# Scary Driving Situation



## CrazyCash (Jul 12, 2012)

Today I had a serious scare in the car with the dogs. I will never drive in the car again without the dogs being restrained! In the car the dogs were in their usual positions - Penny on the floorboard (her favorite place) and Cash in his favorite place, standing on the center console watching where we are going. Well this guy turned right in front of me and I had to hit the brakes hard to avoid hitting him. Cash flew forward and honestly I thought he was going to go through the windshield. I'm not exactly sure how I did this, but I ended up catching him before he slammed into anything but he ended up knocking the car out of gear and then ended up behind me in my seat which basically pinned me up again the steering wheel. It was sooo dangerous. Luckily we came away uninjured but it freaked me out. Cash could have been seriously injured! Even though he loves to ride up front with me, I'm not doing that any more - both dogs need to be secured for everyone's safety.


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## hcrowder (Dec 26, 2013)

So glad to hear everything worked out ok.


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## mlwindc (Feb 8, 2013)

Really glad everyone is okay! What a scary situation. I don't trust other drivers either... Those nuts out there!


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## MCD (May 4, 2013)

Yes it is very scary. Since we were rearended and our car was totalled when we went to see Dharma for the first time we have never left her unrestrained in the car. I was rearended again last December while alone in the car. I just don't trust anybody else. Not with my dog, my husband or my daughters lives in a car any more. Glad everyone was alright.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Glad it was just a scare, and your family is intact.
Most of us have let them ride loose in the car, at least a time or two. Its just not any safer for them than it would be for a unrestrained child.
I have even heard of families searching for their dogs after bad rollover accidents. The driver would be hurt, and the scared, hurt dog would escape, and runoff.
Its the major reasons I drive such large vehicles. Crates take up lots of room, but I still don't trust the other dog restraints. If you look up Ruff Tough Kennels, they are some of the best safety rated ones on the market.


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## CrazyCash (Jul 12, 2012)

It was definitely a wake up call for me! We were just going on a short ride - maybe 10 minutes so I didn't think anything of it, but it's amazing how fast a 60 lb dog can go flying!


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## tknafox2 (Apr 2, 2013)

Dear CC... I know just what you went through!! It happened to me, but not quite so badly, With Pearl. She is to big to sit squarely on the seat, which is where she likes to be, looking out the window. Fortunately for me, she just slid off the back seat into the front seat and ended up on the floor, and didn't get hurt, just shook up...both of us.
Since then, I bought these great harnesses called "kurgo" They are inexpensive $25-30 online, and you can usually get them shipped for free. The seat belt goes through a loop leash that snaps to the harness itself, and you can even use it as a leash out of the car. Cash could even ride in his favorite place... that is where Fergy likes to stand too! it might not work for Penny with out a longer tether.
Fergy's is med. But I wish I had bought him a large!


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## CrazyCash (Jul 12, 2012)

Thanks - I'll definitely check those out! For long trips I put the seats down flat with the dog beds and I tether Penny in the back. Penny is afraid of the cars driving past us so in the past she has tried to jump in my lap while I'm driving. Now she's tethered down and I make her a little cave with blankets that she likes to hide in. I'll have to get a harness for Cash now and tether both of them - Cash will hate it but he'll be much safer!


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## tknafox2 (Apr 2, 2013)

Fergy likes to stand on the console also, and even with his harness on and straped through the seat belt of the back seat, he can still do it. He either sits his butt on the seat with forelegs on the console, or stands on the floor . The seat belt is tight, and the harness is stretched a bit, but if I had to hit the brakes, he would be held fast, he would probably bang his chest on the console is all. 
I like it because with out the harness, he climbs around the car, and likes to get on the front seat. 
Pearl really loves hers, because she is so much more secure sitting up looking out.


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## Duke14 (Jul 20, 2014)

TexasRed said:


> Glad it was just a scare, and your family is intact.
> Most of us have let them ride loose in the car, at least a time or two. Its just not any safer for them than it would be for a unrestrained child.
> I have even heard of families searching for their dogs after bad rollover accidents. The driver would be hurt, and the scared, hurt dog would escape, and runoff.
> Its the major reasons I drive such large vehicles. Crates take up lots of room, but I still don't trust the other dog restraints. If you look up Ruff Tough Kennels, they are some of the best safety rated ones on the market.


Can I ask what size you use? We are looking at crates and I anticipate that we are going to have a large male. The breeder tells me that our boy, at 1 week old is the size of a 2 week old and is healthy. He was part of a small litter, just three large boys. I want to make sure he's safe at all times. I put my kids in car seats, I planned on at least using a harness.


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## RugersParents (Jul 16, 2013)

Glad to hear you guys are ok, some great advice my breeder gave me was to always transport our V in a tied down kennel for their safety. My breeder said the same thing that Texas Red said about dogs leaving accident from being scared. I also drive big trucks so I have the room for a Transport Kennel.


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## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

Duke14 said:


> Can I ask what size you use?


I use an intermediate ruff tough. The dimensions are 20"W X 31"L X 23"H and are a good fit for my 50ish lb girl. She's a wirehair and a few inches taller than most vizslas we've met, except large males. That size wouldn't be my choice for long term crating in the house once full grown though.


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## MeandMy3 (Feb 27, 2013)

I am so glad you are ok, although I'm sure still shaken up a bit. 

When we added the pups, we bought a bigger vehicle to accommodate kennels, although our two older labs take their spot on the floor. I plan to order them restraints today.


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## MilesMom (Jun 21, 2012)

we are looking into seatbelts!!! A girl in my neighborhood has 3 V's and just was rear ended. She lost one dog as they were ejected from the car, and one is seriously injured.


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