to get back in.

Monday, 15 June 2009 - 1:16 PM CDT

I've come a long ways since the days when I threw my dogs in the back of my '65 Ranchero, they were hitched to a bolted in loop but still... Now I am a firm believer of crating or seat belts for canines and I just cringe when I see a dog in the back of a truck. Especially on a freeway. One of my favorite rescue dogs that I placed with someone, rode around un- secured for years, without mishap. Then one day a freak accident occurred, she got spooked and was killed. Seat belts for canines can also save your life.

Monday, 15 June 2009 - 1:53 PM CDT

My senior citizen mutt took a tumble off our seats a few times, and now is TERRIFIED in the car. She shakes like a leaf. I think we'll be getting her a harness. :( Poor thing.

Monday, 15 June 2009 - 2:29 PM CDT

I haven't had my cats loose in the car with me since about fifteen years back when I thought I'd run out for a minute and let my cat come for the ride. In the car, she crawled in my lap and was doing fine until I had to stop short and she peed all over my legs.  Never doing that again. No one to blame but myself.

Monday, 15 June 2009 - 2:45 PM CDT

No but I am considering it.  She steps on my son. She's a lab but thinks she's a lap dog....and she is still a baby....a 70 lb whirling dervish of tail, paws, tongue and hair.  A seatbelt would also stop the 10 minutes of opening and closing the car door, saying "stay", while trying to remind her puppy brain to control herself and that "I" go out the door first and her shooting out the door over my lap is....unpleasant and embarrassing lol. 

Monday, 15 June 2009 - 5:42 PM CDT

I do not buckle my dogs in.  Mainly because the one time I tried my dog managed to pull VERY SLOWLY against the seat belt, stretching it out to its full length.  

 FAIL.

So now I drive a station wagon with a safety gate behind the middle seats.  The dogs travel safely in the very back of the car.  Even my senior and very lame dog is comfy there.  

Monday, 15 June 2009 - 10:09 PM CDT

Awww...the pic is even cuter on the blog, LOL.  Thanks for replying in a whole post. Now I feel important.  ;)  And even more guilty that I don't have my dog pics page added to my site yet, heh.

I agree that the dog seat belt is one the safest options! When I transport foster dogs, I take the SUV and use secured crates for them.  Our other dog hates the car, so the only place she feels secure is jammed tightly behind the passenger seat, on the floor, in the back. She would freak if we tethered her and she couldn't get in her safe place, heh.  She also has storm fears like Ripley, but her snug "storm shirt" - a doggy t shirt or sweater seems to help with that a bit. And melatonin, if needed.  :)

Thanks again for thee doggie post! 

Monday, 15 June 2009 - 10:41 PM CDT

Does a "storm shirt" help? I'd heard of dog anxiety wraps that provide a little compression and relieve stress, but it never occurred to me to just put a snug sweater or t-shirt on the little goof. Maybe I should try that. She's flipping out right now because there's a storm rolling in.

Tuesday, 16 June 2009 - 11:17 AM CDT

Hi Skwigg,

Yeah, the storm shirt seems to help a bit.  If we put it on her too soon, she gets worried, but if we put it on when she's already freaking, it calms her some.  She tries to maul us with her front feet (or dig at the carpet) during a storm, so it also helps inhibit her digging strength, a little  ;)

We used to be able to calm her by holding her really tight (and she's not a cuddly type dog) so she seems to get some comfort from the snugness of the shirt (just like how she prefers to be jammed into a tight spot in the car). I've looked at those wraps, too but don't know if they would be any better than a tight shirt/sweater.

Lately she's been better, as we got to the point that we would have to kick her out of the bedroom at night during storms or she would just try to maul us, aka dig a hole in our arms, legs, back, etc.  When she realizes that she's going to be seperated from us, she usually stops with the mauling now.

A tight shirt might be worth a shot with Ripley - to see if you think one of those wraps might be worth a try?  The melatonin helps some, too.  She'll get one for a long car ride(over 3 hours), or if we have a long streak of storms. I gave her something from the vet once, and she was suddendly starving and later tried to injure her brother.  So I stick with the melatonin.  ;) 

Tuesday, 16 June 2009 - 12:53 PM CDT

I laughed out loud when you referred to Ripley trying to drive. My first dog tolerated a harness, but these two I have now would be a different story. We have 2 golden retrievers, and one of them thinks she's a lap dog anyway and is determined that my window (driver's side!) is the one that should be down so she can hang her head out while standing on my lap. Dangerous!

Tuesday, 16 June 2009 - 2:15 PM CDT

This gave me something to think about.  When I was younger I  use to stand in the front seat of the car when my parents drove.  No one batted an eye, it was the 70's.  Now days OMG my parents would be in jail.

My dog is the dog you see pimped out of the window.  She loves riding in the car!  Maybe I should be a better parent.

Tuesday, 16 June 2009 - 5:33 PM CDT

Once at the shelter I volunteer at, a woman came and gave a little presentation on something called Tellington touch I believe? Sorry if my memory fails me, this was years ago. I think it was originally used to calm racehorses but can be used on dogs too. I also seem to remember her saying something about a wrap. Anyway funny this should come up because I have noticed that when we put our shy nervous American Bulldog in her fluffy pink fleece she seems to just love it! Could this be why?

Thursday, 2 July 2009 - 6:51 PM CDT

I have the same harness for my dog and it's so nice that she doesn't go flying into the seat when I suddenly may have to stop.  Dogs can get really hurt that way.  This harness still lets her stick her head out the window, too!