Hello everyone. I am getting a pup in March, she will be my second Golden. I'm wondering about getting her used to a car safety harness from puppyhood. My other dog used to go with me in the car a lot but just on the back seat, untethered in any way. I would never do that to a child and she will most definitely be another one of my "babies". Does anyone use car harnesses? Do the dogs mind them? Can they get comfortable? Do they work? I've been reading that they aren't really regulated, the manufacturers claim they are tested but that some don't really work. Would appreciate any info. you can give me. If you can recommend a brand that would be great too. Thanks!!!
I used one when Shala was first home, as I still had a sedan, and she seemed so tiny and light on the back seat. I can't remember the brand - I bought it at Pet Smart - it has a padded chest part. Shala had NO issues with it at all - in fact, I found with both of my dogs that it taught them right from the start that you have to lie down quietly in the car. I started with a size small and then got a medium, and then got an SUV and a crate. :wink2:
Do you happen to know the brand of the one you didn't like? I'm looking at the Kurgo harnesses, they look pretty good. Also, where did you get the clip to hook to your EZ walk?
Thanks
FYI, an insurance testing lab did crash tests on several dog car harnesses, and all of them failed, except for the SleepyPod Clickit harness. I'm not advocating for the company, but I have seen the crash test videos. The mannequin dogs in other harnesses did not survive the crash test. The mannequin in the Clicket harness did.
I absolutely think a harness is a terrific idea if you don't have room for a crate. I would invest in the crash tested harness - I've always thought that I'd feel terrible if I was in a car crash and my dog was killed because I couldn't be bothered with securing him. The other thing is that if you're in a major crash, even if the dog is not severely injured, he could escape the car when someone opened the door to help you out. If he's scared he might not come like he normally would and either get lost or hit by another car. The expense of a harness seems like a good investment.
I would love to have the Sleepy Pod and my intention is to upgrade to it as soon as I can afford it. I will need 2. Meanwhile I have the Kurgo tether, the one that clips into the seat belt buckle. It works great in my Honda Odyssey, would not work when I have a Mazda 6. I use it with a freedom no pull harness. The second tether came with a champion harness I bought years ago. Are they the best today? Probably not, but it's better than having the dogs roaming free in the vehicle where they can actually be a projectile in a crash, or end up causing an accident by deciding to jump in the front seat, etc.
The trouble with these types of tethers and harnesses is that the nylon strap itself fails, breaks or tears and the dog is thrown across the car. They are only good for restraining a dog in a normal drive.
We have a sleepypod for Teal. It seems to be comfortable, padded and easy to put on. My only concern is that the seatbelt locks up if she changes position too quickly, but you can't fix that.
We have the Sport. It a great harness, but really only good for keeping the dog out of trouble. I wouldn't rely on it doing much in an accident. Occasionally she gets so twisted and tangled that she can't move. I've had to pull over to fix it. If a crate is and option, I'd do that instead.
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