Car safety - advice about hammock or "car seat" for 40 pound elder dog

[DaisyB]

Dear Friends,

Our dog loves to take a ride in the car (VW station wagon - or 1994 little red truck). She's 40 pounds and 11 years old. How does one keep them safe?
Some ideas are
1. Hammock for the back seat in station wagon
2. "car seat" for back seat in station wagon
3. "car seat" for back seat down and entire cargo area of station wagon
4. Just don't know about truck

Does anyone have any advice? The internet is full of option but it's hard to discern quality/effectiveness, etc.

Thanks much,
daisy

 

[Dr. Christina]

Great question, Daisy.
Hopefully our community will have great answers for you
Dr. C

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hi Daisy.

Does she have any challenges with getting in or riding in either vehicle?

If by hammock you also mean harness, then any of the methods would work, and be safe.

Tho some pets do better, and also are safe, in a crate.

The method you use will depend on her individuality.

 

[jenbridwell]

If you can easily fit a crate in the car, that is by far the safest option, but any well- fitting and non- restrictive harness attached to the seatbealt or headrest is better than nothing. Certainly the seatbealts made for dogs are a great option as long as they fit your dog. The main objective is to limit movement and minimize likelihood of being tossed around or out of the car in case of a sudden stop or accident. I'm not a fan of the raised "car seats" for dogs, as I feel the lower they are, the safer they are.

 

[AliceR]

Sleepypod Clickit harness is the only piece of equipment, other than the specially made crate that passed the safety crash test
https://sleepypod.com/dog-harnesses- they attach with a seat belt in the back seat of the vehicle. There is probably a link on their site about the test, other harnesses say they've been crash tested, but only Sleepypod passed.
Alice

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Thanks for sharing this important safety tool Alice.