Why are you using the thread to have a dig at those you have had a disagreement with at some time or another.


Your story has changed a few times on this , you allow Jake to stick his head out the window, because you see no danger, then he is behid a dog guard and can only just get his nose out, now your mum calls the shots.

Lozzi, no one is forcing their opinion onto you , what they are doing is pointing out the danger of the exercise , but in typical form you are taking it as criticism , and being picked on.

I said earlier on in this thread, I don't really care if people take risks with their dogs. As long as no innocent bystander gets hurt.

Your dog your choice.

Rips...bit of a low jibe to bring azz into it to back you up!!

I think that's what it comes down to at the end of the day.

In a very serious accident both dog and owner might be killed. RTAs are fairly common, some of them very minor, some of them not so. In an accident, be it my fault, the other driver's fault or a freak accident (giant tree gets struck by lightning and crashes down just in front of me and I crash into it sort of thing) if Max was not safely restrained and went through the windscreen (assuming that he somehow missed hitting me and didn't kill me) I would hate to think that my reluctance, for whatever reason, to secure him had meant the difference between him being hurt and him being killed.

As I said, many pages ago now!, he is secured between a dog guard and a tailgate guard. I can't guarantee that will protect him in every circumstance but at least I know I've done my best.

Dog guards are expensive if you have to have bespoke ones made, I fully appreciate that - we've had four lots made now and we are hardly made of money. They can be picked up second hand, sometimes e-bay or sometimes Barjo sell theirs on second hand. If you sell your car you can sell the guards separately. The estate guards that Dave bought new he sold for more second hand when he sold the car! I'm clearing out the shed in the next few days so should be selling my old 4x4 guard and tailgate guard and cage for small people carrier so, if anyone wants to pick up a bargin, keep an eye on the For Sale section!

In addition to the safety aspect, I can change my walking boots after a walk just by shutting the guard gate rather than closing Max in a hot car. Dogs who jump out of cars at the park and take off can be more easily caught to get them out slowly. There are so many benefits to them....

I'm also surprised at the people who have said they've never had an accident so they are not likely to have one in the short distances they drive with their dog in the car. Just because you have not had an accident doesn't mean that you never will.

It concerns me when people who let their dogs hang their head out of the window think that they will be able to get them in again if something happened. I've had someone smash my mirror off. I was driving along through a village, no cars on my side of the road, five or so cars parked on the other. I was about half way along the line of parked cars when a workman pulled out of a side road, pulled past the parked cars on his side of the road onto my side of the road - despite being room to fit a smart car or similar and he was in a big transit van. He took my wing mirror off before driving off. Obviously I did turn around and chase him down he happily gave his details, saying there won't be any problems - 'it happens all the time'!!! Well maybe it does to them but not to me. It was a company van and company insurance so he wan't really bothered. Fortunatly I didn't have a dog hanging out of the window at the time, there wouldn't have been time to shout at him to get back in. There was barely time for me to think WTF before he hit me............

So glad you think I'm right!

Agree. Really odd comment to make.



Excellent post.

Dogs left in a hot car will die = FACT

Dogs, unrestrained in a car and in a RTA will die (or be seriously injured) = FACT

Why avoid the first risk, yet gladly take the secon

Childish, really childish.



I can't believe that this is all still going on after having been away for a week, but I guess it is a very strong and interesting topic.

Aimed at no one in particular - Generally I listen to people who know better, that's how you learn in life. Of course I make my own mind up about things but when I am told that the consequences of not restraining your dog in a car that is involved in an RTA, by a traffic policeman are too bad to even mention, I listen and I restrain my dog. To hear this advice and choose to ignore it, based on the view that you don't consider it a serious enough risk is unbelievable.

There have been articles and comments and even first hand accounts of how bad
it is to not restrain your dog/s in the car and the only argument to do it has been along the lines of ''why should I do what you tell me to do?'' and ''I don't consider it a serious enough risk''. Lame reasons.

It costs about £50 to get a fairly decent dog guard or harness. Compare this to loosing your dog or seriously injuring it, yourself or another human being it becomes priceless.

They are not "lame" reasons at all. It's personal preference and each individuals right to make their own mind up.

If you went through life basing every decision on fact you'd have a pretty boring life. Fact says lots of people die in car accidents so will you stop driving a car? Fact says people die from smoking so do we all stop smoking?

The fact of the matter is throughout this thread people have forced their views on others and SOME people who think they know better expect everyone to do as they say.

Granted your facts and figures may be correct but at the end of the day everyone has a choice and if people choose to do something you don't agree with then you should respect that instead of insisting that your way is thd only way.

I guess we all have to decide which risks are worth it
and that is up to the individual

Ben never hurt himself sticking his head out the window
But he slashed his paw open running and playing

Mia was never hurt riding on the parcel shelf
but she ended up in surgery after a dog attacked her on a walk

Now both my dogs are crated in my new car cos there is room before I get jumped on!
But for my dogs it seemed the risks were more real going for walks - but I am not going to stop them walking
If someone thinks the risk/joy ratio of sticking head out of window is worth it then its up to them

But the damage your dog can do, to itself or others is much more severe than on a walk with a cut paw.

They are not "lame" reasons at all. It's personal preference and each individuals right to make their own mind up.

If you went through life basing every decision on fact you'd have a pretty boring life. Fact says lots of people die in car accidents so will you stop driving a car? Fact says people die from smoking so do we all stop smoking?

The fact of the matter is throughout this thread people have forced their views on others and SOME people who think they know better expect everyone to do as they say.

Granted your facts and figures may be correct but at the end of the day everyone has a choice and if people choose to do something you don't agree with then you should respect that instead of insisting that your way is thd only way.