Front seat dog options?

[InterBlog]

I got my dog platform finished with 3 coats of oil-based enamel this week.

Now if it will just STOP RAINING for a day or so, I'd like to get a pic of the thing put together in final form. We've had 23 inches of rain in the past couple of weeks (equivalent to half a year's total here) and the situation is beyond tedious by this point. Three of those inches fell yesterday. It's supposed to continue raining for at least 6 of the next 7 days.

Sorry for the big loud lettering. It's for Instagram, so it has to be legible at under 3 inches in size.

[InterBlog]

Final money shot. I did teach her to turn up the corners of her mouth in a smile, but I usually need to bribe her to do it. LOL.

[InterBlog]

This apparatus has become yet another case of, “OMG, why didn’t I do this four years ago?!”

Especially when there are 3 of us traveling, it makes a big difference. No more tripping on the dog during nighttime bathroom runs. No more struggling to access items in the cab because the dog is between the seats blocking the aisle. Now when Adult 1 needs to exit the slider, Adult 2 can make way by stepping into the cab. And the dog is happier too.

[rowiebowie]

Both of us travel together with our dog. So a front seat option is out for us. However, a double front seat option like this might work for one of our smaller grand-kids as a bed.


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[InterBlog]

We are currently experimenting with tire pressures, so LB_3 has done some riding in the back in order to gauge the effects. I expect that, on longer trips, we’ll pull the fit ball out of the passenger seat foot well and he will take his turn there. Meanwhile he enjoys seeing how relaxed the dog is in her new space.

[Lily&Me]

When my husband was alive, we made a bed of sorts for Lily in that space between the driver and passenger seats...because, otherwise, she wanted to ride in my lap.

Fine when she was a puppy, not so much at 50 lbs.

Maggie

[GETRIDAONE]

Our dog will ride on the floor for a little while. She eventually cries to get in my wifes lap. I found a storage container to fit in between the seats on top of the arm rests. It is secured with 2" velcro straps at the front and 1" at the back. I used the lid from the box and riverted it to the back so it won't slide forward. The velcro is easy to remove when you want to get to the back for anything.

[InterBlog]

That's a good K.I.S.S. solution. The smaller the dog, the easier the task.

[rmkrum]

Personally, I would add a properly sized padded dog harness and restraint strap to keep that cute furball from becoming an unguided missile in case of heavy braking or an unavoidable collision.

Our furry kids (all 4 of them) either ride in a secured crate, or have a fitted harness to protect them from accidents on the road.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by rmkrum

Personally, I would add a properly sized padded dog harness and restraint strap to keep that cute furball from becoming an unguided missile in case of heavy braking or an unavoidable collision.

Our furry kids (all 4 of them) either ride in a secured crate, or have a fitted harness to protect them from accidents on the road.

RMKRUM - We also strap our "kiddos". My daughter's & sister's smaller dogs use the harness similar to the child carrier harnesses that I can also strap to my torso. Our 75 lb. greyhound & other daughter's 65lb. golden doodle use the seatbelt secured safety harness. All our dogs have been trained from birth to leashes & harnesses, so long trips never an issue. Just like grandson, they are perfectly content strapped in provided the cartoons is playing on the big Samsung at front overhead and doggies watch Animal Channel in back tv. They can sit through a 400 mile trip before needing to stretch legs out

[rmkrum]

Yup. Fur Kids. All of them. Mine like to lay down on the seat or in the cage and sleep until I get off the highway. Then they pay attention to see what’s going on. Usually means a potty break, a walk, or dinner. They have us well trained, I suspect.

[GETRIDAONE]

[QUOTE=rmkrum;2190996]Personally, I would add a properly sized padded dog harness and restraint strap to keep that cute furball from becoming an unguided missile in case of heavy braking or an unavoidable collision.

There is a strap, it just didn't show in the picture very well. I am going to look for a little heavier harness before actually trying out the new seat on a trip.

[rmkrum]

Ah, was not real visible in the photos. Ours also have a broad, padded area with fleece material on the inside for comfort. The big guy, all 23 pounds of Tibetan Terrier, loves his.

Cute doggie.


Teddy, The Tibetan

Vader, Pomeranian Chihuahua mix

Cash, and Karey, maybe Maltese Poodle mix. They are related and bonded.

All are rescues, all males, all ‘lap magnets’ and great cuddlers

[kjbishop2]

In my view... best place for dogs are tethered on a back seat.. not on a front seat and certainly not tethered. Very distracting and dangerous otherwise.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by kjbishop2

In my view... best place for dogs are tethered on a back seat.. not on a front seat and certainly not tethered. Very distracting and dangerous otherwise.

This thread is about dogs in Interstates, which are built on Mercedes Sprinters. In terms of ride quality, the rear of those vans is too rough for some dogs - mine included. She spends some time back there, but she can be counted on to vomit repeatedly if her time there gets to be too long.

I drive from Houston to far northeastern Nova Scotia every year, a minimum 40 driving hours each way. My dog has to spend quite a bit of time up front during that trip.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by kjbishop2

In my view... best place for dogs are tethered on a back seat.. not on a front seat and certainly not tethered. Very distracting and dangerous otherwise.

KJBISHOP - I only agree with you 50%. Not sure how a tethered (and we'll trained dogs like ours) could be any more distracting than my full grown adult wife or kids or toddler grandson anywhere near me while I drive. BUT having said that, I never have my dogs or grandson in the front seat for obvious safety reasons related to airbag deployment. We always tether our "kiddos" (human & animal) in the middle captain's seats. Middle is better than front or rear. When we travel, unless all van seats are fully occupied, the very last seat that gets occupied is the front passenger seat. My logic here is in the event of an accident, I want every available adult (except me, the driver) to not be anywhere near deploying airbags. Their chances of walking away without even a red face is maximized. If I am killed by a Tanaka-style bag deployment, at least family can take a cab home, rather than die with me. So I do agree that the front seat is a very dangerous place to be, not just for dogs & children, but for everyone. Which is why I take such extreme steps.

[Mansderm161]

If only a cat would go that!

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by Mansderm161

If only a cat would go that!

MANSDERM161 - As you had similarly stated in 'nother thread - cats are not only in 'nother country, they in 'nother universe. I don't have cats, but one my best friends has 3. Whenever they travel in their rv, she's off to the moon situating them as they want their own "space" Luckily, she has a 40 ft. Monaco, so 'nuff space for kitty's to have their own territory.

[Pahaska]

When we had the Classic 28 trailer, our three cats abandoned their home pecking order and shared the space gracefully. We had one cat that rode between the curtain and the curved front glass while in motion. She loved to see the country. Another cat wedged his 20# between the crossways queen bed and the back of the trailer to ride. Still another found his place on the queen bed. They never seemed to quarrel in the trailer.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by Pahaska

When we had the Classic 28 trailer, our three cats abandoned their home pecking order and shared the space gracefully. We had one cat that rode between the curtain and the curved front glass while in motion. She loved to see the country. Another cat wedged his 20# between the crossways queen bed and the back of the trailer to ride. Still another found his place on the queen bed. They never seemed to quarrel in the trailer.

JOHN - either you the best cat-whisperer in the rv universe or very, very lucky to have them sharing their territory in peace.