# Dog in the boot or back seat of the car?



## IzzyTwig (Jan 18, 2008)

I'm currently looking at cars and obviously I'm considering Fen's welfare in the car as a priority.
I've always had dogs in the boot of a car, however I've come across numerous people who've said it's far safer to keep the dog on the back seat with a seatbelt harness.

So what do you do with your dog?


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## RockoAndDexter (Jan 3, 2014)

My boot isn't big enough for my two (Toyota aygos are hardly big enough for weekly shopping never mind two Staffies!) So they're on the back seat. I drive like a snail when they're on board, dread to think what I'd be like with a child in the car!


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## Guest (Jan 13, 2014)

I think back seat with a high quality, tested harness (I use Bergan) or in the boot with those guard things both behind the seats and where the boot opens is fine. Personally, however, I'd always have Kenzie on the back seat in a harness as she's so small she would get thrown around like a doll in the boot in event of a crash, whereas larger dogs wouldn't move so much. If I HAD to have her in the boot, I'd have one of those special car safety crates.


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## Fluffster (Aug 26, 2013)

Back seat in a car harness. My car doesn't have an appropriate boot, so this works well and is easily transferable between my car and OH's


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## MollySmith (May 7, 2012)

Molly is in a soft crate on the back seat. I've yet to find a decent crate for our Qashqai boot yet.


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## Frollie (Aug 10, 2013)

Back seat with a Bergan harness.


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## Polimba (Nov 23, 2009)

On the back seat with a good quality car harness.

It bothers me to transport him in the boot area. I always understood that area on a hatchback is part of the crumple zone, so if you got hit from behind that area would crumple?


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## Dogless (Feb 26, 2010)

Mine are in the back of an estate car with dog guard and tailgate guard. I would never have them in the boot of a hatchback; I'd use seatbelt harnesses on the back seats.


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## lozzibear (Feb 5, 2010)

Mine go in the boot of an estate.


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## Meezey (Jan 29, 2013)

Okay just to be odd ( wouldn't be like me) we have an estate and one back seat down so his crate is attached via seat belt and cords on that back seat, so bit boot bit seat and crated!!


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## toffee44 (Oct 21, 2011)

Estate car and dog guard. 

Currently debating on tail gate but £££ are stretched lol


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## WeedySeaDragon (Oct 7, 2012)

Ours go in a crate in the boot of our estate car.


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## 2Hounds (Jun 24, 2009)

We've a Barjo crate that takes up boot & back seat area in our alternative berlingo, which has the option for extra seats in boot so would hope its not a crumple zone. Its heavy duty cage and not same as our indoor crates.

Think you do need to invest in good car harness that's hopefully been tested if going that route. Its quite shocking watching theses crash tests when 30mph is fairly low speed crash The Science of Pet Safety, Center for Pet Safety, Pet Safety Testing, Pet Product Testing, Crash Testing, Scientific Testing, Criteria, Pet Safety Advocate.


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## Donut76 (May 15, 2013)

RockoAndDexter said:


> My boot isn't big enough for my two (Toyota aygos are hardly big enough for weekly shopping never mind two Staffies!) So they're on the back seat. I drive like a snail when they're on board, dread to think what I'd be like with a child in the car!


I have an Aygo too  Angel is a bit bigger than we thought she would get so we don't do long journeys with her if hubby is coming coz when hubby is in car she sits in his foot well (she curls up asleep she isn't a jumper dog) otherwise she is on front seat or back depending on who is in car with a harness on


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## Guest (Jan 13, 2014)

Love hearing about all these safely restrained dogs 

I came across two horror stories recently that had nothing to do with crashes - one rescue dog jumped out of an open window _during the trip to his new home_ and into the path of a truck, while another dog (on Bondi Vet) jumped out of an open window because it saw a cat while driving down the road.


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## Frollie (Aug 10, 2013)

People who let their dogs stick their heads out of windows make me so angry. I've seen quite a few people doing it on the motorway. Idiots.


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## Picklelily (Jan 2, 2013)

I think it depends on the hatchback as to whether its safe to have the dog in there, I have a small dog so the car would have to crumple a good few feet before it got close to the crate. 

I have an in car seatbelt harness too but she is happiest in the crate.

I do worry about dogs in the front seat unless you can disable the airbag, I wonder how a dog would cope with the airbag hitting them full on.

Anyone see dancing on ice and Sam with his dog on his knee in the front seat?


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Some years ago, our friends German Shepherd jumped out of their car window, thankfully there was no traffic coming. He was a bit dazed so they managed to get hold of him. I hate open windows and seeing dogs heads sticking out, its dangerous and not good for the dogs eyes. Don't like dogs in boots either as worried about something going into the back of the car. Our dog has always been on the back seat in a harness attached to the seatbelt.


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## kateh8888 (Aug 9, 2011)

Ours go in a crate in the car.


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## westie~ma (Mar 16, 2009)

Mont goes in a crate in the boot area of my car, I anchor his crate with squidgy ropes to stop him sliding around on my boot liner. My car is ncap 5*.


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## Polimba (Nov 23, 2009)

westie~ma said:


> Mont goes in a crate in the boot area of my car, I anchor his crate with squidgy ropes to stop him sliding around on my boot liner. My car is ncap 5*.


I'm not trying to worry you and there are pros and cons of all ways of carrying your dog in the car. But the safety rating is for the safety of drivers, passengers and pedestrians. Crumple zones are a safety feature, they absorb the energy on the event of a crash so the passengers don't and they are usually located on the front and rear of the car.


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## shirleystarr (Mar 22, 2009)

Mine go on the back seat with safety harness's


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

Picklelily said:


> I think it depends on the hatchback as to whether its safe to have the dog in there, I have a small dog so the car would have to crumple a good few feet before it got close to the crate.
> 
> I have an in car seatbelt harness too but she is happiest in the crate.
> 
> ...


Ziggy used to travel on the front seat in a harness when I had the Berlingo - it had a driver's airbag but not one on the passenger side. Now I have a Tourneo Connect with an airbag on the passenger side (Transit Connect van but with windows, originally a 8 seat minibus) and I've taken out the back seats. Ziggy's crate is behind the passenger seat, Kite's behind that. Behind the drivers seat I keep my gardening tools, or a bicycle slots in.


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## Guest (Jan 14, 2014)

Neither? 

We have a minivan and we drop the last row of seats and the dogs lay on the floor back there. Cant do a crate. I could for Bates, but then I couldnt fit Breez in the car too. Dane-sized crates dont even fit in a minivan.

If its a short trip and I have the back seats up they sometimes ride in those seats back there. Theyre both really good about getting in the car, laying down for the trip, staying put when doors open and waiting to be released to get out. As many car rides as they do with kids in and out they should be!


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## Holtie (May 30, 2012)

shirleystarr said:


> Mine go on the back seat with safety harness's


Awwww!! That is so-o-o-o sweet! :001_wub: The picture that is!


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## Fleur (Jul 19, 2008)

With 3 dogs and often a car full of adults mine all ride in the boot with dog guard to stop them jumping through onto the back seats.


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## Milliepoochie (Feb 13, 2011)

Began car harness on the back seat. 

My car is rated NCAP 4 but this is for adults in seats not the boot space.

Whilst we have no children I'll always choose to have Millie on the back seat. I realised I may have to rethink this in the future if we regularly use the back seats.

Car safety is so so important - I know I cannot fit a crash tested crate in our car boot (and Dont want to as I want to use the boot) so to me this is the next best option.


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