Question Harness and buckle for your dog while traveling in your RV?

[Neal]

Ms. Elli is growing up and she's been graduated out of the crate for travel and allowed on the couch (with sofa cover). She did great the last two legs which is a relief, I've had enough lip from her about the crate the other night when she knows she can sleep in bed now. I use a harness in the car and a seat belt attachment. I used this for the first leg and upon parking she started off the couch and was wrapped in the lead. I was not happy to see this as she was stuck, no way to get her out of it and if it happened while driving I would have to pull over. 2nd leg I did not use the harness.

What are your thoughts about securing your pet with a harness and seat belt lead? I'm concerned about using one in the RV now. The other option is the crate but my plan is to no longer travel with it.

 

[CaptainGizmo]

Neal,

I think they have as much merit as keeping a child in a carseat. The last thing you'd want, is for her to go flailing forward, should you happen to romp on the brakes. In fact, I suppose even a BIGGER argument can be made in an RV, since the potential distance of unrestricted travel could be enough to cause great injury to your pet. From the couch to the dash, could be 10 feet, and that's a LOT of kinetic energy by the time they hit the dash. In a car/truck, they really can't go far, since they'd "hopefully" hit the back of the front seat.

So...

Now that I've said that..no, we don't keep him secured in our RV. Hmmm...I'll rethink this.

I DO carry a harness kit in my truck, just in case my golden needs to go for a ride. When in the bed, I'll clip him by a strong collar for local short errands. I have a rig back there that keeps him equidistant from the sides, so that he can't get too far up on the bedsides.

For the inside, I have the Kurgo seatbelt insert that clips in, and then can clip to his the Kurgo harness. Probably the same as you have.

 

[Neal]

I'll have to do some research to see how much of a hazard this safety setup is for dogs. In a car it's one thing as the lead to the seatbelt pretty much remains below the dog (unless a top down setup). But a dog lying on the couch in a RV is a very different scenario, well, maybe not but I don't see a dog sleeping and rolling over like this in a car. Anyways, I'm trying to do the right thing, never used one on the prior dog, and this one caught my attention when I saw her wrapped in it.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

We have much smaller critters to deal with, but we use harnesses with both Mini Schnauzers. They are used in conjunction with cloth-covered foam boxes/beds. The harness has an attachment loop at the back and we keep the safety strap very short. The dogs can just stand up comfortably though they prefer to lay down and snooze during the trip.

If Elli is getting tangled up, I suspect you have too much slack in the attachment strap, or you are attaching the strap up near the front of the harness rather than at the back. This is the harness we use:

Dog Harnesses | BaxterBoo

Dog Harnesses are designed to keep our pets safe and secure (and fashionable!. Shop our large selection of Dog Harnesses for dogs of all shapes and sizes.

www.baxterboo.com

They are a little hard to find, but very comfortable for our dogs, and very durable.

TJ

 

[Neal]

Yes, she could come off the sofa but not far with it. The seat belt plus harness lead is probably 4 feet. I'll see if I can figure a way to shorten it so she can't come off the sofa and that's a good start.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

We use a tether strap similar to (but not same brand) this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0083QSSL6/?tag=rvf01-20

Ours is adjustable in length, but not very much.

TJ

 

[CaptainGizmo]

Yes, she could come off the sofa but not far with it. The seat belt plus harness lead is probably 4 feet. I'll see if I can figure a way to shorten it so she can't come off the sofa and that's a good start.

Neal, my seatbelt strap DOES have an adjustment that can restrict him almost to the point of forcing him to lay down.

This is what I have:

KURGO Direct to Seatbelt Swivel Dog Collar Tether, Black/Orange - Chewy.com

Buy Kurgo Direct to Seatbelt Swivel Dog Collar Tether, Black/Orange at Chewy.com. FREE shipping and the BEST customer service!

www.chewy.com

 

[Neal]

This is what I'm using. I probably just need to shorten it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QX6FD3X/?tag=rvf01-20

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

I would only use a single tether strap. Using two could create the entanglement issues you described. Not sure it you were using one or a pair at the same time.

TJ

 

[Neal]

I only use one, it just comes with two, one for the RV and one is in the toad.

 

[CaptainGizmo]

This is what I'm using. I probably just need to shorten it.

Amazon.com : Cotcool Dog seat Belt 2 Pack Adjustable Elastic Durable Nylon Pet Dog Car Seat Belt Pet Puppy Safety Leash Leads Car Vehicle Seatbelt for Dogs, Cats and Pets (Black) : Pet Supplies

Ah ha. Ok, I can see how that’s never gonna be very short since it’s a bungee style.

If you need short, check the Kurgo one out.

 

[Neal]

I own several others, I'll try a shorter one. Okay, I have too many of them! I was eager as a soon to be puppy owner and got a little order crazy.