car travel - harness advice please!

Hi all, My OH is looking at getting a new car with work and we are just looking into the dog travel aspect of things!

At the moment we have a vw golf and the dogs have the back of the car, seats down. I would like to make things safer and have been looking at harnesses. I'm a bit confused though, so hoping someone can help!

What does the harness attach to in the car? what are the best sort of harnesses to get and where are the best bargains?

I have been looking at one of those seat protector hammock shaped sheets for the back seat, has anyone got one of these and how do the harnesses fit around it?

The dogs dont travel often, maybe one short car journey every couple of weeks. I'm wondering what is safest, the harnesses on the back seat idea or estate car and dog guard?

Thanks for your time and hope you dont think we are too daft, this is a whole new world for us!

I prefer the dog guard. I have tried harnesses but my dogs didn't like sitting still and used to get thier legs hooked through it so you had to stop and untangle them before they hurt themselves.
The ones I tried had a little loop off the harnes that went round the seat belt. I can't remember the make off hand but it was well known so I am sure someone will say it on here soon.

Hi - i've used a car harness once and gave it away. My dog got tangled up and twisted his paw so badly - i was worried he'd break it if he moved more than what he was. I'd either go for a dog guard - or if you have the space a crate. they are much safer in case of accidents.

Good luck in your choice.

I always use a harness.
I have a friend who is a fireman and he says in accidents harnesses are the safest thing - you can cut a dog loose easily - if a crate gets mangled round your dog it is much more difficult to get them out. Sorry to be so graphic.
His recommendation is the ruff rider.

MissE
I appreciate what you're saying but one of my dogs tangles himself up in the harness and seat belt to the extent that I'm often scared to brake in case I break his legs or something. On the other hand, my other dog settles down quietly and has a kip without getting tied up.

Grommit
If you can tell what your dogs are likely to behave like you might be able to get an idea whether a harness would be a good idea. Mine is the Hi-craft harness btw.

Sorry, I didn't notice the last paragraph. If you're not going to carry dogs often or far, I'd go for the dog guard and stick the dogs in the back of the estate option. Can get interesting if you have to get to the spare wheel though. This happened to me many years ago on the M11 when I had a 6 mth Afghan & 9 mth Irish Setter in the car

WE generally have the dogs in the back of the car (estate) with a dog guard and a door thing right on the back bit. When we go away the boot is full so Cosmo gets to have a harness on and sit with me and my son on the back seat. He hates the harness but seems to enjoy lying on me....

We have an RAC car harness, it's fine.

Hi all thanks for the advice. I'll leave it down to my OH whether we get the estate or not. Phil tends to stand up when he is in the boot and i worry about him falling and hurting himself so i wondered if he had a harness whether that would make him lie down. Ideally we need to see whether they would both actually fit on the back seats though! Cant see them letting us try at the showroom can you! brand new car and our 2 daft hounds!

If your dog likes to stand I don't think a harness attached to the seat belt will make him sit

I use both. A dog guard in my partner's car, and a harness in mine. Loki sits very still in the car and prefers the back seat so that's the best option. I bought his from Wilkinsons for about £10.

A harness isn't suitable for a wiggly or car anxious dog though, as they can get tangled.

So, depends on your dogs.

Sorry to drag up an old thread but I've found something which might be of help to anybody who has no option but to have their dogs on the back seat (or just prefers to use a harness).
As I said in a previous post, my younger dog uses a car harness but tends to tie himself up in the seat belt. I was browsing in Downtown @ Grantham a couple of weeks ago an found something which clips to his harness at one end and clips into the seat belt buckle at the other. He still doesn't like lying down in the car but he doesn't tangle himself up anymore.

http://www.doggiesolutions.co.uk/dog...ty-1966-0.html

Product described as "Dog safety belt" on this link.