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I may need to drive an unfamiliar dog the distance of approx. 20 miles in my car. I don't know much about dogs. It's a fairly big dog (60 lbs.) and don't have any carrier that's big enough.
Will I be able to put the dog into the back seat and tell it to stay put, possibly tie a leash somewhere, or is it best to invest $60+ into a portable carrier?
You should always tie the leash of an unfamiliar dog to either the handle thing (no idea what it's called!) that's near the roof or somewhere else to secure it. Or, just loop it through the seat belt to ensure the dog is contained in the car. The reason I mention this is because several of my friends that do transports have had dogs take off the second the car door was opened, some never to be seen again. You never know, he/she might be a runner!
mak just told you exactly what i was going to say...... but i will add this.... tie the leash with enough slack for the dog to lie down if he wants..... 20 miles will pass before ya' know it.......
see what we mean in this picture..... look over the dog's right shoulder......
Ditto the above, and add that the leash length should also be enough to allow the dog not to choke if you stop/brake abruptly and the dog goes flying to the floor or elsewhere. So long enough that if he falls he won't choke or break his neck, but short enough to stay off your lap and the driver's panel. (My dog was tied into the front seat, but she jumped over toward me and knocked the car from drive into neutral.)
If you can, a crate is the safest. Sometimes you can find them on Freecycle or get a good deal on a used on via Craigslist. Or maybe a local rescue group or friend would let you borrow one.
Tie leash is best way. I do many transports and never use a crate. I usually have help to leash dog before open doors to hold on and then I grab leash after I get out. Runners are big worry when do rescue as not really know dogs personality and if one is afraid to ride door opens they will bolt.
So if can get help on trip be best then tie with just enough room to lie down and not choke if fall of seat.
Halters are great in transport also as collars can be slipped out of and a halter gives more control.
yes.... i ABSOLUTELY second the idea of halters ...... i MUCH prefer transport passengers be harnessed..... i had 2 on saturday that were THISCLOSE to backing out of their collars at our first handoff ...... ....
if i am just transporting a dog or 2 for a particular rescue, i ask that they be placed in harnesses if at all possible ..... i am also building a small collection of harnesses in my transport box..... i have gone so far as to BUY a harness for a dog because i was worried about him getting loose later in his ride across the country..... $10-$12 at petsmart, that can be used as a tax deduction and peace of mind for the passenger......
unfortunately, SEMO sends so many dogs a couple of times a month, there is NO WAY that she can get them all in harnesses..... so just for the duration of the trip, their collars are VERY tight......
I would not have the leash waiting to be a hangmans noose if something goes wrong. Seat belt through a harness (regular or special travel type) is the way to go.
Yes. The picture above is a sure way to break a dog's neck should you get into an accident. The safest way to transport a dog is in a crate just large enough for him to turn around in. Next would be a harnes restraint system that attaches to the seat belt restraint. We transport all the time and will use both depending on the size of the dog. Larger dog's we prefer to crate. Moderator cut: no ads allowed
Last edited by SouthernBelleInUtah; 07-20-2010 at 03:45 PM..
I think 20 miles will go by quickly, and you should be fine tethering your passenger. Ideally a harness is best, but we do the best we can, and sometimes you just need to use a leash. We do transports pretty often, and we usually just tether or crate, depending on the size and number of dogs. A lot of times when doing transports the weight or size of the dog is estimated, and it's hard to know what kind of harness will fit. Additionally, buying that many harnesses would be pricey for the originating rescue.
Actually, a few weeks ago a big GSD sat on my lap for an hour....and I don't outweigh him by much. He was a big sweetie though. (DH was driving.) I can't stop thinking about that dog. I wish more than anything we could have kept him. So OP, you might fall in love with the dog you're driving
This past weekend I transported a GSD mix who absolutely could not stop kissing me. I had him tethered, and he was willing to choke himself to get close enough to give me kisses. I stopped and unhooked him, and he draped himself over my shoulder for the rest of the trip. When I stopped, I immediately hooked him back up for safety.
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