Advise on how to keep dogs safe whilst travelling (1 Viewer)

michpiggy

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Hi all

We have 2 dogs and when we travel around at the moment they are secured in the boot of the car so no harm can come to them.

With a motor home how do you secure there crates, so they don't slide about?
Or do people use these doggy seat belts?
The older dog just sits when travelling where as the pup is up to all sorts so I think will chew the seat belt, so I think crate will be the best thing.

Sorry for the long winded post

I know they have to be secure I will never travel with them loose just need to know what most people do
We have a collie x retriever (10). And a staffie (18 months)
So they are not little tiny hand bag dogs and have largish crates
I know where they will want to travel which would be on the bed lol but that will not be happening.

I cannot pick the layout of our new motor home until I can work out where the dog will go.


Thanks in advance
Michelle
 

Don Quixote

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Not long enough, but a little common sense helps..........
Taken from this post:
http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/travelling-with-pets.87483/page-3
What it boils down to is this: If it was a child that you love with all your heart you would make sure that it was secured enough so that it would not get hurt...... The same thing applies to the pet that you love with all your heart - why oh why would you not secure it during the journey - you would not allow a child to run around the MH whilst on the move.
We do not have a dog, but do take two cats ( Update: only one cat now ) with us everywhere we go and they are caged up during travel secure and save.

You would never forgive yourself, if the worst thing in the world happened and you were involved in an accident and your best mate in life was injured costing it a leg or major surgery or worst case killed...... sad but true............
 

madgeD

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Me I would put the little one in a small crate (assuming its a small dog) ! and let the calmer one sleep in its bed, I find my two sleep all the time were moving, their bed is lodged behind the drivers seat so I can keep my eye on them.
 

Abacist

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Why not put the pup in its cage in the shower on a shower mat which will stop that one sliding around.

Bigger dogs should be in a dog harness and I have friends who have had seat belt tails fitted and straps made up to go from the harness to the plug in belt tail just like you and I use.

In an emergency stop you don't want them flying and hitting you in the back of the neck or head or the windscreen!

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Abacist

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A scrap yard could be a useful source for seat belt tails and seat belt webbing and the plug in for the seat belt tail.

A commercial sewing machinist should be able to sew the webbing sufficiently to provide an adequate solution.

Perhaps a cobbler or leather worker or canvas worker.
 
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michpiggy

michpiggy

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Why not put the pup in its cage in the shower on a shower mat which will stop that one sliding around.

Do all motor homes have a good size shower?

Maybe that should also be up on the top of the list

List so far is fixed bed
Seat belts for all passengers incl dogs
And large enough shower for crate


Thanks guys
Tour help is appreciated
 
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Pre motorhome times (about 2005) we were travelling in Spain with two dogs in a Mercedes Vito. There were three seats in the front effectively making a four foot high barrier between us and the two dogs who were in their beds behind these seats.
We were stopped by the Guardia and were on the verge of being given a ticket until some last minute grovelling saved the day.
They insisted that there should be a full secure barrier between us and the dogs.

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michpiggy

michpiggy

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You can get dog belts that use people's seat belts you click them on to the dogs harness or collar and put them into the buckle
 

Allan & Loren

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I've 2 cairn terriers. Tilly lies down in her bed behind the passenger seat and sleeps the whole journey. She gets in as soon as the engine starts. Harvey likes to look out the window so is dog seat belted on the couch at the side window. Last weekend I drove alone so Harvey was belted into he passenger seat.
 

TheBig1

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many many years! since I was a kid
mine all travel in harness and seat belt combinations with purpose made clip in leads. When travelling puppies we secure the crate(s) using the same clip in leads
certain countries in the eu, it is an offence to drive a vehicle with un restrained animals

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JackieP

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You can get dog belts that use people's seat belts you click them on to the dogs harness or collar and put them into the buckle

This is what I do and it works really well.

I'm rather ashamed to say that our two dogs used to lie on the floor on their beds without harnesses. The cat was in her basket wedged in a seat but we always let the dogs lie on the floor and for ten years we had no problems but, reading stuff on here and talking to someone whose dog went through the windscreen got me to see I needed to take action.

I've now bought one of these…



My dog now sits on the passenger seat where he can look out or lie down and I know he's not going to go anywhere. Although this wouldn't work for you, if you have rear seat belts then you could use them and if you don't want the dogs on the seats then you can buy an extender so they can lie on the floor while still being restrained.

Good on you for thinking of this ahead of time.
 

Southdowners

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A scrap yard could be a useful source for seat belt tails and seat belt webbing and the plug in for the seat belt tail.

A commercial sewing machinist should be able to sew the webbing sufficiently to provide an adequate solution.

Perhaps a cobbler or leather worker or canvas worker.

You can buy them ready made for a couple of quid.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&...vptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_5tuszyoz8m_b

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Finvarra

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Our van has a fixed french bed. We put Milo the cocker spaniel in a harness, which we fixed the the metal frame of the bed with a secure strap. He had His soft bed on the floor, so he could sleep in the bed, he could move around easily, and his road traveller water bowl. He would sleep most of the time, and was quite safe and secure. A couple of times we had to slam on the anchors because of mad drivers, and the consequences of a loose dog don't bear thinking about.

Cheers
Lesley
 
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7735

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We put our Border Terrier on a skate board behind, he's even learnt to lean into the corners.
Seriously though ours lays on the floor asleep and does,nt move. If he did we would get a cage but I don't think he would like it.

spongy
 

hilldweller

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>> Advise on how to keep dogs safe whist travelling

Superglue them to the van ceiling. As you will have observed, nothing falls upwards so they will be totally safe.

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old1

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This was also a big concern for us,
We use a large quality dog crate secured to the anchor points in garage, had a window installed in garage door & leave the under bed doors open when travelling.

Job done .
 
D

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I don't belive crates are safe when travelling. There's nothing to stop the dog bouncing around the crate.

Ours travel in harnesses with seatbelt loops. They travel on the floor with one looped to the passenger seatbelt and one to the table post so they have just enough movement to lie down comfortably and change position if they want to.

You don't need to have anything specially made. The loops came with the harnesses.
 

old1

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Each to their own,

Ours is a Cruffs travel dog crate, I think they know what they are doing & we (touch wood) have never had a problem in 30 years of traveling with dogs.

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Apr 27, 2008
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We have rear seat belts, and there are just the two of us and two dogs. Their harnesses plug into the seat belts and give enough slack so they can move between the sofa, to look out of the window, or their beds on the floor alongside.
 

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