Securing dog in boot of car

[arealhuman]

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Hi,

Another question, I hope you all don't mind. I've started putting my dog in the boot space of my car. I previously put him on the backseat, tethered to a seat belt clip which gave him room to move, but keeping him secure as well. Then he started barked at everything outside he could see, so after a while of no car trips, we've now tried putting him in the boot space behind the rear seats. With the parcel shelf removed, he can lie/sit/stand/move around, and we put his bed in there for comfort/familiarity, and based on comments on here I spray some Adaptil around too. He generally behaves really well, with only the odd barking session which is fine. We have a grid between the boot space/rear seats so he can't jump through. One thing I'm struggling with though is getting him safely out of the boot. As he's not restrained, when the boot is opened (hatch back style boot), he has the opportunity to jump out and run off immediately. When my wife is with me - which has been always so far since we've used this method of transportation - one of us opens the boot hatch, and the other grabs the dog so he can't run off. Is there any way of restraining him so that if I'm alone and open the boot he can't jump out as the boot opens? I have four anchorage points on the floor of the boot, I'm hoping there's something I can attach to these and the dog to restrain him but still afford a degree of movement when we're travelling.

Sincere thanks again for any suggestions.

 

[JoanneF]

What about a lead attached to a harness, and secure the other end with a carabiner on to the anchor point?

Though actually I prefer a crate in the car but I don't remember if you crate him normally.

 

[arealhuman]

What about a lead attached to a harness, and secure the other end with a carabiner on to the anchor point?

Though actually I prefer a crate in the car but I don't remember if you crate him normally.

What a great idea, thanks! I didn't even think of a carabiner and I have loads at home! Doh! I'll try that next time we're out. I don't crate him, but that was the next thing to try if the boot didn't work. Thanks for the reply

 

[arealhuman]

By way of an update, we've now bought Jimmy a crate that we'll put in the boot of the car and partially cover it to obscure his view of traffic.  We went out yesterday and he barked like mental at oncoming traffic when we started our journey, and at other points when we were moving slowly and he could get up and look around.  When moving at higher speeds such as the motorway or faster A roads, he sits/lies down and seems calm.  We also got stuck in traffic following an accident and he barked a fair amount at all the traffic around us    So, as this stresses me right out when I'm driving, I thought enough is enough, so we're going to try a crate!  It's big enough for him to sit/lie/turn around in, and hopefully will make all our journeys a little more relaxed.

 

[gypsysmum2]

Can someone sit in the back seat and train him to lie down on command? You could start it when the car is stationary and gradually add movement into the equation. A "settle" command is very useful and can be taught in the home/public places and during car journeys. He must fully understand it before you will be able to use it when driving solo.

Whether crated or not, I always teach a "wait" command for a dog exiting a car. They are never, ever, allowed to get out until I say so.

 

[arealhuman]

Can someone sit in the back seat and train him to lie down on command? You could start it when the car is stationary and gradually add movement into the equation. A "settle" command is very useful and can be taught in the home/public places and during car journeys. He must fully understand it before you will be able to use it when driving solo.

Whether crated or not, I always teach a "wait" command for a dog exiting a car. They are never, ever, allowed to get out until I say so.

Hi gypsysmum2,

We've tried that and it's fine until we move and he sees traffic, then he kicks off, but we will continue to work on it.  We'e got a longer trip coming up so needed a solution to help with that, hence the crate.  Good point about the wait command, too.

Thanks,

ARH.

 

[leashedForLife]

A shipping crate, as in 'airline approved' clamshell type, is a good idea - also, it's the gold standard for transporting pets safely. // Wire AKA show crates are actually dangerous in the car, in an impact they can fall apart, bend, trap the dog, puncture the dog [or anyone else - every wire rod is a potential skewer], & are basically useless as a chocolate teapot.

Flip a shipping-crate upside down, & the WINDOWS or slots, depending on the maker / design] are now  \/ --- down --- \/ , so the dog can't see out the windows.
For dogs who react to passing traffic, the sight of trees whipping by, passing power poles, DOGS seen on the sidewalk, etc, this is perfect.

I have worked with many reactive dogs who were barking fools in the car, DAP pump-spray on the seat, on the dog's collar, on the seatbelt harness, is a big help [1 spritz on each item]. // I also spray the interior of the car about 10 to 15-mins ahead with 2 spritzes of botanical lavender water...


... which is a nice calmative for humans & dogs, both.
Someone sitting beside the dog to feed pea-sized tidbits for DS/CC [deSensitize / counterConditioning] is also part of the process, so U need a driver & a helper, in the back seat.

 - terry

 

[arealhuman]

Cheers for that.  We invested in a wire crate a few weeks back and that's going to be our next try in the car, which will be extensively tested next week!

 

[gypsysmum2]

You could try covering the crate. Some dogs like it some don't.

DAP spray is called Adaptil in the UK now. It is effective for some dogs. Some people also like Rescue Remedy (Bach Flower Remedy) but I think that, too, has changed its name! You put it in the drinking water or put some drops into the dogs mouth (it is suspended in alcohol so may not be accepted).

 

[JoanneF]

You could try covering the crate. Some dogs like it some don't.

DAP spray is called Adaptil in the UK now. It is effective for some dogs. Some people also like Rescue Remedy (Bach Flower Remedy) but I think that, too, has changed its name! You put it in the drinking water or put some drops into the dogs mouth (it is suspended in alcohol so may not be accepted).

There is an alcohol free pet version now.

 

[gypsysmum2]

Is it called Rescue Remedy Joanne? I know my Health Food Shop sells it under a different name.

 

[JoanneF]

Yes, I got it from Amazon. 

 

[leashedForLife]

The amount of alcohol ingested in a 'dose' of 2 to 6 drops is extremely small - i use the alcohol version, & don't worry about it. // I figured it out once, LOL, but the math of 5 to 6 drops in a 50# dog is basically "ludicrously itty-bitty teeny-weeny don't fuss so."  
I think the alcohol version is more shelf-stable than water emulsion, but to each their own - if we all liked strawberry, what a boring world!   :cheers:

DAP a-k-a Adaptil -

For dogs who are visually reactive [herding breeds, sighthounds, terrierrists... ] this is a handy thing -


It's a Calming Cap, which is not solid like a blindfold [despite appearances], but is MESH, like the fly-masks worn by horses in pasture. It makes anything outside the dog's immediate surroundings fuzzy, so s/he doesn't go nutz over a dog across 2 lanes of traffic while walking along the sidewalk.

- terry

.

 

[leashedForLife]

oops - almost forgot:
I don't advise putting Bach Rescue-Remedy in anyone's drinking water. It changes the smell, & cats in particular often don't drink sufficiently on most days, anyhow, so discouraging them further is a Bad Idea.    Plus, when it's that diluted, how do U know when or if they got sufficient to have any effect?

I just drip it onto any sort of absorbent treat, which sort of yummy depends on which species i'm working with; dogs, it's generally a piece of whole-grain cracker or a nice inch-cube of whole-wheat breadcrust or similar. // Of course, for the few dogs who are gluten sensitive, etc, a piece of rice cracker or some other substitute works fine, but they are a minority. I've also used salmon flakes, freeze-dried lamb lung or beef-liver, & similar - for horses, shredded carrot seems to go down well.
My parrots liked Hain Carrot Chips - whatever works.
Special cases are always possible, but luckily they're the exceptions rather than the garden-variety, everyday cases! 

 - terry

 

[arealhuman]

Well, the crate is in the car, and secured so it doesn't slide around.  We'll be covering it partially and see how it goes, and will spray some Adaptil around as well.

That calming cap looks mental!  Maybe it's what Jimmy needs for one of his moods when he barks at almost anything   Thanks again everyone for the useful and helpful posts.

 

[leashedForLife]

,,,

That calming cap looks mental!  ...

  Yeah, well - folks who've never seen a headcollar on a dog think it's a muzzle.     Looks aren't everything.

Calming Caps can be amazingly helpful - i can't be too fussed by what's fashionable, vs what's functional.

 - terry

 

[arealhuman]

I meant it in amazement, not offence  

 

[leashedForLife]

Yes'm.     My reply was chuckling, not insulted. No worries!
- t

 

[leashedForLife]

re Rescue-Remedy - NOTE about dogs:
DO NOT give the 'pastille' version, the so-called sugar pills, TO ANY DOG. They are or were sweetened with Xylitol , which is a sugar-alcohol that can make dogs extremely ILL, & is potentially fatal.  [The liquid drops are safe - no sweetening at all, & definitely no Xylitol in my current bottle, but ALWAYS check when U buy a product meant for dogs - they can change ingredients any time!, & the label may not change.]

XYLITOL is an artificial sweetener with no calories; it was once used mostly in toothpaste, now it's in muffins, salad dressing, candies, cosmetics [read the label on that lip-balm], sodas, etc. NEVER give anything containing Xylitol to a dog - dosage is, as usual, a big part of the risk; if a small dog under 30# accidentally ingests Xylitol, go to the vet's immediately, even if it's out of hours, for safety's sake.

http://www.preventivevet.com/dogs/xylitol-sugar-free-sweetener-dangerous-for-dogs

This is not an ALL-INCLUSIVE list - just some of the products sweetened with Xylitol. 
http://www.preventivevet.com/xylitol-products-toxic-for-dogs

Always read ingredients, & keep anything with XYLITOL in a stash where the dog CANNOT POSSIBLY get to it - like a locked medicine chest, or a locked cupboard with cleaning chemicals [for large items - litre bottles of soft drinks, etc].

Tic-Tacs breath-mints / candies are among the things most-likely to kill a dog, & chewing gum is another frequent killer.
Xylitol kills by causing a catastrophic drop in BLOOD-SUGAR - coma quickly follows, & death is not far behind, A 60# Lab ate 2 bakery muffins containing Xylitol & died; that's a big dog. A Yorkie can be killed by 2 Chiclet-sized chewing gums.

Purses & pockets should never be used to store Xylitol items - find a Chapstick or lip-balm that doesn't contain it, don't carry low-cal gum around with U, etc.
It's just too doggone dangerous.

for the dogs,
- terry

 

[arealhuman]

Well, an update for anyone who might be interested, our dog traveled in the car in his crate for the first time on Monday and again today too.  They were both relatively long trips (1 hour+) and the top of the crate was covered so he could only see forward, but not enough to see oncoming traffic.  Not a peep!  Result!  He didn't seem too keen to go in, but eventually went in chasing a treat and once we were moving, lay down and seemed fairly chilled from what I could tell