car rides with a dog

[MandyPug]

I should clarify that the kennel isn't because Izzie is bad in the car, it's more of a piece of mind for me to have her contained and not flying through the wind shield if we get in an accident. When we go on longer trips with my instructor, Izzie usually lays on the back seat except for Vancouver where all the dogs were crated because we had a grooming table and a bunch of luggage and what not.

[Torch]

Henry just curls up in the backseat. I have a tiny old Honda civic so it's really the only option at this point.

[MicksMom]

It depends on which vehicle we're in. My truck has an extended cab. Caleb's spot is the area behind the seat. He's in a Vari Kennel in the Escape. My old truck had a standard cab, and he was seat belted in that.

[SaraB]

Crated with the crates strapped securely in.

[crazedACD]

Crates don't fit in my car and from what I've seen harnesses do nothing in an accident, so they ride free. They are pretty content to crash on the backseat. If all three of mine are together they usually snooze on each other.

I've considered something like this but I don't know if there is enough head room for mine. I may look into it for the cats for the move.
http://www.petego.com/products.aspx?catId=24&prodId=121

[Southpaw]

We use a Roadie.

My dog behaves beautifully in the car but that's not going to stop her from flying into the windshield if I got in an accident..

[JessLough]

We rarely are in a car with her. When we have been, she rides in the back seat with somebody holding onto her.

She has been in a crate in a car, once. I think she was conflicted -- it was her favourite thing ever (car ride) but she was in hell (crate)

[Lyzelle]

Zander rides free. He's so big, he can't fit in a crate in the backseat and he pretty much has his own gravitational pull anyway. We've been in two car accident; a spin out and hit a deer. Both times he was sleeping in the back and didn't even flinch. He's only moving if we roll...and then we're all dead anyway.

Generally he's happy to lay down and sleep anyway, so it's not such a big deal. I use a hammock, though, so he doesn't fall between the seats.

[TahlzK]

My dogs are loose. Probably not the best thing though. I need to start strapping them in. Sunny stays in the back though and behaves, Leo normally likes being in the front and Serenity likes the back seat. Sometimes Leo will go sit in the back. I'm more concerned about the dogs fighting while I'm driving, that's why I wan to separate them.

[BostonBanker]

Mine both ride loose. Gusto gets crated occasionally in someone else's car and doesn't care, but Meg's long-standing stress issues in the car just increase in a crate.

After Elicia Calhoun's accident, I became very stressed about what to do with them in the car, because nothing felt safe. Barring spending $1800 on a crash tested crate (which will be useless if I get a new car), I haven't found an answer that makes me happy. So we maintain status quo.