If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
……………………………………………………………………..
I have to ask this question because so many people let their dogs do whatever they want in the car, and it looks so dangerous. Ace sits in the back seat of my car. That would be why there is a towel back there and tons of hair and drool. The windows are also covered in nose prints. No one else ever volunteers to sit back there because of the nice dog odor.
I began training Ace to stay in the back seat since his very first car ride with me. Of course, there were times when he would sneak up to the front from passenger seat while I ran into a store for a few minutes. But I only let him in and out through the back doors. Since that is his ticket out, he stays in the back for the most part. When he was still learning, it was easier for him to stay in the back when I got out if I parked so the back of my car was towards where I was going. That way he could watch me from the back seat, and he had no reason to climb into the front.
My cat on the other hand rides in the passenger seat of my car, or even in my lap. Unless he’s in his carrier, he’s too good to sit in the back with a dog.
Where have you taught your dog to stay in the car?
Email your dog-related question to me at Lindsay@thatmutt.com, and I’ll post it for others to answer. Click here to read all my weekly question posts.
(Image from NationalGeographic.com)
Related posts:
November 4th, 2008 at 8:08 am
Now that I got the new car, all four of the crates fit inside nicely and so the dogs are crated. Woohoo! Up till now, we’ve been the absolute poster child for what not to have someone do with their dogs in a car. LOL
Maries last blog post..Impatiently waiting….
November 4th, 2008 at 10:24 am
The dog sits in the back seat and is too big to fit anywhere else. He’s got his sheets and towels back there to drool away! The cat sits wherever he wants, usually on the passenger seat floor or in the passenger seat.
November 4th, 2008 at 11:43 am
I have seatbelts and I used them regularly in the backseat for the first few years. The last few years, however, I have gotten pretty lax. Marley thinks she owns the passenger seat and Dylan sits in the back.
Christys last blog post..Happy Gotcha Day Dylan (yesterday!)
November 4th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Biggie takes up the entire backseat, he is always strapped into a harness that clips into the seat belt. Although we have a blanket down, there is dog hair all over the back and nose prints on both windows.
Biggie’s plastic crate, which is a little too small for him, is too big to fit in the back of the wagon - otherwise we’d always put him in his crate.
It’s gruesome to think of, but in addition to injury to the dog in the event of an accident, the dog can become a projectile in the car if not strapped in.
Biggie-Zs last blog post..WTF: The Prequel
November 4th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
I have a mini van (which we bought especially for our dog in mind, by the way)and he sits on the very back behind the back sit. There’s plenty of room for him to move, lie down, stand. Mostly he lies down when he’s in the car. He gets anxious and doesn’t like the rides.
Mayra Calvanis last blog post..The Magic Violin book trailer…
November 4th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
Mine all sit on the back seat. It really irritates me watching someone swerving around with a little dog on their lap.
November 5th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Our dog isn’t in the car very often. I’ve wondered where it would be safest for her. Now I know. Thank you.
November 5th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
Mutt (yes, her name is really Mutt) stays in the back seat. She usually stays lying down as she HATES car rides. Millie sits in the passenger seat if we’re in the Jeep. If we’re in the truck she sits in the middle. She likes to have some part of her body touching me all the time, so even in the Jeep she’ll be half way on the center console. It usually looks terribly uncomfortable, but she’s as happy as a tornado in a trailer park!
November 10th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Now that I have my minivan.. the dogs are all crated! I love it. Before, in my outback, they were seatbelted in and stayed where they were put.
November 22nd, 2008 at 8:33 am
Mine are only allowed in the backseat. They all have dog seatbelts which is the law here in Spain. I think it’s a very good idea as it will protect everyone in case of an accident. It also trains them very quickly to behave in the car.
December 8th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
I have two dogs. One is 85lbs Lab and 1 is 30lbs big rat. If I could buckle them in, I would. But the kids take presidence. As it is right now whenever they go for a ride, I take them in the back of my Chevy Trailblazer. It would be great if they could be safely strapped into the back storage area of the trailblazer, but I haven’t found anything like that.