# How do you transport your GSD in the Car?



## arctic (Jun 20, 2014)

I am in the process of buying a used Lexis 450h (2010) SUV.

I've been transporting my dog (from puppy until 11 months) in the back seat of my Toyota Camry. 

Needless to say, the back seat of my Camry is completely ruined. She not only chewed off both seat belts, but also chewed up the baby seat and covered just about every inch of the back passenger area with her fur.

The Lexis 450h is a SUV. I'd like to put a dog crate back there to keep things tidy. 

But the crate she uses in the home is way too big for the trunk.

Dog Kennel Gulliver: Great Deals on Dog Carriers at zooplus











**Would it okay to use a SMALLER crate, which would be tight for her, as long as it's only used while I am driving the car (normally less than 30 minutes) and maximum 1+ hour wait times when I am in the supermarket, shopping mall, etc?

I would let her just lie in the trunk but the seat belts hang from back there and I know she'll probably end up chewing them up, among other things.


----------



## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

Front passenger seat riding shotgun...watching the world go by.


SuperG


----------



## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

My 85lbs male spends his time in a 36" crate. My 65lbs female spends her time in a 30" crate. On a training day, they're in there for at least 5 hours if not longer. They survive.


----------



## marreromcp (Oct 15, 2014)

My dog isn't allowed to ride up front, but rides with both windows rolled down in the back of my sedan. I got seat covers for her. Nothing she loves more than to stare at people at red lights. I even get to see people freak out! LOL


----------



## scarfish (Apr 9, 2013)

dogs ride all over the car. yeah they mess it up but we don't plan on ever selling the car. we're going to drive it into the ground.

chicken sandwich run last week.


----------



## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

Dog crate 36 in. In the back. Only. As someone who has been in a rollover accident with a dog in the car. I will never ever have a dog loose in the car. Ever.


----------



## GypsyGhost (Dec 29, 2014)

We also use a 36" travel crate. It will be a bit tight once Bash is full grown, but he's never in the crate for very long, so he will be fine. It fits in the backseat of our 2014 Toyota Corolla just fine.


----------



## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

I cram big old Russell in a 36" crate in my minivan. He doesn't seem to mind it. He's taken an 8 hour trip to a dog show in it. We just stop and let him stretch periodically.


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I have a crate in the back of my RAV4


----------



## LoveEcho (Mar 4, 2011)

My male has a harness and my female is crated.


----------



## MamaofLEO (Aug 8, 2014)

Leo rides in the back seat (Jetta) with window down (even @ 6*F he had his head out taking in the "breeze") and then he will rest his head on my left shoulder against door and headrest (my favorite!!)---short rides only (45m or less) but for longer rides, he is in back area of SUV, crated. Shane (14+ years old GSD) goes *where ever he wants*, which is usually laying on back seat on pillow and his blankie. We are thinking of getting the seatbelt harness for Leo in the future...

(something like this --> Amazon.com : Tru-Fit Smart Harness Seatbelt Loop : Automotive Pet Harnesses : Pet Supplies 

or this -->Amazon.com : Kurgo Direct to Seatbelt Tether Car Restraint for Dogs : Automotive Pet Harnesses : Pet Supplies.)

Interested to hear about Tethering/Harness experiences


----------



## MamaofLEO (Aug 8, 2014)

*Oh! Harness!*



LoveEcho said:


> My male has a harness and my female is crated.


How does your boy like the harness? Is it attached to the car seat loops or the seatbelt? Or is it a harness that connects to a secondary cord to the seatbelt? So many choices


----------



## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

When I accelerate, brake, make tighter turns...I say " hang on" and the dog leans all the back against the seat....she figured it out....


SuperG


----------



## scarfish (Apr 9, 2013)

the bank still owns our car so lol if they ever repossess it and see all the dog damage.


----------



## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

Is it true that CA or some cities were thinking of making a law requiring dogs to be harnessed in the vehicle if they were not crated??? I hope I am just imagining this....

SuperG


----------



## MamaofLEO (Aug 8, 2014)

*Found this as well!?! Whaaat!*






^^^That sort of is crazy!!


----------



## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

If your dog is eating seat belts and seats, Id be crating and not letting her destroy your new car.


----------



## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

I'm thinking of getting my shepherd a car safety helmet now that most everybody else seems to secure their dogs in the car....the goggles will also help in case we drive through a sandstorm when she has her head out the window....you can never be too safe.


SuperG


----------



## scarfish (Apr 9, 2013)

if the OPs dog is chewing setbelts then training and discipline might be more beneficial than a crate in the car as a band-aid fix. our cars have only been ruined by dog hair, muddy paw prints and the occasional vomit. our fault for not putting covers over the seats. screw it, the back of the car is theirs. we're never going to sit back there.


----------



## DonnaKay (Jan 20, 2014)

SuperG said:


> Front passenger seat riding shotgun...watching the world go by.
> 
> 
> SuperG


 Ditto. And ditto another post about the german shepherd stare. Fun to watch people's reactions. Most will laugh and wave at her and then after a few moments they start getting uncomfortable. Cracks me up. :laugh:

If it's a bit longer ride, she'll usually hop in the back seat to lay down.


----------



## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Crates


----------



## gsdheeler (Apr 12, 2010)

Crates... 42'' and 36''


----------



## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

My dog travels in a 38" aluminum crate but yes, smaller than the home crate.


----------



## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

http://flic.kr/p/qWKoAA

I can fit 4 crates.


----------



## kelliewilson (Jan 1, 2015)

in my front seat


----------



## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

If your vehicle is modern enough to have air bags the front seat is NOT safe for your dog. Crates don't hold up in a wreck either but they are better than being exposed to an airbag.

My dogs rode belted in the front seat of the 91 Ford 1/2 ton because there were no airbags and no place else for them (regular cab.) The Dodge is a crew cab and has airbags in front. The back folds down for dog beds and they are seatbelted in there. When I first introduced seatbelts to the first set of dogs, it took a bit of adjustment. Don't recall any with the current two who have been restrained since they were pups.


----------



## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

my dog has been good (thank God) about riding in the back seat. I have a hammock that covers the seat and the foot well. He can get good and relaxed back there. He wears a travel harness with a strap that hooks into the seatbelt fastener. (note, the do rip after months of use. Check it regularly). And since my car is too small to put a large crate in, we have screens in the back windows. This allows us to open both back windows for good air flow when leave him in the car during training. In the summer we also put half of the back seat down so that he can get to the hatchback. We can fit his cooling bed there.


----------



## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

I always find it so amazing that we would NEVER allow our children to sit loose in our cars, because we know it's so unsafe and they could be seriously injured or die in an accident.

But the fact that so many of us have less love for our dogs so they are (I guess?) more disposable and it's ok if they are hurt/killed? 

Any kind of restraint is better than NO restraint. And there are some good crate/dog harness belts available out there. Sure our pups may not like it initially, TOUGH. I want a healthy uninjured dog, that (BTW) quickly got used to the harness and the new rules 

Great site to look at different saftey issues --> http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/welcome-gsd-faqs-first-time-owner/176663-dog-safety-car.html

As far as 'loving' my dogs go, actions speak louder than words and DOING what is best for them is what counts.


----------



## kelbonc (Aug 25, 2014)

48 inch dog crate.


----------



## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

BTW....

CONGRATS to all the responsible pet owners out there that are either crating or harnessing their dogs!

See, we can learn and do better when we know better !!!! 


:wub::wub::wub::wub::wub::wub::wub:


----------



## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

I have a new MINI Cooper. My last MINI was totaled last summer - I was broadsided by a woman in a SUV while I was pulling into my own driveway (her fault). If I had had one of the shepherds in the back when we were hit, they definitely would've been hurt. I'm guilty in the past of having them in the MINI in the back with the seats down. No longer!

We bought a used minivan specifically to cart the dogs around. I have three 36"crates set up in there all the time so I can load everyone up at a moments notice. Safer for everyone, and now the MINI is a dog hair free zone.


----------



## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

My parents and all my friend's parents didn't love us as children.....we were carted around in vehicles unrestrained ( even though they had lap belts )....granted my mom would have loved the idea of crating me while I was in the car ..and for that matter at home as well.

The notion " But the fact that so many of us have less love for our dogs so they are (I guess?) more disposable and it's ok if they are hurt/killed?" is so ridiculous......I mean seriously...if one crates/restrains their dog in a car is the ultimate definition of loving a dog ?.. I can think of numerous other concerns a dog requires in order to maintain it's healthiness, happiness and longevity vs how it travels in a vehicle. I'd be willing to bet you, many dog owners use a crate to keep the dog contained in the car in a specific area not because of the safety it provides the dog.

I take my dog boating all the time in the summer, there are boating accidents should I consider crating and/or a restraint system for this as well ?

We all do as we choose and will live and die by our choices....but to equate the notion that a lack of "love" has something to do with it, is pure folly.

Got to go put my dog's bathing helmet on her as I am going to bathe her and we all know the bathtub is the most dangerous place in one's home.

SuperG


----------



## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

> We all do as we choose and will live and die by our choices...


EXACTLY!!!! and I think it shows a level of love and responsibility to do what is best for our dogs (not easiest for us, or because our dogs may 'like being loose'). 

My first dog was loose in the car and sat in the front seat, YES I loved her !!!! But I didn't realize at the time the unsafe position I was putting her in because I enjoyed having her beside me in the front. 

As soon as I DID learn better, I decided I would do better for my dog because I did love her. Enough to do the right thing for her.

My pup, my choice to be smart, use what I now knew, and show I can learn to be a responsible pet owner doing the best I can for my pets.


----------



## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

arctic said:


> I am in the process of buying a used Lexis 450h (2010) SUV.
> 
> I've been transporting my dog (from puppy until 11 months) in the back seat of my Toyota Camry.
> 
> ...


If its the same year as the pics I looked at, it has a split rear seat and console that folds down, so depending on how many people you have in the car, that could open up some room to slide a larger crate in. I won one of these, its a large. Its too tight for my larger male, but its pretty comfortable for my 70lb, smaller male. 

Trixie Scratch-Resistant Metallic Crate (X-Large) - Overstock&#0153; Shopping - The Best Prices on Trixie Pet Products Crates

There's also wire crates with a side door that may fit.


----------



## Palydyn (Aug 28, 2014)

I have a large SUV so my doxies ride in the second row- harnessed so they can see out the window. My previous shepherds rode in the back with 3rd row seats down and harnessed. However, new puppy is all over the place including trying to get in the drivers seat. Somehow he thinks the down stay command isn't applicable in the SUV. So I bought a large canvas and mesh travel crate to transport him to puppy training class. Its light and goes up and down in seconds - something my wire crates don't do. It works for the less than 10 minute travel to class on surface streets.


----------



## KathrynApril (Oct 3, 2013)

SuperG said:


> When I accelerate, brake, make tighter turns...I say " hang on" and the dog leans all the back against the seat....she figured it out....
> 
> 
> SuperG


OMG I do that with my boy too! 

When I first got him I had him in the front seat, but he didn't really like that at all. So I got him a crate for the back of my suv. I have a Ford Escape Hybrid. Even though the crate indicates for Shepherds I think it's a little too cramped for him. He can lay down/stand in it but slouched over. So I let him start riding in the back with the seats down. 

For safety reasons though I have finally switched to back seats up with a hammock & a seat belt harness for him.

I took this photo of him today in it:


----------



## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Anybody remember the really GOOD crates in the early 80s? Wire crates made by kennel air that WOULD hold up?


----------



## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

I just got a new harness for Rocket ( had an older one from last dog, don't remember brand). It's an All Safe. It's the bomb. The tether stays in the car and I can use the harness when we're climbing. 



> http://i1232.photobucket.com/albums...1394019_3324455135641970802_n_zps0rss03bi.jpg



Hmmm. I'm not sure if that picture is showing. It's different on my phone. I'll check tomorrow and repost if not.


----------



## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

Here is the back view:


----------



## joneser (Jun 9, 2014)

I was in 2 accidents last year, one was a partial rollover and the other was a head-on, thankfully neither happened with the dogs in the car. 
Lots of stories where accidents happen and the dogs are freaked and run away though. 
The airbags deployed in the 2nd accident and I got burned pretty badly. So Jericho rides in a crate in the back, mostly because I would never forgive myself if he got burned or ran away. 
Don't look at the first pic if you're squeamish...
the 2nd pic is obviously the rollover, after sliding into a snowdrift.
3rd pic is my 4runner and the 2nd car I hit, after traveling through an intersection with the right of way, and the camry in the 4th pic that turned into me.


----------



## FG167 (Sep 22, 2010)

Crates


----------



## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

middleofnowhere said:


> If your vehicle is modern enough to have air bags the front seat is NOT safe for your dog. Crates don't hold up in a wreck either but they are better than being exposed to an airbag.


I have a 2004 minivan and it knows when a dog is on the front seat and disables the airbag. The airbag is only enabled when the weight on the seat is the amount that corresponds with it being safe. That said, my dogs ride in crates, but I had a dog sitting on the front seat at flyball practice (while waiting her turn) and noticed this. The airbag also disables when I put stuff on the seat like my computer bag, a bag of dog food, etc.


----------



## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

Some of my thought process is that if the wreck is bad enough that my crates are compromised, unfortunately the dogs are probably the last thing I need to be worried about. If a vehicle hits my car hard enough to get the crates, there are probably 10 airbags going off in my car, and my neck is the most important thing I would be thinking about.

For me the crates are a restraint/containment system. Not much to do with safety. Do I think that they're safer than just a loose dog? Sure. But I don't think a harness/crate/whatever is going to make much of a difference in a big enough accident.


----------



## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I basically agree, and my thing is that safety is not just about whether a dog is contained during a serious rollover type wreck. It's not that I should pretend it can't happen, but it would be a very rare occurrence. I'm much more focused on their safety while they are restrained when we are at training, events, trials, and tournaments. Crates win every time. It's the only way we can have 6 dogs in the van (some that don't get along) and keep them secure with enough space of their own (everyone has bedding and waiter pails) and keep them shaded and ventilated while we can lock their crates and/or use a Ventlock in the back and we know they are not destroying the interior of the van because they can't. When I did Schutzhund, there was once someone that came to training and kept her dog loose in her car and since she didn't want him to escape, her windows were only cracked like 2". It wasn't even a hot day but we asked her not to come back if she couldn't safely restrain her dog.


----------

