Dismiss Notice
Hello Guest, Welcome to the new version of Sheltieforums.com. If you have any questions regarding the new software, please post in the following section: Forum Upgrade

Best Way for Fasb to Travel Short Distances?

Discussion in 'Crates & Beds' started by Fasb's Owner, Dec 8, 2013.

  1. Fasb's Owner

    Fasb's Owner Forums Enthusiast

    308
    14
    70
    Jan 21, 2013
    Morgantown, WV
    Travel Crate?

    We're thinking of buying Fasb a travel crate for the car. He has a largish wire crate that we use in the house when we have company or workers over, but he's never had a travel crate.

    Basically, Fasb was never crate trained. His first owner, my sister-in-law, never crated him. When he was a puppy, they confined him to the bathroom when it was time to sleep, and things just evolved from there. When we got him, we were apprehensive about crating him since he had never been "crate trained", but reasoned he was fine at the vet and groomer when they crated him, so we bought him a crate. He's fine in it, but we use it somewhat sparingly. The wife is a big proponent of crating. I grudgingly admit it has value, but I'm not really sold on the idea that a 10-year old dog wants confined to a small cell. So we use it when we really need to, and keep him in the crate for as short a period as possible,

    Anyway, Fasb's never traveled in a crate. The sis-in-law taught him to behave (mostly) in the car and let him ride loose. We've kept that pattern, with few problems. Usually, Fasb just sits on the passenger seat with his leash on. We've taken him on longer trips, and he mostly sits in my wife's lap, or she holds the leash and he jumps in the back seat. Most of his trips out are short - to the vet, the groomer, the park, etc., and he's well behaved enough that I can handle him.

    When we take him with us, we usually take my old jeep. The jeep finally died at age 17 last month and was replaced by a new midsize car. Since the car is new (and expensive), we kinda want to keep in clean for awhile. This means not letting the dog shed in it, claw up the dash, put a rip in the fabric of the seat (accident), etc. - all things that happened over the years in the jeep. Also, I kinda don't want Fasb bouncing around as much now that he's older and a little more fragile (arthritic). Fasb never got hurt, but he does bounce around occasionally - front paws sliding off the dash, falling into the footspace if I had to brake suddenly, etc.

    What's the best way to transport Fasb around town? Travel crate? Is there any better way? He has a grooming appt and a vet appt for his yearly shots in about 10 days, so I'm thinking of buying a travel crate.

    My main concern is that I'll have to pick up the crate and put him in the car, and I'm afraid I might hurt him somehow picking the crate up. I won't know until I try, but I suspect he won't jump into the car and get into the crate. I'm guessing that, at least for awhile, I'll have to get him into the crate then lift it into the car.

    Thoughts. I hate to crate him on trips - he likes to look out the window and bark at new things - but my wife is adamant the car stay nice for awhile and I have to agree it makes some sense. I'm hoping to buy another jeep before long, and he can go back to riding on the seat in that, if his health is ok, but for now, we probably need to make a change.

    Thanks. Any thoughts?
     
  2. Calliesmom

    Calliesmom Moderator

    14,089
    13,631
    885
    Mar 29, 2008
    near Mobile, AL
    crating in the car is a good way to go.
    I have had soft crates in the back seat- originally for older girl, then the puppies....
    I would leave the crate in the back seat and lift the old girl into the crate.
    then when Jocu got too big for his puppy carrier, he started riding in the crate- I started lifting him in and out but he got to the point that he would jump into the crate if I took too long in his opinion.
    now that the new puppy is riding in the puppy carrier, the three bigger dogs are riding with their harnesses attached to seatbelt tethers.
     
  3. EJHUNTL

    EJHUNTL Forums Enthusiast

    925
    3
    75
    Aug 11, 2013
    Ontario, Grand Bend
  4. BarbV

    BarbV Forums Celebrity

  5. BarbV

    BarbV Forums Celebrity

  6. Greenepony

    Greenepony Forums Enthusiast

    381
    4
    60
    Jul 2, 2012
    Something to keep in mind is that some states are requiring dogs to be secured in the car so it might be good anyways to train now.

    I don't like lifting the crate with Olive in it (we have a plastic shell crate like you would use to fly in cargo with kurgo straps around) so we buckle the crate into the backseat and then either pick her up and set her on the backseat or now she will jump into the foot-well then onto the backseat and walk into her crate. We just have the crate positioned so it sits in the middle to avoid the crumple zone.
     
  7. ClantyreSheltie

    ClantyreSheltie Forums Sage

    2,876
    20
    130
    Feb 24, 2010
    Baltimore
    Crate. I've preached on this before.

    I only buy cars with leather seats for exactly the reasons you describe. Easy to clean, don't have to worry about messing them up.

    But I would probably put the crate in the car, make it stable, then put the dog in it. Having him wobbling around in the air unstable is not going to help any crate anxiety he has.
     
  8. Mom2Melli

    Mom2Melli Forums Enthusiast

    2,184
    3
    85
    Oct 2, 2013
    Central California
    I go with soft crates. I found that Walmart has some cheap crates that are good for confining. They are slick canvas with some of the best amount of mesh I have seen. They have some loops you can run the seatbelts through. While I doubt it would be great in a rollover crash it might hold up just enough to keep the dog from escaping, it does keep the dog confined from interfering with the driver or jumping out when you stop for the mail, the barf is confined (I have a carsicky), and should a cop pull me over he can't say the dog threatened him and shoot it (fear this more than a rollover actually). They are available in stores and online through Walmart. My dogs are crate trained but not crated regularly. On, I put the crate in and secure it and then simply put the dog in and out while in the car.
     
  9. corbinam

    corbinam Moderator

    9,894
    690
    260
    Oct 14, 2008
    To throw in my two cents, if you're going to crate in the car for whatever the reason, why not put in a hard crate that will keep Fasb safe(r) in case of an accident? While soft crates are easier to maneuver, I'm not sure they provide any amount of protection in case of accident.
     
  10. Fasb's Owner

    Fasb's Owner Forums Enthusiast

    308
    14
    70
    Jan 21, 2013
    Morgantown, WV
    Can you post a link to the crates you're talking about? My father brought a canvas/mesh crate back from Walmart today. It might work for what I have in mind, but Dad has no idea what I'm looking for and often "helps" me out by picking up things that are unsuitable.

    It looks like it might be ok for short car trips. No protection in an accident, but I'm not sure I want a hard crate for the car. Most of his trips are going to be short in light traffic areas, so I'm not too concerned about wrecks. (in almost 30 years of driving, I'm been involved one minor accident).

    Thanks.

    I actually tried a seatbelt harness like the one linked to above. Used it once, when we first got him. Instead of sitting upright in the seat like the dog in the picture, Fasb contorted himself sideways and looked so miserable I didn't have the heart to buckle him in it ever again. Money well spent, lol.
     

Share This Page