Traveling crate or harness? Please help..

JLSOhio51 said:
(B). What people may not realize is that most (perhaps not all)air bags are deployed by the use of a tiny explosive charge which starts the process. Also, the bag is coated with a fine powder to keep the folded bag from sticking to itself and allows it to inflate totally. It kind of looks/feels like the car is on fire when you see the powder in the air and smell the charge. Many occupants experience friction burns on exposed skin areas (face, arms) caused when the rough surface of the airbag rubs against their bodies.
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My Mythbusters watching self knew this, my "OMG someone just hit me and there is a dog in the car" panicked self couldn't rationalize that until I was out of the car and had the rear hatch open to check on the dog. They say that NASCAR drivers instinctively get out of their cars, even if injured, if they can. We saw that a few weeks ago when a driver hit the wall at 160 miles an hour, got out of the car, then immediately laid down with a compression fracture. I can vouch for this instinct.

And honestly, knowing exactly where my dog is in that situation is critical information to me. If they are in a harness or loose, you have NO IDEA where your dog is in those first few seconds. And if you are in a situation where they have to cut you out, or you are not conscious, having the dog contained is a good thing.
 
Jess041 said:
I'm just going to get one of these... :wink2:

http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=3273
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I'm saving up for this - the double version :-D.

I leave my dogs in the vehicle all the time - dependent on the weather, of course. Their kennels in the SUV are bigger than the kennels I would normally leave them in at home, and the crates have water bottles attached, as well as food bowls. In the winter, I put on kennel covers which work very well. In the spring and fall, I always have a ventlock and portable fans in the vehicle. I use a plastic crate, but I am planning on getting the one from Clean Run, mainly because they have crumple zones and I'm afraid that someday I'll get rear-ended...and there's not much that can be done to prevent that.

When Starr arrived, I bought four second hand crates - one for the vehicle, one for my bedroom, and two for downstairs (one small plastic for sleeping, and a huge wire one to surround it). I sold them as he grew out of them, so I didn't end up losing much money.
 
corbinam said:
Really enjoying the information shared here.

Just to share my set up (took us awhile to figure it out):
http://corbinwooten.blogspot.com/2012/11/new-car-update.html

EDITED: Adding that I know the set up is not perfect, but I feel much better knowing the crates are secured with ratchet tie downs, and tucked in behind the rear seats.
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I love the set up and that it's secured, the only thing that scares me about dogs in the far back, is if you're rear ended I feel they would be seriously injured or killed.
 
Minniesmom15 said:
I love the set up and that it's secured, the only thing that scares me about dogs in the far back, is if you're rear ended I feel they would be seriously injured or killed.
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Yes we considered that. But, they are a good 12"+ from the rear door. It's why we got a really big SUV. Yes, if we were in a horrible accident and slammed from behind, their crates could be smashed. But, they are farther from the hatch than a regular SUV.

Previously we had a small SUV and had all the seats down and the crates in the center. I could also say with that scenario that if we had ever been t-boned at speed, the crates could have been crushed as they were RIGHT next to the doors.
 
Minniesmom15 said:
I love the set up and that it's secured, the only thing that scares me about dogs in the far back, is if you're rear ended I feel they would be seriously injured or killed.
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One thing to understand is that Corbinam's car has a third row. The third row is folded down. In SUVs with third rows, the space where her crates are, are NOT in the crumple zone. They do not make crumple zones where passengers sit.

So....in my opinion they are in a great spot!

Nice job!
 
Totally understand about the "no more money" issue. I read all the great feedback. I'd go with the smaller crate. Very few Shelties need the 30" ones. Mine is fine in the smaller sized one you described and he's 18" tall. Okay, it's a bit tight, but he can still turn around and lie down.

I like to shove the crate in the back seat, and I use the passenger front seat to hold it in place (by lowering the seat back). That way, it's stuck in there. And if I get hit from behind/front, its not going anywhere. If I get him from the side, I may be screwed. I also try to keep the crate out and away from the "crumple zones" of the car. Granted on a small car, that's about everywhere.

My one suggestion for the crate. Check craigslist. I got lucky and this woman was selling 2 vari-kennels for $40. I only needed one, but whatevers, I'll take it. Um, yeah, so now I have 4. Which means I can now have 4 Shelties, right? :yes:
 
k9kreationz said:
Totally understand about the "no more money" issue. I read all the great feedback. I'd go with the smaller crate. Very few Shelties need the 30" ones. Mine is fine in the smaller sized one you described and he's 18" tall. Okay, it's a bit tight, but he can still turn around and lie down.

I like to shove the crate in the back seat, and I use the passenger front seat to hold it in place (by lowering the seat back). That way, it's stuck in there. And if I get hit from behind/front, its not going anywhere. If I get him from the side, I may be screwed. I also try to keep the crate out and away from the "crumple zones" of the car. Granted on a small car, that's about everywhere.

My one suggestion for the crate. Check craigslist. I got lucky and this woman was selling 2 vari-kennels for $40. I only needed one, but whatevers, I'll take it. Um, yeah, so now I have 4. Which means I can now have 4 Shelties, right? :yes:
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yes, you need to have a dog to go in every crate that you have. by my count, you are two shelties short:winkgrin::lol:
 
danisgoat said:
One thing to understand is that Corbinam's car has a third row. The third row is folded down. In SUVs with third rows, the space where her crates are, are NOT in the crumple zone. They do not make crumple zones where passengers sit.

So....in my opinion they are in a great spot!

Nice job!
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I didn't mean to suggest that she didn't have them in a good spot, only that that's a fear of mine! Sorry if that's how she/you took it. Definitely understand that any spot in a vehicle would be dangerous depending how you're hit. I'm very sensitive about being rear ended as my mom was rear ended several years back, her van was completely totaled, and she will have back problems the rest of her life.

k9kreationz said:
Totally understand about the "no more money" issue. I read all the great feedback. I'd go with the smaller crate. Very few Shelties need the 30" ones. Mine is fine in the smaller sized one you described and he's 18" tall. Okay, it's a bit tight, but he can still turn around and lie down.

I like to shove the crate in the back seat, and I use the passenger front seat to hold it in place (by lowering the seat back). That way, it's stuck in there. And if I get hit from behind/front, its not going anywhere. If I get him from the side, I may be screwed. I also try to keep the crate out and away from the "crumple zones" of the car. Granted on a small car, that's about everywhere.

My one suggestion for the crate. Check craigslist. I got lucky and this woman was selling 2 vari-kennels for $40. I only needed one, but whatevers, I'll take it. Um, yeah, so now I have 4. Which means I can now have 4 Shelties, right? :yes:
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I check craigslist daily! The second there is a crate that fits my needs and is cheaper than buying a new one off amazon, it's mine :smile2:
And yes, that's why I'm trying to convince my SO that my next vehicle needs to be an SUV, I would feel so much better in the event of an accident than with his crate shoved in my compact car! It is a big fear of mine, being hit with him in the crate because his crate takes up almost my whole back seat.
And that's what I was thinking, that a smaller crate would probably be fine for short trips even if he is a little cramped, as long as he isn't stuck in there long. I can always swap it out for the bigger crate for trips longer than 30-40 minutes, and I'm still leaning towards a travel harness for long distance trips. It's just not logical for me to keep him crated for a week long vacation 10+ hours away with multiple people and our luggage.
 
It really can be confusing over what is best & most practical. I crate mine in the car & I have a Nissan SUV. My greatest fear is an accident & my dog getting loose & running away in a strange area & possibly hurt. I have seen too many K9AmberAlert posts about missing dogs after a car accident. Yes, they can be injured in a car while crated but at least they can be found. I would also suggest a sticker on the car saying "dog on board" or something like that whether you crate or not. That would alert people if you're not able to tell them. Having a sticker like that for the house is smart too in case rescue is ever needed.
 
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