Securing your dog off-road

[Xtremluck]

We had the privilege to rescue a Shepherd mix about a year ago. She loves camping and being out in the mountains/deserts but when trails get technical she is pretty terrified and anxious. We usually keep her in the backseat but she makes her way to the center console and holds on for dear life when things get fun. I was just curious to hear what you all are doing with your furry friends when traveling on rough and steep terrain.

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[honda250xtitan]

let her out? or is she a runner? lol

 

[dezertbomber]

They make buckle clips that attach to a harness. Might make her anxiety even higher not being able to move?

There's always the Thunder Jacket which has great reviews.

 

[uh0h50]

Maybe a dog crate?

 

[Rayrayy]

We have a little harness that goes around our dog and then into the seatbelt so that he doesn't move around too much. However, he's a 9lb puppy lol. Bigger dogs I'm not sure.

 

[whododat1]

Our Rotty pup was a little anxious/nauseous in the truck. We have since purchased a crate which I secure in the back and she enjoys it a lot more. I am guessing she feels more secure in the crate. Plus, we had an instance where I had to stop short and she literally came flying into the front seat area. That was enough for us.

 

[JtotheRed]

I have to agree with the crate, seems to add an extra sense of security.

 

[Xtremluck]

let her out? or is she a runner? lol

We are still recall training her, she likes to wander off a lot especially if there are small critters involved. I've definitely tied her to a tree temporarily if there is a gnarly rock garden I need to traverse through and things get rodeo like or tippy

 

[Xtremluck]

They make buckle clips that attach to a harness. Might make her anxiety even higher not being able to move?

There's always the Thunder Jacket which has great reviews.

Yup a buckle harness with some slack is what we are thinking for now. We will see how it works

 

[Xtremluck]

Maybe a dog crate?

I'd feel terrible keeping her jostling in a crate for multiple hours of bumpy off road driving but maybe I need to look into it

 

[honda250xtitan]

I'd feel terrible keeping her jostling in a crate for multiple hours of bumpy off road driving but maybe I need to look into it

was she crate trained as a pup?

 

[Too Stroked]

Here's what we use for our 75 lb. pit bull Herbie who loves rides in the 4Runner.

First, we put the same harness on that we use to walk him:

Amazon.com : HDP Big Dog Soft No Pull Harness Size:Large Color:Camo : Pet Supplies

Next, we buckle him into the rear seat belt receptacle with this:

Amazon.com : Mighty Paw Dog Seat Belt | Pet Safety Belt, Created with Human Seatbelt Material. All-Metal Hardware with Adjustable Length Strap. Keep Your Dog Secure in The Car : Pet Supplies

Although it isn't perfect, it does keep him in / on the back seat, but allows him enough movement to get on the floor as he sometimes likes.

 

[whododat1]

I'd feel terrible keeping her jostling in a crate for multiple hours of bumpy off road driving but maybe I need to look into it

I kind of felt that way at first but, once she came flying into the front seat area, we saw firsthand what can happen to her and/or us. I bought a dog crate pad from walmart and I also secure the crate down with tie down straps. She is very secure in there and we notice a difference with her in a good way.

I ordered this one because I was able to order it with a side door for easy access for her and to her. I also had the extra holes cut out. Good luck
It is also very important to get the right size crate.
Ruff Land Kennel Double Door, Front & Side Entry, Stackable Dog...

 

[ahtoxa11]

Following. My lab hates wheeling because he's all over the place. I've been looking for a solution as well.

 

[SD_Yoter]

Just got a Rotti pup 3 weeks ago, and i have to start figuring out where im going to put him, so far he likes hanging out in the passenger seat next to me, if it’s occupied he will go to the back seat, he was anxious the first few car rides, now he doesnt seem to mind it as much, but i dont want to give him ptsd by taking him off road just yet, since this is still the imprinting stage a really bad experience could stick with him his entire life, im thinking of starting him on a super easy fire road and make it fun with rewards like letting him out to run and play with some of his favorite toys every couple mins and lots of treats. If he learns to like it at a young age hopefully i wont have to put him in a kennel.


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[Xtremluck]

Just got a Rotti pup 3 weeks ago, and i have to start figuring out where im going to put him, so far he likes hanging out in the passenger seat next to me, if it’s occupied he will go to the back seat, he was anxious the first few car rides, now he doesnt seem to mind it as much, but i dont want to give him ptsd by taking him off road just yet, since this is still the imprinting stage a really bad experience could stick with him his entire life, im thinking of starting him on a super easy fire road and make it fun with rewards like letting him out to run and play with some of his favorite toys every couple mins and lots of treats. If he learns to like it at a young age hopefully i wont have to put him in a kennel.


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I think that is one of my biggest mistakes. I took her to an offroad park and a pretty gnarly trail we have here in CA (Slickrock) early on. I'm sure that left a pretty bad impression. Luckily she associates going into the truck as fun though since I use it to take her to the dog park.

 

[Jeff_DML]

We use a seatbelt attachment like Too Stroked posted, otherwise she tries to go to the front passenger seat. She learned to like the front passenger seat when my younger son and I offroaded up to Coyote Flat.

Sometimes we let her run along the car too but one time she almost fell off a cliff so we are careful about that:nono:

 

[Pedro367]

Any body have good crate recommendations or help with sizing? I'm eying up the RuffLand ones for my 75lb lab mix. Is Large too small? XL too big? Want to keep as much cargo space as possible, but obviously don't want him cramped up.

We've used the harness to the seatbelt on our old dog and that worked (she HATED crates), but have two car seats now and would prefer our new boy in a kennel since he's comfortable in them.

 

[Deuxdiesel]

I use a Joyride harness for my greyhound (very difficult to fit dog) and attach it to webbing that clips in to the d-rings I put in place of the coat hooks. It gives her enough room to stand up and turn around. Putting a dog in a crate where they might bang around in it seems like a bad idea to me.

 

[PrettyGoodSam]

I use this when we take my pup anywhere. shorten the leash, buckle in and put her in her dog bed in the backseat. works great.

MIL-SPEC Dog Leash with Seatbelt Snap in Retainer – Raingler