Many of us like to travel with our dogs, even if it's just a fifteen minute drive to the mall, but even a fender bender to become a serious accident when there's a twenty-pound projectile hurling around the interior of the vehicle. Not to mention the accident potential increases greatly if your best friend hasn't learned that he can't hang out in your lap while you're driving.
Seat Belts and Pet Restraint Systems
- Ruff Rider Roadie Canine Vehicle Restraint is a basic harness and seatbelt combination, that uses the existing seatbelt system in all vehicles.
- Seatbelts for Dogs has another harness and tether system, that can be used in conjunction with the vehicles existing seatbelts, or the cargo clips on the floor that are now standard in most newer vehicles.
- QuickStay Pet Seatbelt - from Snapbacks. Quickstay claims to be able to prevent your dog "from becoming a projectile in an accident" even while the tether is strapped to a regular buckle collar, but I wouldn't bet very much on the dog's chances of survival without serious neck injury. I have one, and only use it as a seatbelt system along with a regular, properly fitted body harness.
- The Pet Car Seat Lookout and the Car Seat Stowaway look really neat, but I'm not too sure about how well they'd hold back your dog in an accident.
- Dog Boxes - Made to appeal to hunters, the dog boxes are built to be secured in the back of a pick-up truck.
- All-Purpose Kennels - Plastic crates (airline standard crates), or wire kennels secured in the back of your vehicle will work. Most newer vehicles have integrated rings in the floor of the cargo area for locking large objects in place with tether straps or clips.
- Precision Pet Barrier - This barrier also comes with an extension kit for larger openings.
- The Pet Barrier, a mesh barrier, but I'm not sure that it would work all that well in a crash. It looks to be more for the purpose of holding your pet in his proper place and away from the driver and other passengers.