Reminder To Restrain Dogs In Cars

[megan_]

I leave the harnesses in the car. We walk to the car with leashes on (it is outside of my property).

I have trained them to face their backs to me and sit still when I say "seatbelt time" so it takes no time at all. I did this with my boy by saying "seatbelt time" to my boy each time a physically put him in the position. After a few goes, he did this automatically - he even raises one paw to "help" me put the harness on.

I trained my girl by giving her a small treat when she was still and relaxed. Took a bit longer but now she is fine.

She sometimes would get herself twisted, so I have changed the position of the harness (I put her facing the window, rather than me). She is now relaxed in the car and loves going for a drive.

It helps that they go in the car almost every single day. It isn't a special/scary/thing to get excited about event.

[pebbles]

Having littlies I find crating is the best way. When my car caught on fire way out the back of beyond, I was able to grab the three crates, 2 Min Pins and 1 Border Terrier, and put them away from the vehicle. We were all then transported back to the nearest town in the ambulance, delivered to a motel and the dogs were safely confined. Had to borrow some hay band to excercise the dogs as everything else went up in smoke (even the lovely trophies we had won over the weekend of showing ). Always used crates even when I was showing big dogs but have also always had a van type vehicle so no space problems.

[nickyp]

On long trips our dogs travel in the back of our station wagon, behind the cargo barrier. For a short trip in my little hatchback, they're also in the back cargo area, but there's no barrier, so I have a lead attached to a child restraint point which is then clipped to the dog's collar (these trips are usually to the vet and only one dog goes at a time). It's long enough that they can lie down comfortably, but they can't jump out of the car or over the seats, etc. On very rare occasions (and very, very short trips) I will let our older girl ride in the front with me, but she likes to lie down in the foot well so she's pretty well protected.

[aussielover]

Those that are saying it is the law in NSW for them to be restrained - can someone provide the link to the law that says this?

Only thing I have seen published is the new road rule which came in, in July 2008 which had 3 demerit points and $400 fine attached to it.

The RTA schedule of offence of 1 August 2010 has no mention of not restraining a dog in the car but does include intefering with control and dog in lap.

I emailed the RTA about this in October I think. This was the response I received:

"Thankyou for your email.

The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act states that a person must not carry or convey a dog (other than a dog being used to work livestock), on the open back of a moving vehicle on a public street unless the dog is restrained or enclosed in such a way as to prevent the dog falling from the vehicle.

Please see below link to view this Act (see rule 7):

http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/viewtop/...20animals%22)))

Dogs should not ride unrestrained in either the front or back seats of any vehicle but this is not specifically stated in legislation. The police may fine you however if they deem that you do not have proper control of the vehicle due to the animal interfering with your control. Specially designed animal boxes and harnesses are available and should be used. A pet harness can be attached to the vehicle's seat belt allowing the dog to sit or lie on the seat. These harness and boxes can be purchased in a variety or sizes from the RSPCA or from pet supply stores.

It is stated in legislation that a driver must not drive with a person or animal in the driver's lap. This is Road Rule 297 (1A) Drive motor vehicle with person or animal in lap

To view the complete road rule please click on the below link to find Road Rule 297 which relates to your enquiry:

http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/viewtop/...179+2008+fn+0+N

Regards"

Thankyou for clarifying that having a dog unrestrained in a car is NOT illegal.

My dog travels in the footwell of the front passenger seat when there is a passenger and in the back seat with a special seat belt attachment clipped to her collar.

[whiskedaway]

Akira wears a harness. She hates having it put on, but the instant I'm holding her paw in my hand, she stops moving and lets me put it on. When we get to the car, I tell her to wait when I open the door and protect the seat from her fur with a towel/blanket, and then I tell her to get up. She jumps up, sits down straight away and I strap her in. She gets strapped in even if we're just going for a short trip around the corner.

My OH wants a station wagon since he started going to shows/obedience and saw the crates that people have set up in their cars. He's become such a dog person, and he reckons that will be the best way for them to travel in the future.

[poodlefan]

Aussielover:

My dog travels in the footwell of the front passenger seat when there is a passenger and in the back seat with a special seat belt attachment clipped to her collar.

I'd recommend you use a harness with any seat belt attachment - hitting the end of a collar in a rapid braking situation might break her neck.

[Danois]

Thanks fierydi - it was as I expected.

If you were fined by the police for having a dog unrestrained in the back seat it would be open to challenge. I can understand how an unrestrained dog in the front seat could have more potential to interfere with control.

[koalathebear]

For me it's not so much a legality issue so much as a safety issue for the dog. We have heard so much about what happens to unrestrained 'objects' in a car when the car is involved in a collision or brakes abruptly - all of the rationales in the world kind of go out the window (sometimes literally) if an accident takes place and even small, ostensibly harmless objects can become dangerous projectiles. I know of people who still insist on holding their babies/small children in their arms, not realising that this is going to be tragic if there's an accident.

The harnesses aren't ideal and my dogs definitely don't love wearing them, but at least it disperses the restraint points over multiple parts of their body i.e. not just their neck or something and they'll probably just be very uncomfortable (as opposed to dead or horribly injured) if the car stops abruptly. They've learned to live with it although we have to put up with Elbie's occasionally very noisy complaints.

People joke that our two dogs are like our children and I suppose we do love them as members of our family and I wouldn't let anyone in our car, let alone children if they weren't adequately seat-belted so I suppose we retain that rule for our dogs, too.

Edited December 8, 2010 by koalathebear

[Little Gifts]

I used to assist with road accident investigations and believe I have mentioned somewhere on DOL before but anything unrestrained in your car like your dog or a chainsaw (yes i have seen the damage that one did) may become a lethal flying object in a crash so not only may your dog be horribly injured but so might you and your passengers. And for anyone travelling over the break do not let passengers sleep reclined in your car. Seat belts can only contain a loved one in the upright position. If you fall asleep at the wheel while your loved one is reclining in a snooze then they can slip out of that seatbelt in a crash and go straight through the windscreen.

Be safe peeps - cars are dangerous.

[sas]

I feel embarrassed to say that we don't restrain Hugo. He sleeps in my lap whenever we drive anywhere. Of course I'm not stupid enough to open the windows if he's in my lap unrestrained though.

That's so bloody dangerous

[aussielover]

Aussielover:

My dog travels in the footwell of the front passenger seat when there is a passenger and in the back seat with a special seat belt attachment clipped to her collar.

I'd recommend you use a harness with any seat belt attachment - hitting the end of a collar in a rapid braking situation might break her neck.

Hey PF thanks for the advice, thats a great point you make. I've just gone thru our old dogs stuff and dug out two harnesses.

Does it matter what type of harness you use?

One appears to be a "car harness" its got a big loopy thing on the back made of seat belt like material- not sure what u do with that?

The other is just a standard walking harness that attaches at the back (for when our old girl had a sore neck).

If there is no difference in what harness to use, i'll just use whichever one is easier to put on her as we can't walk her in the harness anyway.

Thanks!

[Tempus Fugit]

Don't forget the risk to the dog from an air bag going off in a minor collision, especially in the front passenger seat. Such air bags are designed to protect adult humans only.

[whiskedaway]

Does it matter what type of harness you use?

One appears to be a "car harness" its got a big loopy thing on the back made of seat belt like material- not sure what u do with that?

We have one with a loop and you slide the seatbelt through the loop.

[PupPup]

My OH and I just bought a new car not just for us but also keeping in mind the dogs safety. He used to ride in the back seat of my car with a harness and seatbelt on but could still put his head just outside the window.

We got an SUV with a cargo barrier in the back so he gets the back of the car now, still in a harness and seat belt but if I have the window down he at least gets the air in his face but cannot get his head outside the window.

I can't imagine how devastating it would be to loose a dog this way.

[Baby Dragon]

Dog seat belts

[fainty_girl]

Jessie loves her harness and if I put it on her in the house before we get to the car she cries way too much, so I clip hers on in the car. Tilly is the opposite, she doesn't like her harness because she would rather have free reign in the car. The other evening when I brought them home from the park I thought Tilly was being a real pain in the butt in the car because she was crying a heap. Turns out her front poor was stuck in her harness, so she did have something to cry about for once!

I prefer to have my dogs restrained in the car for their own safety, even if the harnesses are a little bit uncomfortable.

[Baby Dragon]

he even raises one paw to "help" me put the harness on.

One of my dogs does that too!

[Dog_Horse_Girl]

I feel embarrassed to say that we don't restrain Hugo. He sleeps in my lap whenever we drive anywhere. Of course I'm not stupid enough to open the windows if he's in my lap unrestrained though.

Don't be embarrassed, I'm absolutely sure many others do as you do. Just think though about what would happen if you/someone else driving had to slam on the brakes, or god forbid, got in an accident..

There is massive force involved and however good your intentions, you probably couldn't restrain Hugo. I'd suggest a seatbelt harness, I just got mine from the supermarket - KraMar car harness, size small, which I've had on Sax from when he was a 1.8kg puppy to a 5kg adult, adjusting the size - we've used it with the booster seat, just on the backseat with the seatbelt, and now in the footwell.

I know pups want to be with you, and can freak out in the car, but seriously, I feel like it has to be worth the effort to teach them to deal with being strapped in. Look at the research about humans, especially babies, without seatbelts - surely animals need the same protection!!

I wanted to get him a booster seat but with mom in the driver's seat and me in the passenger side seat, I didn't know how to attach the booster seat! I will get him a harness when he's a bit older though--right now the only time we take him with us in the car is when we're going to puppy preschool.

And how does your only taking him to puppy preschool protect him while he's in the car in your care?

Have you not got a crate? A travel crate (airline approved) is recommended for smaller dogs and you can even put the seatbelt around it for additional protection in the event of emergency braking. How do you think you'd manage in a crash with an unrestrained and probaby terrified pup? The minute a door opens or a window is smashed, what do you think a frightened pup would do, wait calmly for someone to pick it up? Of course not.

This is one of my pet hates...I mean it's not as if the dog can harness itself into a seatbelt, nor can it put its crate in the car and then put itself in the secured crate. It's up to us to make sure our dogs and cats are SAFE while we are transporting them - would it be okay with you if an airline allowed your dog into the cargo hold without it being crated?

[Rysup]

http://www.smh.com.au/national/police-get-...91024-he0j.html

CLICK CLACK front and … bark?

Next time Rover comes on a car trip, think before you allow him to stick his head out the window or climb on your lap.

Drivers caught with unrestrained dogs risk fines of more than $400, with 170 people charged over the offence since the pet-related road rule was introduced in NSW in July.

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The legislation, which stipulates that motorists must not drive a vehicle with an animal on their lap or preventing them from having proper control of the car, carries a penalty of three demerit points and $338, rising to $422 in a school zone.

A NSW Police spokeswoman said of the 170 offenders, four had been caught in school zones.

If an animal is injured as a result of being unrestrained, owners also face up to six months' jail and fines of up to $5500 under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. The RSPCA managing inspector, Matthew French, said that even the Australian tradition of conveying dogs untethered on the back of utes could land drivers with on-the-spot fines of $500 under the Act.

''It is something we very commonly see,'' Mr French said. ''It is an offence to have a dog on a moving vehicle on a public street unless it's restrained.

''It is just such an incredibly dangerous thing to do, to have a dog unrestrained on the back of a vehicle. You cannot transport an animal in any way that inflicts pain.''

An RTA NSW spokeswoman said there were a range of options available to owners wanting to restrain animals.

''Pet transport containers or carriers, if appropriately secured within the car, may reduce the likelihood of the animal distracting the driver and may prevent the animal from jumping around inside the vehicle or jumping out of the car,'' the spokeswoman said.

Dogue, a pet store with branches in Bondi and Manly, reported a rush on sales of car restraints since July.

The store sells harnesses in sizes XS to XL, ranging in price from $15 to $50, with restraints that buckle the harnesses to car seats retailing for $15.50.

''When the law came out, a lot of people came in to buy the harnesses,'' said Sarah Halling of Dogue in Bondi.

''We would have two or three people a week come in. A couple of people had been pulled over with a dog on their lap. People are freaking out.''

[email protected]

[Danois]

There are a number of inaccurate statements in that article and the RSPCA guy is contradicted by his own organisation's literature.