# Cars and Crates/No Crates?



## Persinette (Jan 31, 2015)

I apologize if there is a thread about this, when I did the advanced search for it nothing came up for me.

What do those of you with smaller vehicles do for transportation with your fully grown GSDs? I have a VW Jetta and while the trunk is lovely huge, I don't have a cab area and the back seat and front seat are not large areas. Seeing as how you obviously wouldn't put a dog in the trunk, what is your solution?

Do crates actually fit in regular sized cars vs SUVs/minivans, etc. and I'm just misjudging the space? Or do you travel with your dog crateless? I think traveling with a dog not trained for the car would be very dangerous (them moving around and all) but what if you trained them to stay laying down in the back seat? Do you seat belt your dog once he's trained to stay still or just let him be?

I know the argument is crates can protect a dog in an accident and if they are staying in the car while you are gone for a bit (in cooler weather of course), and I agree, but couldn't they be just as dangerous in an accident if the crate is crushed and the metal/plastic impales the dog? Not sure I'd be comforwtable leaving my dog in the car alone and crateless though. I'd be too afraid he'd mess with the gear shift or bottons or something. Leasing him I'd be afraid he'd find a way to stangle himself I the car.

So what do you do?


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

Both of my dogs are harnessed, I couldn't fit a open crate into my Focus if I tried. Neither chew or are destructive, Jazzy has a bed on the seat she lies on and Delgado has a seat cover and blanket in the backseat.

My next vehicle most likely will be a SUV and then I'll decide whether or not I will purchase a crate 

Personally I don't believe in having dogs loose in the car, if you can't fit a crate I'd recommend a good seatbelt like the Sleepypod Clickit which is crash tested


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## Persinette (Jan 31, 2015)

Shade said:


> Both of my dogs are harnessed, I couldn't fit a open crate into my Focus if I tried. Neither chew or are destructive, Jazzy has a bed on the seat she lies on and Delgado has a seat cover and blanket in the backseat.
> 
> My next vehicle most likely will be a SUV and then I'll decide whether or not I will purchase a crate
> 
> Personally I don't believe in having dogs loose in the car, if you can't fit a crate I'd recommend a good seatbelt like the Sleepypod Clickit which is crash tested


A harness! That's brilliant and so obvious! How did I miss this? I will look up harnesses and dog specialty seat belts.


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## pyratemom (Jan 10, 2011)

Before I had my PT which a large crate fits in nicely, I had a Saturn station wagon. It was not tall enough inside to fit a crate. Pyrate learned to lie in the back seat and not get up when he was little. When he got bigger I put the seat down so he had the whole back, but it still was not a large area. His ears touched the ceiling of the car when he sat up. He wasn't fastened in by a harness or anything and it wasn't the safest by any means but it was the only way to get him to training. He was always good in the car and never moved around or tried to get in the front seat. I am glad I got the PT because I couldn't imagine trying to drive with Raina loose in the car. Even with a seat belt harness she would be restless. In the crate, she sleeps, no matter what. I don't leave her alone in the car at all as we are in Florida. I'm one of those crazy people that if I have to get another car I will take a measuring tape to see if a crate will fit before I buy.


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## DonnaKay (Jan 20, 2014)

I have a GMC Terrain. Bopping around town, Mystique rides shotgun in the front seat. She will tolerate the seat belt but I'm not always good about putting it on her. Longer rides she'll hop into the middle seat and nap. She's very good in the car.


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## FG167 (Sep 22, 2010)

Oops sorry, wrong post


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## KathrynApril (Oct 3, 2013)

My boy has a seatbelt harness:


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

I use a seatbelt harness. There was a study recently where they tested a bunch of car harnesses, and the only one that passed all their tests was the Sleepypod Clickit harness.

Here is the info on the study: 2013 Harness Study Results - Center for Pet SafetyCenter for Pet Safety


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## scarfish (Apr 9, 2013)

we don't roll with crates in the car. the car itself is a crate. in 20 years of driving i have never had as much as a fender bender.


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

Crates have a lot of advantages that go beyond safety. The way I think of it, if the accident is bad enough that one of my crates is broken, the dog is probably the last thing I need to be worried about.

The advantage of a crate is that when you get somewhere with your dog, you can open windows/hatches without worrying that the dog can jump out. So for those of us that do things with our dogs, it's much better to have them in crates than loose or just harnessed in. It does protect your car from drool and tons of hair everywhere, and it's nice to not worry about where your dog is and how they're blocking your view of the road while you're driving. 

There is also a popular misconception that the crate has to be super comfortable for the dog. It doesn't. It's just there to contain it. My male crams into a 36" crate in my BMW wagon, my bitch gets into a 30". Id never do that to them at home, or for super extended periods of time, but in the car, the tighter the better IMO. Much less room to be flying in the event of an accident.


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## Traveler's Mom (Sep 24, 2012)

I was the nut that went SUV shopping with the measuring tape More than one salesman just shook his head when I asked them to open the hatch before I even sat in the front seat. Hey! Doesn't fit the dog then it doesn't fit me.

I don't crate Traveler. He sits in the far back and is perfectly content. In my husband's SUV he lets him sit in the second row seats. On long trips with his SUV I have tried the seatbelt thing and it was fine as long as the dog didn't get up to shift positions. When he did, he constantly got a leg tangled up. Since I couldn't expect the dog to lay in one position for hours an hours, I just gave up.

Lynn & Traveler


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

My guys have always rolled crate free. Always in the back and free to stand or sit as please.

Well trained, well behaved in the house, well trained and car proofed in the car. If anything they considered the car a rolling crate! 

The car proofing...windows down or all doors open, once they go in the car, they don't step out until I explicitly instruct them to do so!

We used to have a Daewoo Wagon it was a great Dog Mobile! Not so great at un running , I used to say it was just like a Ferrari all the expense none of the prestige.

Car guy so, I manged to keep that thing on the road for a number of years (I loved it for some reason) Finally on the third transmission (after one replacement and a rebuild...wife said it's got to go! 

I am actually going somewhere here so hang on folks! We got a PT Cruiser, not a good dog mobile, stock but what I did is applicable to others with small cars!

The PT has a huge gap from the floor to the top of the seat! What I did was grab a bunch of over stuffed pillows and filled the footwell with them to get it level to the back seat. I then throw a comforter over the back seat and the pillows to make a relatively flat level seat. Pretty sure you can do that with most small cars?

Rocky tested...Rocky approved!


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

I used to have my dogs ride loose in my MINI Cooper, until I bought a minivan for them. They are only carted around in crates in the minivan. No exceptions.

When my MINI was totaled last August, as I was pulling into my driveway (not my fault), I was very thankful that I didn't have a dog in the car. They definitely would have been hurt. Yikes. And I've never had an accident before, and I'm almost 60. Never say never.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

dogfaeries said:


> When my MINI was totaled last August, as I was pulling into my driveway (not my fault), I was very thankful that I didn't have a dog in the car. They definitely would have been hurt. Yikes. And I've never had an accident before, and I'm almost 60. Never say never.


Glad you were not hurt and yes..."never say never!"


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## Ruby'sMom (May 25, 2014)

I have a Subaru cross trek. A large kennel doesn't fit, so I use ezydog convert harness with ezydog seatbelt restraint. The nice thing about ezydog harness is that you can add the packs to the sides Velcro, and have your dog carry their treats, water, and bowl when you go hiking. Or you can put the 'in training' patches on the side when you want to deter people from interrupting. Nice multi-use functions.


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## Glamisfoxgurl182 (Jun 14, 2012)

I dont crate or put my dogs in a harness. They LOVE car rides. I have a Mazda 6 and I put the backseat down for them and they have the backseat and trunk area to lay down or sit up. They are very well behaved in the car. just stick their noses out the window and hang out in the breeze. They would hate me and car rides if they had to be seat belted in!
In our trucks they just hang out in the backseat. sometimes the younger one will lay on the floor. 
In the motorhome, they either lay on the couch, in between me and the BF or under my feet. we did a 8+ hour drive to the grand canyon and they slept most of the time there! besides the potty stops of course!
If I put them in the front seat they will immediately go to the back. fine by me! I don't want them up front!

My future car will be a Ford Flex! Plenty of room for the 2 of us and the 2 dogs and all our... I mean dog stuff! hahaha


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Great info here --> http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/welcome-gsd-faqs-first-time-owner/176663-dog-safety-car.html

I also use belts/harnesses and keep the dogs in the back (middle?) seat. Safest place for human kids, safest place for my dogs.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

My dogs have to be crated. There is just no other way to transport 4-6 dogs at a time and keep them safe and comfortable while at training or at events. hI typically travel with a friend and we each have 3 dogs that we bring (or if I travel in my own van, I have 4 of my own dogs along). I would never trust that many dogs loose, and they would die quickly even on a mild summer day without doors open and windows down.

There is no guarantee with dogs in vehicles. Crates are not a perfect solution. Since dog seatbelts are completely out of the question for me, crates are FAR better than nothing. We also transport most of our team's equipment in the van and that stuff would be extremely dangerous if it slid into a loose dog, even in a minor accident. The crates also protect the dogs from becoming projectiles that would injur humans or fly through the windshield.

I used to have a mid-sized sedan and crated my dog on the back seat. I had a Precision Pet Suitcase crate that slid onto the seat flat and then popped open. There was no way to fit a GSD sized crate through the door while assembled. I did that after I had my dog riding in the back seat behind a barrier and some idiot cut me off on a fast road and that barrier prevented my dog from going through the windshield.


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## BARBIElovesSAILOR (Aug 11, 2014)

*Holy guacamole*

Omg I just had an epiphany!!! Thank you posters!!!

Being the neat freak OCD clean freak that I am... Putting Captain in my pristine white Lexus is always a headache for me. Every time we go for a car ride, I have to plan out when I am going to go wash my baby (the car, not the dog) lol and I have to detail it. I did the same when Sailor was alive. My dogs ride free In The back part of my SUV. A crate though!! I mean yes it would keep them safer than being loose... But omg! It would keep my car clear of dog slobber and dog hair!!! You mean I wouldn't have to detail my car every time the dog wanted to go for a ride!!! .? And I wouldn't have to plan ahead!? I could just throw captain in the crate and go! And still have a clean car! Omg *grabs car keys and goes to the nearest PETCO to buy a travel crate* thank you german shepherd dog forum! This is the best idea since sliced bread!!


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

I always have 3 crates set up in the minivan, so I can load up in minutes.


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## jaudlee (Mar 28, 2013)

I drive a 2014 hyundai elantra GT hatchback large crate fits with back seat folded flat. I love it and have not used the back seat once since I've bought the car haha I like the idea of a harness but with an energetic dog sometimes that could be an issue. The hammock type looks cool too!


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

If you have a hatchback of any sort, there is no reason a 36" crate won't fit in it. I used to have one in a MINI Cooper for my 85lbs male. Sure, it was a bit tight, but it worked great.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

There is also this for those worried about fur and such. There is also another type that fits over the front and back headrest to secure it, but I can't find it??

No first hand experience, just something I have seen. 



[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Cradle-Blanket-Hammock-Cushion-Protector/dp/B00BY01UYA[/ame]


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

I bought a new car that would fit a crate. I had a Mazda 3 which was a containment headache. 
I bought an SUV and a Variocage which is crash tested. 

Love them both!!


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## BARBIElovesSAILOR (Aug 11, 2014)

I AM one of those crazy dog people that goes car shopping with dog In mind. When I went car shopping, Sailor came with, and I asked if he could jump in the back of the suv's to make sure he would fit lol. We ended up with a Lexus suv hybrid. Sailor fit beautifully. Captain is taller than Sailor was, and when he is standing up, his back grazes the roof,but laying down there is plenty of room.


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## Persinette (Jan 31, 2015)

So many good ideas for dog travel! Looking up photos online I am highly skeptical I could get even a smaller crate where the dog would be squished into my car. It's just too tight. I like the harness idea, but I think I might like the grate/barrier idea even better. Similar to how police cars have the grate to keep the suspect separated. I know K-9 units are trained to travel un-restrained so that gives me some hope. I think the barrier would definitely help protect the dog going through the windshield if there was an accident and could allow the front doors to be open without the dog being loose. Definitely not as ideal as the ability to have a crate, but gotta work with what you got I guess! And as was mentioned, proofing the dog in the car with training and a wait command sounds like a necessary step. My next car will be some sort of all terrain SUV large enough for a crate and with roof racks, 4 wheel drive, back windshield wipers, all the things my lovely car (Nemo is my car's name haha) just doesn't have. I adore Nemo, it was a gift from my parents when I was in collge and my baby that I own outright. HOWEVER, it's not the best adventure vehicle. Gets good gas mileage though!


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## BARBIElovesSAILOR (Aug 11, 2014)

Plenty of room


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## BARBIElovesSAILOR (Aug 11, 2014)

...


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

BARBIElovesSAILOR said:


> Plenty of room


Black dog and White interior...I can only imagine!


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## BARBIElovesSAILOR (Aug 11, 2014)

Chip18 said:


> Black dog and White interior...I can only imagine!


Exactly!!! Haha. I know you feel my pain since you have a black one too lol. I think I will get a crate for captain to ride in to prevent excessive fur flying around.


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

Three dogs in crates, only way to go.


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

I love the no fur, no worry but it certainly would not fit in my Mazda3


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

I am not comfortable letting my dogs ride loose in the car. My previous dogs were very well trained and behaved great in the car but I ALWAYS used seatbelt harnesses with them for their safety as well as ours. In an accident not only can a loose dog be seriously injured but they can slam into the humans in the car with a LOT of force and injure you as well.

A barrier is better than nothing but a dog can still be injured in an accident by being thrown around the car, or could escape onto the streets if a window broke.

I am leery of using a crate although I know a lot of people do...and I have been thinking of getting one for my pup. However I'm nervous because I've heard of a lot of cases where a crate opened or broke apart in an accident. I am waiting for the Center for Pet Safety to hopefully do a crate study soon, they are apparently still looking for funding. 
The variocage is great but I would need something I can move in/out of the car. I've considered maybe getting a Rough Tuff Kennel.

My crazy 11 month old puppy took a little while to get used to it, but he now rides nicely (most of the time) with the seatbelt harness. Once he's done growing and'/or they come out with the larger size I will be getting a Sleepypod Clickit Sport harness.


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## BeachLvr (Jul 17, 2013)

scarfish said:


> we don't roll with crates in the car. the car itself is a crate. in 20 years of driving i have never had as much as a fender bender.


I will refrain from even addressing this. As the member of a fire company I will say that driving with an unrestrained dog is the epitome of foolishness. 
Would you drive with a toddler unrestrained?
Even with a crate the crate needs to be secured with straps and if you don't use a crate a harness and a seat-belt are necessary.


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## BeachLvr (Jul 17, 2013)

Persinette said:


> I think I might like the grate/barrier idea even better. Similar to how police cars have the grate to keep the suspect separated. I know K-9 units are trained to travel un-restrained so that gives me some hope.


Barriers are not really that secure and in case of accident it still allows for ejection unless that doesn't matter. Most are held in place with tension and not bolted down. Police usually have a different more secure barrier and many now use high quality remote control containment. 
Yes many police dogs are somewhat unrestrained but because of the job they take the risk.


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## Ruger Monster (Jan 29, 2015)

Ruger just hangs out on the back seat when we're driving around in the SUV, which is the only vehicle of ours that can fit a crate in it - and now we're taking it off the road for awhile  . If we're in the truck he likes to lay between us in the front where the center console would be, though we do have an extended cab so there's a backseat to ride in too. He wont be able to lay in the front much longer though if we're both in the truck! In the Mustang he rides shotgun if its just me, or in the back seat if we're both in the car. He usually just lays down and goes for the ride, with the occasional looking out the window for a bit.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

BeachLvr said:


> Barriers are not really that secure and in case of accident it still allows for ejection unless that doesn't matter. Most are held in place with tension and not bolted down. Police usually have a different more secure barrier and many now use high quality remote control containment.
> Yes many police dogs are somewhat unrestrained but because of the job they take the risk.


Yes, police are often using a an insert, not a barrier. 

https://www.google.com/search?q=pol...6qyASbiYDQAQ&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAg&biw=1326&bih=811

I also see a lot of K9 units that are SUVs so the dogs are in heavy duty crates/boxes, not riding around free.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

If we belt/contain human children for their safety, then it's the same reasons for my dogs. My pets sure aren't going to fare any better in a smash up then a person.

I use the belts but with 3 dogs had to get rid of the floor space so they can all fit. A simple wooden shelf fit the bill, covered with carpet or matting.




























For those people that would NEVER allow their children to not put their seatbelts on.... but think nothing of having their dogs free in the car..... I don't get how it's not the same thing.

Crates are fine too! Just some type of safe containment in the vehicle.


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## d4lilbitz (Dec 30, 2013)

I have a ford escape which I love. When I bought it, I did so thinking of how my dogs would fit into it. I have a crate for my shepherd. I can't fit another...which is a problem. I have two dogs I'm currently training. My lab has an area in the SUV, Isen's crate has the rest. Eventually, I plan to get another dog for IPO. My problem...no room for anyone else other than a front seat passenger, let alone another dog. I was debating on getting a larger SUV to allow for two crates to fit in my car....but I love my SUV. Solution....buy a dog trailer that allows for three dogs! So it's on order and should be ready end of March beginning of April! My plan is to eventually have three dogs on rotation...One seasoned, towards the end of the career, one in its prime, and a third beginning...three dog trailer just makes sense : ) 

Product Index

For short trips to the vet, I can put in a crate for the day in the back seat for the day : )


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

For those who let their dogs ride in the front seat, if you have a newer car I hope you turn off the passenger air bag! An air bag can be very dangerous for a dog just like it is for a child riding in the front.



MaggieRoseLee said:


> If we belt/contain human children for their safety, then it's the same reasons for my dogs. My pets sure aren't going to fare any better in a smash up then a person.
> 
> I use the belts but with 3 dogs had to get rid of the floor space so they can all fit. A simple wooden shelf fit the bill, covered with carpet or matting.


I've also seen a few options for this. I haven't tried it myself since I have a minivan with one of the middle seat removed, but I've seen inflatable insert that you can put in the car which covers up the floor space (some just one side, some the whole back) like this:






Another option is a sling/hammock type seat cover, which attaches to the back of the front seat and keeps the dog from sliding off the seat although I'm not sure if it provides as much space.
I have this one which can be used as a regular seat cover or hammock:


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Chicagocanine said:


> For those who let their dogs ride in the front seat, if you have a newer car I hope you turn off the passenger air bag! An air bag can be very dangerous for a dog just like it is for a child riding in the front.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Two great options thanks! My guys do ride loose but "never" in the front seat.


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## Darth_Ariel (Jun 20, 2013)

I did seatbelt Vader, but don't any more. We were going to go the crate route but my car is too small to fit one, and with the bucket seats there was just no way to get the crate into the back seat and stable. 
We tried the seatbelt route for a while, but he somehow managed to get all tangled up and that was more dangerous than riding without one. Between him getting himself tangled multiple times a car ride and crying out, and my having to keep looking back to make sure he didn't hurt himself the ride just became unsafe.


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