Dogs Safety

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

ruthandken CDN

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 7, 2007
Posts
831
Location
Ontario, Canada
I am wondering what most of you who have dogs, particularly big dogs, do with them when travelling?  I know I have read to harness them in.  For us that's not possible because 1)we don't have shoulder harnesses on the seat belts other than driver and passenger and the dog harnesses I looked at were attached to a shoulder harness 2) the dogs would go nuts being confined like that.  I cannot put them in crates because 1)they haven't been in a crate in years, and 2) there is no possible way we could get 2 large crates in the MH.  One of our dogs usually finds a spot and sleeps most of the way, the younger one, is antsy.  He's up and down, up and down.  I am concerned for their safety if we had to make a sudden stop or God forbid, we were involved in an accident.  Just curious what those of you who don't do either of those above options, do with them.

Ruth
 
A lot depends - - - - - -

We have two dogs. a 65lb Boxer and a 5lb min-pin.

At the "safe" end, the Boxer rides in the co-pilot seat, with his harness attached to the seat belt. (That's him, in my avitar, sitting in the co-pilot seat.) Works fine, as long as he doesn't get the wanderlust. If DW is lying on the couch, or in bed, he may want to be with her - in which case that is where he goes. (DW is disabled, and doesn't stay belted in. Yes, we know the risk, but it's that or no travel. We intend to travel. So, we take the risk.) We have a collapsable crate, and he likes it. However, we rarely use it.

Small dog has a harness, but we don't use it much. Ordinarily, he sits next to mommy or on her lap. He has a crate and we use it when he is restless. In that case, we sit it on the dinette seat, using the back as a bulkhead. That is as safe as he gets. No, he doesn't like riding in the crate. He gets outvoted.

Some of the time, at slower speeds, we just turn them loose. Then, small dog sits on lap, and big dog finds a window to look out of. They like RVing.

Ray D  ;D
 
We're on our 3rd RVing Labrador (biggest one 100 pounds, current one 85 pounds). We've let them all have free run of the motorhome. The black (100-pounds) would go back and lay down on the bed within 5 minutes of the drive starting. The chocolate (90-pounds) would pace and pace and pace and was only comfortable when we let him lay on the dashboard. Let him up there and he relaxed and fell asleep within 5 minutes. (Please don't lecture me on how dangerous it was for him to be there. Slam on the brakes and he's not flying anywhere since he's up against the windshield already. And we didn't let him lay in front of the driver.) Current lab (yellow) likes laying on the floor in front of my seat (labs are very good at fitting themselves into small spaces). He curls up between my seat and the dash....of course, this takes away virtually all of my foot space so my feet end up on the dashboard. But he's relaxed there and I feel comfortable with him there.

HTH
Wendy

 
I'm try to envision a huge lab (we have one too) up on the dash and for the life of me I can't picture it.  :eek: Your dash must be different than ours.... ;D ;D
 
I guess I'll be the first to admit that I do nothing.  My dog rides just about anywhere he wants to.  His favorite is standing on the doghouse (no pun) and looking out the windshield, smelling the smells coming through the dash vents.  His second favorite is sitting in the seat directly behind the copilot seat with his nose out the half open window.

He simply cannot sleep, or even be where he cannot see the outside, while the coach is in motion.  He would be miserable (and make all others miserable) if confined in any way.  He loves to ride in both the coach and the old fishing truck (Ford Explorer) but doesn't relax for a moment.  Sleeps like a baby when we stop for the night though ;D

We just have to trust that God will watch over us.

I'm such a slow typist that I wasn't even close to being first ;) :D, but I'm surprised at how many also let the dog make the decision of where to ride.  My thoughts are that my dog would choose to be with me if my time comes while I'm behind the wheel.
 
Thanks for the replies, I don't feel so bad now.  I thought I was being a bad 'mom' letting them roam free, but that's what makes them most happy and comfortable and as you say, I hope that the doggie God watches over them.
 
Sam in his favorite place. His ashes rode there the whole winter after we lost him.
 

Attachments

  • P1010134 (Small).JPG
    P1010134 (Small).JPG
    40.1 KB · Views: 53
OMG, that is so cute..yes your dash is more level than ours.  Ours slopes down toward the windshied, and I notice yours looks padded, unless you put that there for him.  Ours is like a vinyl..
 
Our dash is vinyl but Mike made a fabric cover for it, figuring that would protect it from the dog's nails. It's actually fairly flat....we've commented before that if we had kids, one of them could sleep on the dash !

Wendy
 
Tried a bit ago but messed up my own post - really glad I found this thread - I get paranoid reading some puttem inna box or you are BAD!!! threads.

  I had to make a 'dash cover' also. Used lite indoor outdoor carpet -( not grass)  'Mouse' -the grey one- showed the other 2 how to get up there. 'Jack' the tan&white likes to help drive - we try to keep him of the dash while under way. 'ReddDogg' rides in my lap til one of us gets too warm. 

If we are real lucky they ride in their bed between the seats.

TravelSafe ...  HaveFun ...  Kate
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2520 (Small).JPG
    IMG_2520 (Small).JPG
    61.3 KB · Views: 36
Are those little jackets you can pick them up by? Look kind of like Gordon's PFD which has a handle (although how I'd pick up an 85-pound Lab by the handle is beyond me).

I've been told I should always have the dog crated or belted in when traveling but I don't think I'm a bad "mom" because I let him wander. And when he's laying between my seat and the dash, he's really wedged in there pretty good. Also, Gordon has epilepsy so I prefer having him where I can get to him quickly if he has a seizure.

Wendy
 
We usually have a dog in the 20-40lb range, all mutts, the latest incumbent dawg being Happy.   We use a heavy, one-inch webbing chest hardness.  The dog is fitted into the harness.   The d-ring of the harness is then clipped to a one-inch webbing teather which is fastened to a rear seat lab belt by a piece of patent hardware.  It works very well.  The dog has enough freedom of movement to be able to move about a bit and to curl up and yet is restrained from hitting the windshield in an accident -- or escaping on to a busy highway in the aftermath.

 
Wendy,

The harnesses are 'mini' versions of the tactical vests like LE & Search&Rescue dogs wear. Made by "RuffWear" at about $50 a pop. I love the 'luggage' handle feature for getting them in&out of the toad/or truck. Or up and out of harms way. (PM me if want more info.)    P.S. Where was the photo of Sam on the dash taken??

Carl,

I have secured the larger of the dogs to the seat belt thru 'luggage' handle with a seat belt adapter (lil guys share a crate.).

Kate
 
Not exactly sure where the picture of Sam was taken. Looks like somewhere in the California desert ? He traveled with us to Portland Oregon, Pittsburgh, Nashville, Death Valley, Moab, Quartzsite, New Mexico. He was a well-traveled dog.

Wendy
 
Our Wheaten roams free in the m/h. She likes to makes rounds from behind copilot seat to behind driver seat to wife's lap, and sometimes to the sofa. She will sleep in each place for 1/2 hour or so, then move on. She really likes wife's lap so she can help navigate and make sure I don't miss anything important.  ;D
 
We have a 120 lb Great Dane, and he loves to travel in our motorhome. But he is always in a harness that is secured to the seat belt attached to the couch behind the right front seat. That allows him to be near us, and he can lie down or stand. And just this past Sunday, I had to make a sudden stop as three Sandhill Cranes stepped into the street in front of me. Our dog would have been into the windshield without the harness, and I would never risk that.
 
Interesting problem: What is more important? Sandhill Crane or a dog.

  I think you made a wise choice in securing your buddy.

carson FL

 
Back
Top Bottom