# Car seat for puppy



## TamaraCamera (Dec 27, 2015)

I wanted to get one of those car seats for Lincoln where he could sit up and see out. He used to be fine in the Sherpa bag for car rides, but he likes it less and less now (unless he's exhausted and wants to sleep). Usually we go on short drives around town.

For the first time, he threw up today. I think it was because he ate too close to when we were in the car....hopefully!

Is this a good choice for a car seat for him to see out the window? Any other suggestions that aren't super expensive?

http://www.amazon.com/Solvit-Tagalong-Booster-Seat-Medium/dp/B003F76Y6E


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

TamaraCamera said:


> I wanted to get one of those car seats for Lincoln where he could sit up and see out. He used to be fine in the Sherpa bag for car rides, but he likes it less and less now (unless he's exhausted and wants to sleep). Usually we go on short drives around town.
> 
> For the first time, he threw up today. I think it was because he ate too close to when we were in the car....hopefully!
> 
> ...


Booster seats are a really dangerous way of transporting a dog in a car. Not only is the harness and the connection to the seatbelt unsafe in almost all, but the booster seat also puts them right up in harm's way from braking glass, etc. from any accident.

A good carrier or kennel, firmly strapped into the car (preferably on the floor, but on the seat if your car doesn't allow that) or a top quality, safety tested harness attached DIRECTLY to the seat belt, with no tether attachment, are much safer choices. Just like with children, what might be fun for them isn't always what is safe for them!


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## Zoe093014 (Jan 27, 2015)

I have that one and my dog loves it.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Zoe093014 said:


> I have that one and my dog loves it.


Yeah, it really has nothing to do with whether they love it or not... lots of dogs love being loose in the car too. It's a matter of safety, for both the dog and the human passengers.


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## MarinaGirl (Mar 25, 2012)

I use the Sleepypod pet carrier (size: Medium), which is very well rated. However, this carrier may not work for folks that have larger Havs (15+ lbs).


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## Kidpsychpdd (Jul 31, 2013)

I use the sleepy pod clickit harness with Luna who is about 12 pounds. It has been crash test rated. Go to this site and you can see videos of test results for carriers, crates, and harnesses. Some of the popular ones fail miserably.

2015 Carrier Study Results - Center for Pet Safety


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## Laellis (Jan 20, 2016)

Hi. I just ordered this booster seat for Lily...should receive it Thursday. I paid about $80 for it as they had some that had been returned..."like new". Lily has gotten car sick every time we take her in the car so I'm hoping this will help.

http://http://www.amazon.com/Snoozer-Lookout-Seat-Medium-Black/dp/B000634MXW/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1456925608&sr=1-1&keywords=Snoozer+Lookout+II+Pet+Car+Seat+-+Medium


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## Lisa T. (Feb 5, 2015)

Kidpsychpdd said:


> I use the sleepy pod clickit harness with Luna who is about 12 pounds. It has been crash test rated. Go to this site and you can see videos of test results for carriers, crates, and harnesses. Some of the popular ones fail miserably.
> 
> 2015 Carrier Study Results - Center for Pet Safety


Do you use the click it harness in place of the sleepy pod carrier bed?
The carrier bed is expensive.


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## Kidpsychpdd (Jul 31, 2013)

Yes. I also have their Sleepypod Air which I used when she was smaller. It is a great carrier and I use it in the plane so she is used to it and makes the air travel easier. She rides in the car everyday with me so no issues with travel sickness. The Sleepypod Air seatbelts in and the seatbelt threads through the harness. 

If you look at the crash test videos from the center for pet safety you wouldnt want your dog in the majority of carriers and crates. 

You can also brace a crate in the back of the car with tie down but there are only a few crates that are safe. 

The site that I posted has all of the safe products. 

I figure that I pay for my children to ride safely in their carseats so why would I want any less for my pup? Dogs also become unsafe projectiles in accidents which can obviously injure them but also the humans around them. 

I shall now step down from my soapbox...


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## Chi-Chi's Mom (Dec 10, 2015)

Kidpsychpdd said:


> I use the sleepy pod clickit harness with Luna who is about 12 pounds. It has been crash test rated. Go to this site and you can see videos of test results for carriers, crates, and harnesses. Some of the popular ones fail miserably.
> 
> How long has Luna been in the clickit harness? Was it very difficult to get a food fit? They have an extra small size but wondering if my pup will slip right out of it. Thanks.


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

I have zero trust in "car seats" that don't have anything going over the top of them. Though most of them have a place to clip the dog's harness in, they still just seem to lack that security that I want, not to mention the possibility of broken glass, like Karen mentioned. Mario loves being able to look out the window during car rides, so we will occasionally give him little rides around our very quiet neighborhood during low traffic times at about 20 mph. Other than that, he's crated up with the passenger seat moved back so that it holds the crate in place (for the most part, lol), which is obviously not ideal, but we're working on that. He would, of course, prefer to be out, but I'm not going to risk his safety so that he can have a few moments of enjoyment.

That being said: does anyone have recommendations for crate straps? New puppy's crate is a good deal smaller than Mario's (M's could probably fit a bull terrier, puppy's barely fits Mario comfortably), so we can't really wedge it between the two seat backs, and we would also like to have straps for Mario's crate. Just wedging it in, while better than what many (most) do, is nowhere near ideal and makes me nervous. We could always pop it on the floor, but I like to be able to have eyes on the dog through the rearview if need be, and the added security of the straps is far more desirable. I see Kurgo straps a lot, but if there's anything more secure, I'd really prefer that. The system just worries me a bit with them. Thanks!


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## Kidpsychpdd (Jul 31, 2013)

I didn't use the harness for Luna until she was about 11 pounds and 2 years old. I used the Sleepypod Air for her when she was a puppy and continue to use that as well now.


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## Kidpsychpdd (Jul 31, 2013)

You could put Mario in the Sleepypod click it harness with the seat belt and he could see out but would be secure and actually probably safer in a crash than in a crate.


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## Annabellam (Nov 2, 2015)

There is a wide variety of car seats out there. The Kittywalk cozy cabin works for Sammy because i know otherwise he would be trouble in the car, since he loves jumping around a lot. Am sure you'll find something that is safe and still allows your dog to see outside as much. Am not sure this allows him to enjoy as much as he would but at least he is safe all the way.


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## Antiohiy (Jul 19, 2016)

And we do not use dog seats, at least I haven't seen anyone who used them. Usually our dogs, even like mine, usually travel on hands of someone or just in the back seat. And children, too. Perhaps, in Russia, dog and baby seats are considered as foreign whim and almost nobody uses.
So Dasha riding just on the back seat))


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## seesawhavanese (Jun 17, 2015)

Our Mochi uses a Pupsaver dog seat. It works well for us.


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## Kurbs (Jul 14, 2016)

Antiohiy said:


> And we do not use dog seats, at least I haven't seen anyone who used them. Usually our dogs, even like mine, usually travel on hands of someone or just in the back seat. And children, too. Perhaps, in Russia, dog and baby seats are considered as foreign whim and almost nobody uses.
> So Dasha riding just on the back seat))


Actually, there's a good reason to use a dog car seat (and baby car seats too, for that matter). It's safe to just hold the dog but only for as long as everything's alright. As in, on the road. If, God forbid, there's a car crash, the chances of any of the passengers' survival depend on how well protected they are. Now, airbags and seat belts can outright kill dogs. Adult humans can use seat belts and airbags and expect to be safe. Dogs do not have that option, especially not Havs, they are more fragile than some other dogs.

Just google "the importance of dog car seats". This link is almost the first thing you will find. "Would you let your human toddler or baby hang his head out of the car window?" I know I wouldn't. I wouldn't let my Jasper do that either.

A car seat is not a "foreign whim". It's a means to make your dog safer. Do you not value your dog's life? I doubt that. When we engineer and make car seat dogs we're not being "stupid Americans". We do that for a reason, and that reason is safety.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Antiohiy said:


> And we do not use dog seats, at least I haven't seen anyone who used them. Usually our dogs, even like mine, usually travel on hands of someone or just in the back seat. And children, too. Perhaps, in Russia, dog and baby seats are considered as foreign whim and almost nobody uses.
> So Dasha riding just on the back seat))


How people transport their dogs varies greatly around the world. While both the dog and the passengers are, for sure, safer if the dog is restrained. (The safest way is in a crate, with a good quality harness or the Pup Saver mentioned by another poster on the seat a second choice). OTOH, there are LOTS of countries where these devices, like car seats for small children, are just not available. The fact is that people of my generation grew up when there weren't even seat belts in cars, and MOST of us survived. 

We here on the Havanese Forum are passionate about our dogs, and about caring for them in the best way we can, taking personal circumstances into consideration. So most people HERE, do use some form of restraint. However, especially in the rural areas of the U.S., (which is vast) you will see lots of dogs, large and small, riding loose in cars or even in the open bed of pick up trucks. I wouldn't do it with my dogs, but most of them DO survive!


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## PooPayGrandma (May 15, 2021)

Kidpsychpdd said:


> I use the sleepy pod clickit harness with Luna who is about 12 pounds. It has been crash test rated. Go to this site and you can see videos of test results for carriers, crates, and harnesses. Some of the popular ones fail miserably.
> 
> 2015 Carrier Study Results - Center for Pet Safety


Thank you posting this information.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

PooPayGrandma said:


> Thank you posting this information.


The problem with these harnesses is that yes, the keep the dog in the seat, so that makes it safer for the HUMANS in the car. But WATCH those videos. WATCH the NECK of the dummy dog. There is no way that a living dog would survive that crash without spinal damage, if not death. And this is not just a a guess on my part, but sad personal knowledge. A dear freind had his Papillon in one of these harnesses when he was in a lethal crash. He died in the crash. Yes, the Papillon survived the crash, but with spinal injuries so severe that he had to be euthanized at the vet’s office after transport.

PLEASE crate your dog in the car. Almost ANY crate is safer than any harness, if it is well strapped into the middle of the back seat if the car. But there are crates that are not terribly expensive that will keep your dog REALLY safe that are quite affordable too.

Also, remember that those tests were done in 2015…6 years ago. A HOST of much safer crates have become available in th intervening years,


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## PooPayGrandma (May 15, 2021)

Watching those videos was an eye opener. The harnesses are not safe for sure and I had no idea that the plastic crates would break. I’m going to go with the sleepy pod.


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## LWalks (Feb 7, 2021)

Kidpsychpdd said:


> I use the sleepy pod clickit harness with Luna who is about 12 pounds. It has been crash test rated. Go to this site and you can see videos of test results for carriers, crates, and harnesses. Some of the popular ones fail miserably.
> 
> 2015 Carrier Study Results - Center for Pet Safety


We’ve used this harness for a few years (Charlie is 17 lbs). He loves it (much more than he liked the bag we used to use) and gets excited whenever it comes out.... and I feel good knowing he’s safe! Those pet crash test videos are terrifying! 😞


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## PooPayGrandma (May 15, 2021)

Lisa Walker said:


> We’ve used this harness for a few years (Charlie is 17 lbs). He loves it (much more than he liked the bag we used to use) and gets excited whenever it comes out.... and I feel good knowing he’s safe! Those pet crash test videos are terrifying! 😞


Thank you Lisa. I will check out the harness. I have the pod ordered and will use it while our puppy is small.


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