What’sthefirstthingyoudowhenyougetinthecarIfyousaid,“Iputonmyseatbelt”,goodjob!ButwhataboutyourdogJustlikeyou,yourdogneedstobesecurelyrestrainedanytimehe’sinthecar.Thereareseveralpetsafetyrestraintsonthemarket.Tofindthebestdogcarharnessandseatbelts,youneedtofindonethatproperlyfitsyourdog’sbodytypeandpersonality.
Ifyouareinanaccident,adogharnessordogseatbeltshouldkeepyourdogsafelyrestrained.Whenatravelrestraintisusedcorrectly,youdon’thavetofeartakingyourdogonlongdistancetripsonthehighway.Infact,goodrestraintscankeepbothyouandyourdogcalmerbylesseningdistractions.
Keepingyourdogrestrainedinthecarmeansthat:
Thebestdogharnesseshavepassedallofthetestsandreviewsintwoareas:protectingtheinsideofyourcarandkeepingyourdogsafeatthesametime.
Therightharnesswillbecomfortableenoughthatthedogwon’tmindwearingitandwillbemadeofmaterialsthatwon’tirritateyourdog’sskinorpullhishair.However,theyshouldalsobestrong,abletowithstandthepullingandtorqueofadogwhowantstobreakfreeandabletowithstandtremendouscrashforces.
Largerdogsareextremelystrong,somethingyouprobablyalreadyknowwhenyouwalkthedog,butheendsupwalkingyou!Theycaneasilysnaporchewthroughleashes,belts,andevenseatbelts.
Alldogscanbeadistractionforthedriver,whichcouldcauseanaccident.Largedogscancauseevenmoredamage.Theirsizealonecanbeadangertopassengersandyourcar’sinterior.
Keepingyourdogfixedinplacewillkeepyour
Evenifyourdogiseasygoinganddoesn’tjumparound,theweightofthedogandthemovementofthecarcanbeenoughtosnapharnesses.Typically,bigdogharnessesaremadeoutofmoreheavyweightmaterials.Fixingyourdogwithaspecialharnesswillkeepeveryonesafe.
Childcarseatsandvehicleseatbeltsareeasiertodesigninthathumanshavebasicallythesamebuilddependingonage.Therefore,they’reeasiertoconsistentlytestforsafety.Thechallengeisthatdogscomeinmanydifferentbreeds,sizes,weightsandshapes.Thatmakesitdifficulttomakepetsafetyrestraintsthatareuniversallysafeforeverydog.
That’swhyit’simportanttoaccuratelymeasureyourdogbeforeyoupurchaseanyrestraint.Theyaremadespecificallyfordogsofdifferentsizes.
UnsurehowtomeasureyourdogFirstyouneedtomeasureyourdog’schest,whichisthegirthrightbehindthearmpits.Thenmeasurethelowerneck.
Onceyouhaveaccuratemeasurements,you’rereadytoshop!
WehavetestedeachcarharnessfromsystematizedcustomerreviewsfromtheUS.
TheEzyDogDRIVEDogCarHarnessisapremiumdogcarharnessatapremiumprice.Madeinthreesizes,thefitwilldependonthegirthofyourdog,whichisthecircumferenceofthebodybehindthefrontlegs.Itcomesinonecolor-black.
Oneofthefewcarharnesseswithcrashsafetyresultsonvideo,theEzyDogDriveisarealcontenderasasafeandreliableharness,especiallyforlargedogs.ItwascrashtestedatAutomotiveSafetyEngineeringinAustralia.
Ownerslovethefactthatithasa“MagLok”closuresystemthatallowsthemtofittheharnessonceandnothavetoreadjustitwitheverycartrip.Themoldable,ergonomicchestplateprovidesagoodfitformostdogs.
Theharnesscanalsobeusedasawalkingharness.Stronghigh-qualityfabricandstitchinginthestrapsmakeitverysturdyandsafe.
Thewidestraps,longneckcuff,andoverallstiffnessoftheharnesscouldbeuncomfortableforsmalldogsanddogswithshortnecks.Dogsthatliketoliedownalotmayfindthestiffnesstobeuncomfortableaswell.Itmayalsobetoostiffforsomedogsasawalkingharness.
Dogsthatarehabitualchewersmaybeabletochewintotheshoulderstraps.HairmayaccumulateintheVelcro,sofrequentinspectionsandhandwashingmaybenecessary.
Customerslovedthatthesizewassoeasilyadjustableandthatitonlyhastobefittedoncefortheirdogs.TheylikedtheVelcrotabsthatconcealedexcesssizingfabric.Manyownersagreethatittakessometimetogettheadjustmentright,butit’sworthitfortheeasy-on/offafteryougetitfittedcorrectly.
Somecustomersthoughttheharnesswasbetterforlargedogsbuttoostiffandbulkyforsmallandmediumdogsandthosethatliketoliedownwhiletraveling.Afewcustomersweredisappointedthatitwastoobigforverysmalltoy-sizedogs.
TheEzyDogChestPlateHarnessfeaturesasoftEVAfoampanelthatconformstoyourdog’schestovertimetoprovideaperfectfitandkeepsthemfrombackingoutofit.Itcomeswithaseatbeltrestraintforuseinavehicle.Itcomesin10colorsand6sizes(XSmalltoXXLarge)fordogsbetween7and77+poundsandgirthof12”-53”.
Madein5sizes,theKurgoTru-Fitfitsdogsfrom5-110pounds.Ithas5adjustmentpointstomoreeasilyfitdogswithvaryingbodyshapesandcomesinblackandred.
Madewithsteelandnaturalfibers,thisisagoodoptionforpeoplewhoplantotravelfurtherdistanceswiththeirdogs.TheseharnesseswerecrashtestedattheUniversityofMichiganTransportationResearchInstitutefordogsupto130pounds.
Afterashortlearningcurve,bucklingthisharnessonyourdogshouldcomeeasily.Themanyadjustmentpointsissomethingthatseveraldogownersappreciated,particularlythosewhoownedafewdifferenttypes/sizesofdogs.Themetalbucklesfeelsturdierthanplasticonesonotherharnesses.Youcanalsocomfortablywalkyourdoginthisharness.
TheseharnessesmaynotfitsnuglyenoughandmaybetooheavyonverysmalldogssuchasChihuahuas.Thereisnoswivelattachment,sodogsthatliketocircleintheirseatmaytwistthetetherstrap.Thereisaheavy-dutyswivelattachmentyoucanpurchaseseparately.Severalpeoplehadahardtimebucklingtheharness,sobesuretowatchvideosontheKurgowebsitetohelpifyou’rehavingahardtime.
OnethingthatimpressedcustomersisthatKurgowillreplaceanyharnessthat’sbeenwornduringanaccidentatnocharge.They’llalsoreplacechewedharnessesforasmallfee.Customerslikedthatthisharnessdecreasedpullinginlargedogs,makingiteasierforchildrenortheelderlytowalktheirpets.
Thosewitharthritisreporteddifficultywiththebuckles,plusthemetalbucklesandoveralldesigncanbeabitheavyandstiffforolderorverysmalldogs.
ThisharnesswastestedattheMGAResearchCorp(aNHTSAcontractedtestfacility).Ithasauniversalattachmentthatfitsmostvehicleseatbeltsandisgreatforlongcartrips.Thefabriciscomfortableenoughtokeeponduringpottybreaksbuttheall-metalhardwaremakesitstrongandsecure.
TheLoadUpcomesinonecolor-black.Thereisnorecommendedweightrange,soyou’llhavetorelyongirthmeasurement.
Ifyou’realreadyaRuffwearbrandfan,you’llprobablylikethisharness.ManyloyalRuffwearcustomershavebeensatisfiedwiththisone.Itseemedtofitbarrel-chesteddogslikewhippets,boxers,andgreyhoundsreallywell.The5sizesofferedmakethisharnessgoodforawiderangeofdogs.Mostdogswereabletoliedown,sitorstandeasily.
Whiletheharnesscanallowmorefreedomofmovement,ifyourdogissuperwiggly,hemaygettangledintheseatbelt.Theclipstoclosetheharnesstakealittlegettingusedto,whichcanbemoredifficultwithawigglydog.Werecommendyouwatchvideostogetagoodfeelforputtingiton.Someownersputitonupsidedownanddidn’trealizeituntillater.
SomecustomersboughtthisRuffwearharnessasasizeupgradefortheSleepyPodClickitSportastheyseemedtofittheirlargedogsmuchbetter.Thesturdinessmadetheharnessbetterforlongertrips,butafewcustomersfeltitwastoodifficulttoadjustforeverydaydrives.Also,somepeoplereportedthattheharnesswastoolongfortheirdogsandcoveredtheirprivates,sotheycouldn’twearitwhengoingpotty.
TheMightyPawVehicleSafetyHarnessisoneofthefewvehicleharnessesthatdoesdoubledutyasagoodwalkingharness.Itcomesin4sizesfordogsfrom16”-44”ingirth.Forthecar,youalsoneedtheMightyPawSafetyBelt,whichmustbeboughtseparately.
AccordingtoMightyPaw,theirharnesswasnotcrashtestedbyathirdparty,butwasprivatelytestedandpassed.Legally,sinceitwasonlyprivatelytested,theyaren’tallowedtosharethoseresultspublically.Ifthisbothersyou,thenthisharnesswouldprobablybebestusedasawalking/hikingharnessinstead.
Thisharnessisaffordable.Ithas4tri-glideadjustersforamoresecurefit.Therearetwoleashattachmentsformulti-purposeusesinvehicles,walks,runsorhikes.Theseparatesafetybeltattachestothecar’sLATCHsystemwhichpreventsyourdoggettingloosefromaccidentallysteppingontheseat-beltrelease.Reflectivestitchingprovidesbettervisibilityatnight.
MightyPawhasa90day100%satisfactionguaranteedpolicy.Theyseemprettyresponsivesocallcustomerserviceifyoufindanydefects.
Youhavetobuytheseatbeltseparately,whichisratherinconvenient.Luckily,they’renotexpensive,butitwouldbeniceiftheyweresoldtogether.Sizingmaybeoff,assomecustomersreportedthattheharnessescouldbetoolooseonverysmalldogs.
Peoplelovedthatitworkedsowellasawalkingharnessandhadseveraladjustmentpoints.Mostfounditeasytoputonandtakeoff,butsomecustomerswishedthereweremorepicturesoravideotohelp.Forsomecustomers,theirdogschewedthroughiteasily,andforothers,somedidn’tliketheplasticbucklesandfelttheyweren’tsturdy.
Thisharnesscomesin6sizesandmanycolor/patternoptions.It’sveryaffordable,madewithbreathablemeshfabricandaflanneletteedge.Therearefourpointsofadjustmentforacustomizedfit.Itcanbeusedasawalkingharnessaswellasinthecarandcomeswithasafetyseatbeltthathooksintothevehicleseatbuckle.
The2quick-releasebucklesmakegettingthisharnessonandoffsupereasy.It’saffordableenoughwithanybudget.Thesafetyseatbeltisstretchy,givingthedogalittlemoreroomtomovearound.It’seasytosliponandoffthedog,withnoneedforthedogtostepintotheharness.It’scomfortableenoughtowearforhoursifneeded.
Youhavetoslipthefrontpartoveryourdog’shead,soifyouhaveadogthathatesthat,youmightwanttolookelsewhere.Fordeep-chesteddogs,thefitmightbelooseintherearportion.Also,theseatbeltisn’tcompatiblewithseveralvehicles,includingmanyHondaandKiamodels.
Customerservicehasbeenreallyresponsivewhenownershavereportedissues,oftenreplacingamis-sizedorbrokenharnessforfreewithnoquestionsasked.Afewcustomersfeltthesizeranlargeandsuggestedorderingasizedown.Forstrongpullers,themetalringsmaynotholdupwell.Somecustomerssewedaroundtheconnectionstoreinforcethestitching.
TheSolvitDeluxeCarSafetyHarnessisgoodforthosethatmakeshortertripswiththeirdogs.Itcomesin4sizesfordogsfrom6-120pounds.Italsocomeswithatetherthatattachestothevehicleseatbelt.Onlyonecolor(blue/black)isoffered.
AccordingtoPetSafe,theharnesswascrash-testedinaDOT-approvedfacilityandstress-testedto3,000poundsplus.Fromwhatwegather,itperformedmuchbetterwhenusedwithanoptional3-pointattachmentwhichdoesn’tseemtobeavailablenow.Formaximumsafetyinthecar,werecommendpurchasingaseparatesafetytether(ortwo)thatcanhooktothecar’sLATCHanchors,suchastheMightyPawSafetyBelt.
NOTE:InJune2018,Thesmall,mediumandlargeharnessesweretestedatCalspan’sBuffalo,NYcrashtestfacilityandpassedthePetProductsStandardsCouncil’slabtestprocedureforpetsafetyharnessrestraints.
Thepricepointisanobviousprohereformanypeople,whofeelthisisoneofthebestvaluesthatyoucanget.Itisalsoeasytocleanandadjust,makingitagoodoptionifyouhavemorethanonedog.Petownerslikedthatitofferedtheirdogsenoughwiggleroomtoliedownandsitwithseveralwaystoattachittoyourvehicleseatbelt.
Sincethisisabitthinnerandlesspaddedthanheavier-dutyharnesses,yourdoglikelywon’tbeascomfortableforlongertrips.Itmaynotholdtogetherwellinhigh-velocitycrashesasis,unlessyoupurchaseextraLATCHattachmentsoranotherheavier-dutybrand.
Hereisoneinterestingusefromacustomerwhosedogconstantlydugundertheirfence.Sheattachedabrightorangepoolnoodletooneoftheloopsontheharness.Itkeptherdogfromgettingunderthefenceandmadehimeasiertospotaswell.Also,ownersreportthatitcanfeelstiffandbulkyonsomesmallerdogs.
Thisisoneofthemostaffordableharnessesonourlist.Itcomesin4sizesand10color/patternchoicesfordogsfrom4.4to88pounds.Thislightweightharnessismadewithoxfordpolyesterfabricwhichmakesitsoftandbreathable.Itcanalsobeusedasawalkingharness.
Thewide,spongychestplateiscomfortableforlongwearinguse.It’ssimpletoputonandtakeoffwithjust2buckles.Thereare4adjustmentpointstogetabetterfit.Thereisnoneedforthedogtostepintotheharness,whichmakesiteasiertouse.
Dogsthatdon’tlikethingsbeingputovertheirheadsmaynotlikeitwhenyouputthison.Also,theseatbeltattachmentisnotcompatiblewiththeKiaNiro,2011JeepWranglerandHondaSeries.Theremaybeothersthataren’tlisted,sopleasecontactthemanufacturertoseeifyourvehicleiscompatiblebeforepurchasing.
Customerservicehasbeenresponsivetoissues,oftenreplacingharnessesfornocharge.Somecustomersfoundthatlargedogswithbignecksmayoutgrowtheneckpartquickly,andoveralltheharnessestendtorunsmall.Theadjustablestrapsalsotendtoloosenovertime,soyou’llneedtorecheck/retightenoften.
Themostaffordablerestraintsforfixingyourdogorpuppyinthecar.Thebestdogseatbeltsaresturdyenoughtoholdyourdoginplacebyattachingtothedog’sharnessandtothevehicleseatbeltand/orLATCHanchors.
Seatbeltrestraintsmaycomewithyourdogharness,ortheymayhavetobepurchasedseparately.Inanycase,it’stheonepartoftheharnessthatwillgetthemosttorqueandabuse,whichmeansthatitneedstobereplacedfromtimetotime.
Importantsafetytip:NEVERuseadogseatbeltwithadogcollar.Useonlywithadogcarharness.Usingitwithacollarcouldleadtosevereinjuryintheeventofacrash,includingstrangulation,brokenneck,ordeath.
TheMightyPawSafetyBeltattachestotheLATCHanchorswitharock-climber’scarabinerclipmadefromaviationaluminum.It’smadewithhighqualitynylonandall-metalhardware(noplastic).Youcanadjustthelengthfrom16”-26”tofitdogsofanysize.Itcomesintwocolors(black&gray)andalsocomeswithatangle-freeattachmentthatallowsyourdogtoturneasierwithoutgettingtangled.
Extremelyeasytoinstallanduse,justattachittoyourcar’sLATCHanchorsandleaveitthereforquicklyattachingyourpup’sharnessforeverytrip.Theswivelattachmenthasbeenespeciallypopularwithownerstokeeptheirpupsfromgettingtangled.
Somedogsstillmanagedtogettangled,however,iftheseatbeltwastooshort.Dogsthatarehabitualchewersmaychewthroughthisseatbelt,sokeepthatinmind.Ifyouhavealargedogthatlikestositup,trytomeasurefromtheLATCHconnectorinyourseattowherethebeltwillattachonhisharnesswhenhe’ssittingintheseat.Ifit’slessthan26”,you’reprobablygoodtogo.
Ownersofverylargebreedslovedthatthisofferedtheirdogjustenoughroomtocomfortablyliedownwithoutgettingcarsick,butnotsomuchroomthattheycouldclimbintothefrontseat.Somedogsthattendtoleanoutwindows,etc,maydobetterattachedtothetoptetheranchors.Severalownersreportedtheirdogschewedthroughitwhileriding,soyoumaywanttooptforthechew-proofmodelbelow.
Foraboutthesamepriceastheoriginal,thisversionismadewith2.34mmstainlesssteelbraidedwirethat’sstrongenoughtooutlastthosehabitualchewers.Ithasthesameaviationaluminumcarabinerthatattachestoyourcar’sLATCHbars.It’snotadjustablelength,butcomesin3sizes.
ThisseatbeltfromKurgocomesin4differentstylestoaccomodatedogsthatbehavedifferently.Theyaredesignedtoworkwithmostdogharnesses.
Dogsmaybeabletopresstheseatbeltbuttonandreleasethemselvesfromthecarabinerclipstyle.Alldogsthatarechewerscanchewthroughtheseprettyquickly.BesidesbeingincompatiblewithVolvoandFordtrucks,tTheseatbeltclipmaynotworkwellinToyotaTundrasandothernon-USmadebrands.Ifyoutrythezipline,besuretotestitfirstsoyouknowhowmuchroomyourdoghastomovesohewon’tendupjumpingoutthewindoworintothefrontseat.
Mostpetparentsloveallofthesestylesforvariousreasons.Thecarabinerclipperformedwellinacustomer-reportedaccident.However,fromcustomerfeedback,ifyouhavealargeoractivedog,itwouldbebesttogowiththeswivelclip,asit’slesspronetotwisting.
Thischew-proofrestraintismadewithaheavydutynylon-coveredsteelcable.It’sthesamematerialusedfordogtie-outs.Theyaredesignedtoattachyourdog’sexistingharnesstothecar’sLATCHanchors.Therestraintcomesin5sizes-16”,21”,26”,31”,and36”.
Togettherightmeasurement,youmeasurefromthedog’sharnessconnectionwhilehesitsonthefloor,downata45degreeangleinfrontofthedog.Youcanfindvideosthatdemonstratethisfromthemanufacturer.Roundthisnumberuptothenearestseatbeltsizetofindthebestfit.NOTE:Thelengthincludesthelengthoftheclaspsontheend.
Ownerswithchronicchewerswerehappythatthesteelcabledeterredtheirdogfromdestroyingtheseatbelt.Youcanleavethemhookedupinthecarforeasyattachingtoyourdog’sharnessforeverytrip.Customerserviceseemstobetopnotch,respondsquickly,andsendsreplacementswhenneeded.
Thoughthecordcan’tbeeasilychewedthrough,dogsmaystilldamagethenyloncoating.Itshouldnotinterferewiththeseatbeltintegrity,however.IftheLATCHanchorsintheseatarehardforyoutoreacheasily,youmayneedtousethetoptetheranchors,sobesuretocheckthatfirst.Thenmeasureandpurchaseaccordingtowhichanchorsyou’llneedtouse.
Accordingtoafewowners,thesecanalsobeconnectedtothetie-downclipsinyourcargoareaifyouhavethem.SomepeoplereportedthattheLATCHconnectorsbroke.Othercustomerssaidtheirbeltsendedupbeingtooshortandthatthedogscouldbarelymove.BesuretoorderUPtothenexthighestlengthininchesAFTERyoumeasureproperly.
Themostcolorfuloption,BlueberryPetDogSeatBeltsaregreatfordogsofanysizeandmanydifferentcars.Itcomesinseveralbrightcolors,andthematchingcollarscanevenbepersonalized.Theseatbeltis1”wideandadjustsfrom16.5”-25.5”.Ithooksintoyourregularseatbeltbuckle.
NOTE:ThisseatbeltisNOTcompatiblewithVolvocars.
Abasicseatbelt,thecolorsandthevarietymakethisverycustomizable.Youcanpurchasematchingcollars,leashesandharnessesseparately.There’salsoanoptiontocustomizethecollarswithembroideringyourpet’sname,yourphone#oraddress,etc.Ownerslovethebrightcolorsandthattheydon’tfadeevenaftermachinewashing.
Sinceitonlyhooksintotheregularseatbeltbuckle,youmaywanttobuysomebuckleguardsliketheBuckleBuddyalongwiththisseatbelt.Someownersreportedthattheirdogssteppedonthebuttonandgotloose.Afewpeoplefounditdifficulttoreleasefromtheseatbeltbuckle.Dogscanalsochewthroughthisseatbelt,soit’snotgoodforhabitualchewers.
Byfar,thebiggestcomplaintwasthatdogscouldstepontheseatbeltbuttonandunbucklethemselves.Aseatbeltbuckleguardisagreatadditiontohelppreventthis.
Thissimpledesignismadetoclickandgo.It’sadjustablefrom17.5”-26”tofitdogsofmanysizes.Itclipsintoyourexistingseatbeltbuckleandfitsmostvehicles,butisnotcompatiblewithVolvovehicles.Itcomesinblack,grayandtan.
2400poundsofbreakingstrengthmakesthisbeltsuperstrong.It’smadeofnylonseatbeltwebbingandhasaswivelstyleheavy-dutysnaphooktohandlethepulloflargedogs.It’scompatiblewithmostdogharnesses,includingtheEzyDogQuickFit,ChestPlate,andConvertharnesses.
Againifyouhaveadogthattendstostepontheseatbeltbutton,theycouldunbucklethemselvesunlessyouuseaseatbeltbuckleguard.Also,dogswholiketochewcanchewthroughthisone,soyoumaybebetteroffwithoneofthesteel-cordedones.Fortalldogs,thismaynotbelongenoughtoallowthemtositup.
SomepetownerswithHyundaiandToyota(Camry&Sequoia)vehiclessaidthebeltclipdidn’tworkintheircars,especiallyinthecenterseat.Also,oneownerreporteditdidn’tworkinher1994JeepWrangler.Ifyouareconcernedaboutcompatibility,youmaywanttogowiththeEzyDogUniversalDogCarRestraint,whichhooksontoyourcar’sactualseatbeltanddoesn’tclipintothebuckle.
For2-dogfamilies,thisdoublepackiseasyonthebudget.Madeofheavy-dutynylon,thisseatbelthasazincalloyswivelsnapandametalbucklethatclipsintoyourvehicleseatbeltbuckle.Itcomesin6colors(black,blue,fluorescentgreen,fluorescentorange,pink,andred)andadjustsfrom19.68”-32.28”.
Sinceyou’regettingtwoinone,thisagreataffordableoptionfora2-dogfamilyorforinstallingin2cars.Sincetheycanbeadjusted,youcanusethemfordogsofvaryingsizes.They’resimpletouseandworktokeepyourdogfromjumpinginthefrontseatoroutofthecar.
Theproductcomeswithnoinstructionsonhowtouseit,butthedesignissimpleenoughformostownerstofigureout.Theycanloosenovertime,soyou’llhavetoreadjustthelength,especiallyfordogsthatpullalot.Likeothersimilarbelts,thisonecanbechewedthroughanddogsmaygetlooseiftheystepontheseatbeltbutton.
Overall,customersarehappywiththisproduct,primarilybecauseit’ssimpleandcheap.Thebeltoffersagoodrangeofmovementfordogswholiketochangepositionsoften.Afewpeoplereportedthatthebucklegotstuckinthereceptacleorthattheirdogcouldsimplypullitfromthereceptacle.Severalreportedtheirdogscouldchewthroughit,sokeepthatinmind.
Thisisagoodalternativeforusingadogseatbeltincarsthatotherbeltsareincompatiblewith.Theswivelclipthatattachestothedog’sharnesspreventstangling.The2-packisgoodfor2-dogfamiliesorforinstallingandleavingin2vehicles.Itcanbeusedinbothfrontandbackseats.
Thisbeltisnotdesignedforvehicleswithoutheadrests.Ifyouhavenon-adjustableheadrests,thebeltmaynotworkwelleither.Forverysmalldogs,theclipmightfeelalittleheavy.Habitualchewerscanchewthroughthismaterial.With2dogs,dependingonbeltlengthandhowactivethedogsare,theycouldgettangledupwitheachother.
Mostpetownersaresatisfiedwiththisbeltsinceit’scheapandsimpletouse.Theylikethatitcandodoubledutyasaleashandthatyoucanflipitoutofthewayforhumanpassengerswithoutremovingit.Insomevehicles,dogshavebeenabletoreachpartwayintothefrontseatevenwithittightenedalltheway.
Toavoidthatdangeroussituation,keepyourdogfixedtothecarwithaspecialharnessthatfitswithintheweightandsizelimitsofyourdog.Doyourresearchtosecurethebestone.Makesuretotesttheintegrityoftheharnessaftersomeuseaswell,asthewearandtearcandegradethem.
Therefore,it’suptoyoutodecidewhichproductsyoufeelwouldbesafestforyourdog.Keepinmind,however,thatanycarrestraintisbetterthannoneatall.Ifyou’redoubtfulaboutanyofthem,it’sbesttokeeplookinguntilyoufindonethatyoucanfeelgoodabout.
Dogsvarywidelyinsize,shapeandtemperament.Somedogsarebigandlaidback,othersaresmallandhyperorviceversa,andanywhereinbetween!Alwaysmeasureyourdog’sgirthandanyothermeasurementsthatarelistedinsizingchartswhenshoppingforharnesses.
Knowwhetheryourdogishyperorcalminthecar.DoesheliketoturnincircleswhenridingDoeshechewalotThesethingsareimportantfactorswhenbuyingdogcarrestraints.
Whenyou’rereadytoshop,lookfor:
Justlikekidsunder13,thesafestplaceforpetsisinthebackseat.Sure,lotsofdogslovetorideshotgun,butairbagscanbedeadlyfordogs(especiallysmalldogs)inacrash.Ifyourdogmustrideinthefrontseat,turnoffthepassengerairbagwhenhe’sridingwithyouifyourcarhasthatcapability.
ManypeopleputdogsinthecargoareaoftheirSUVs.Butcargoareasareoftencrumplezones,andjustlikethefrontcrumplezone,it’sdesignedtobecrushedinanaccident.Thismeansyourdogismorelikelytobecrushedaswell.So,ifyoucan,putyourdoginthebackseatwithagooddogharnessandseatbelt.
Traditionalharnessesandcarharnessesmaylookalike,buttheycertainlyarenot.Infact,usingawalkingharnessinthecarcanbedeadlyforyourdog.
Theyaren’tmadetowithstandthepressureofacarcrash,meaningtheycanbreakandsendyourdogflying,ortheycanchokeyourdog.
Usingyourdog’swalkingharnessinthecarcanrenderituselessbecauseyouareputtingunwantedforceonthebearing,seams,andmetalsthatmakeuptheharness.ItislikelythattheO-ringonthebackwillripoutinanaccident.
Rememberthisrule:Ifyou’reinthecarwithyourdog,makesurehehasarestraintmadeFORridinginthecar!
Wecameacrossseveralcustomerswhomentionedhookingdogseatbeltstotheirdog’scollars.Please,NEVERdothis.Ifyou’reinanaccident,itwillessentiallybecomeanoose.Youdogcouldbestrangled,hisneckbrokenorworse.Adogcarharnessisdesignedtodistributecrashforcesevenlyoverthestrongestpartsofthedog’sbody.Mostharnessescanalsobewornwithyourdog’scollar.Buthooktheseatbelttotheharnessonly!
Hello,betweenthesleepypodandtheruffwearforastdpoodle,whichwouldyouselectWhy
Ihavea35lblabradoodlewholikestoliedown,changepositionandalsolookoutthewindow.Canyourecommendaharness/seatbeltthatwillstilllethermove
Thankyousomuchforthisarticle.Iseealotofthecommentsarequestionsaboutlargedogs.Canyourecommendwhichharnesswouldbebetterformydog,sheisaMalshi(MalteseandShih-Tzumix)andshe’s15lbs.
I’moverwhelmedbythechoicesandhavingtroubledecipheringwhichharnessesaresafestbasedonpassingcrashtestsANDwhichcartethersaresafestbasedonpassingcrashtests.Canyounarrowthisdownformedium30-40pounddogsandlarge60-70pounddogs
HiEllie,thanksforyourquestion.Severaloftheharnesseswelistedhavelotsofsizingoptions.TheEzyDogmightbeagoodonetostartwithforyourdog.Italsodoublesasawalkingharness,whichisnicefortraveling.She’dberightinthemiddleofaSMALLsizeaccordingtoherweight,butbesuretomeasurehergirthtoseeifitwouldworkforher.TheyalsohaveanEzyDogChestPlateharnessasanalternativeoptionthatcouldbealittlemorecomfortable.
HiKimberly,thanksforyourquestion.TheMightyPawharnessisonethatyoucanuseasbothacarandwalkingharness.Thegoodthingisyoudon’thavetousetheMightyPawseatbeltwithit.Soanydogseatbeltyoufeelcomfortablewithshouldwork.Ifyou’relookingforagoodholdwithnoplasticparts,Kurgohasseveralseatbeltswithdifferenttypesofattachments.Hopethishelps!
Sotheseatbeltrestraintsshouldbeusedinconjunctionwithoneofthesecarharnesses,notwitharegularwalkingharness
HiLaura,thanksforyourquestion.Yes,dogseatbeltsshouldbeusedinconjunctionwithdogharnessesthataredesignedforvehiclerestraint.Thereareafewonthemarket,suchastheMightyPawVehicleSafetyHarness,whichcandodoubledutyasacarandwalkingharness.ThereisaseparateMightyPawseatbeltthatyoucanpurchasetousewithitwhichattachestoyourLATCHsystem.Thatcombomakesitalittleeasierthanhavingtousetwoharnessesforeverytrip.
HiNicky,wethinktheseatbeltrestraintsareasaferoption,especiallyforalargedog.Seatbeltsaredesignedtosafelyholdafull-grownmanduringacrash,whereasaheadrestisnot.CheckouttheKurgoSwivelTetheralongwiththeKurgoTru-Fitharness.Theswiveltetherisdesignedforbigdogsandpreventstanglingwhilegivingthemplentyoffreedomofmovement.
ArethereanyrelatedproductsonthemarkettostoptoadogfromtreadingonandundoingtheseatbeltMydogregularlyunclipstheseatbeltthathisharnessisattachedtoaswellasthoseattachingthecarseatsformychildren.Ineedtosortitforeveryonetobesafe
Hi.Wehavean82poundmuttnamedCharley.We’reheadedonaroadtripsoonandIwantedtogethimaharness.TheproblemI’mfacingisthatwehaveanSUVwiththebackseatsremoved.We’llhaveagatetokeepourbagsfromflyingforwardbutthefemalepartoftheseatbeltsareattachedtotheremovedseats.TherearesomestrongmetalanchorpointsinthefloorbutI’mnotsureifharnessesabsolutelyneedtobeattachedtoseatbelts.DoyouhaveanysuggestionsThanksverymuch.
HiMatthew,mostofthecarharnessesaredesignedtobeusedwitheithertheseatbeltoracombooftheseatbeltandLATCHanchors.However,ifyoumustuseitwithoutaseatbelt,theanchorswillhavetobeattachedtothesteelstructureofyourvehicleandbeabletowithstand2,000poundsormoreofcrashforces.Theyshouldbe12-14inchesapart,ascloseaspossibletothedog’srearoneithersideofhimwhenhe’sseatedforward.Sinceyoudidn’tsaywhichharnessyouwereconsidering,wesuggestcallingthemanufacturertoaskthemiftheirspecificrestraintscanworkthisway.
HiJohn,thanksforyourcomment,andwe’regladourarticlewashelpful.Thereareseveralsafetytraveloptionsforenergeticdogswhocouldjumpoutawindoworgorunningassoonasthedoor’sopen.Thebestsolutionisadogcarseatbeltrestraintordogharnessliketheoneswehavelistedhere.Butyoucouldalsoconsideracrate.Alargeenoughonewillallowplentyofroomforyourdogtostand/liedown,etcbutwillkeephimstillsoyouwon’thavetoworryabouthimescaping.
Thelongofitis:
WhenIdirectlycalledthecompanytoaskaboutthefitandthedamageandthedifferentconstructions,Iwastoldthat:1)theharnesseswouldnotfithoundsordogswithsimilarbodytypes,and2)oneoftheMediumharnesseswassewninwrong.Ofcourse,Iwouldneedthereceiptsforproofofpurchasetoexchangethem.
Hi,andthankssomuchforyourfeedback.Accordingtosomereviewsfromcustomerswithgreyhoundsandotherhoundbreeds,theseharnesseshavefittheirdogs.Butofcourse,everyindividualdogisshapeddifferently,sonoteveryonewillhavethesameexperience.We’llnotefeedbackforournextroundofupdates.
Youdidtherightthingincallingthemanufacturer.Anytimethereisaproblemordoubtintheperformanceofasafetyharness,that’sthefirstthingacustomershoulddo.Wealsorecommendgettingmeasurementsthatareasaccurateaspossiblebeforepurchasinganyharnesssinceweightaloneisnotagoodmeasurement.
Irealizethatmostsafetydogharnessesalsoallowthedogtoliedown,butthesafestpositionissitting.Sincethatisthecase,howlongcanadogsitinthesamepositionwithoutlyingdown
HiJanine,thanksforyourquestion.Justlikeyou,yourdogwillbenefitfromfrequentbreaksonalongcartrip.Agoodruleofthumbiseverytwohoursforbothyourandyourdogtostretchyourlegsandrehydrate,gotothebathroom,etc.Ofcourse,itdependsonyourdog’sdemeanor.Heorshemayneedtostopmoreorlessoften.
Asfaraslyingdowngoes,there’sreallynotanydanger.Ifyouneedtotravelovernightoryourdogisolderorsick,aslongasheissecuredwithaharness,seatbelt,orcarrier,itshouldbefinetoletthemliedowninthebackseat.
Thankyouforallowingmetomakeaninformedchoiceaboutwhichcarharnesstoacquireformydog.Couldyoutellmewhichharnesswouldbeappropriateforacockerspaniel,thanks.
HiRedDog,thanksforyourquestion.YourbestbetfromourlistwouldprobablybetheSolvitPetSafeDeluxeharnessineithersmallormedium.SecondtothatwouldbetheKurguTru-Fit.Justbesuretotakeaccuratemeasurementsbeforeorderingeitherone.
Hi,couldyoupleaseadviseonthebestharnessforan180lbsIrishWolfhound
HiJessica,thanksforyourquestion.TheKurgoTru-Fitisreportedtobeagoodoneforbarrel-chestedlargebreedssuchastheIrishWolfhound.TheRuffwearharnessesmayalsobeagoodchoice,asmanyownersbuytheseassizeupgradesfortheirlargedogs.However,ifyouhaveamaledog,theRuffwearmayrubhisprivates.Besuretotakemeasurementsandcomparethemtothespecsoftheharnessbeforeyoubuy.
HiCarolyn,thanksforyourcomment.Weusuallyreviewtheproductsthatareamongthemostpopularandbestratedonthemarket.Thesearealittlelesserknown,sowehaven’thadthepleasureofreviewingthemyet.Ourlistsarecontinuallyexpanding,however,sowewilllookintothoseaswell.Thanksforyourrecommendations.
Wehaveasmalldog(11lbs)whoverymuchenjoyssightseeingwhilesittinginhercarseat.WehavebeenusingherwalkingharnessandarestrainingbeltattachedtotheseatbeltwhichlooksverysimilartotheMightyPawSafetyBelt.Idefinitelywanttogetamoresecuresafetyharnessforherandhopetofindonethatwillalsopermithertorideinhercarseat.Doyouhaveanysuggestions(prosandcons)astowhichwouldandwouldnotworkfromthesafetyharnesseslistedabove
HiKarl,thanksforyourquestion.Itsoundslikeyou’dlikeaharnessforbothwalkingandcarrides.Foradogofthatsize,theSofi’sDogCarHarness+ConnectorStrapwouldbeagoodoption.It’smeantforuseinthebackseatandclipsrightintotheseatbeltreceptacle.Theconnectorstrapallowsforsomemovementsoyourdogcanlookoutthewindow,liedown,andnotfeeltoorestrained.You’llwanttomeasureyourdog’sneckcircumferenceandgirth(circumferenceofthebodyrightbehindthefrontshoulders)foradequatesizing.
Wewouldn’trecommendanEzyDogDRIVEharnessbecauseseveralownershavenotedthatit’stoostiffanduncomfortableforsmalldogsanddogswithshortnecks.
Hopethishelps!
InterestedinwherethisinformationcomesfromasaccordingtotheCenterforPetSafetyNONEoftheaboveproductsactuallypassedSoadvertisingthattheyaresafetytesteddoesnotimplytheirsafetyforusewhichiskindofmisleading.Lookforwardtoevidenceofindependentresearch.
Wealsolookatcrashtestvideosandcombthroughcustomerreviewssowecanlistboththeprosandconsthatmightaffectsafety.Weencourageallpetownerstodothoroughresearchfrommorethanonesourcebeforedeterminingwhichproductwouldbesafestfortheirdogs.
I’mstillnotconvincedthatafrighteneddowouldn’tchewthroughacarseatbeltintheeventofacaraccident
Ifyouhavealargedog,thatharnesswouldbeagreatchoice.
Hopefullythatanswersyourquestion!
DoIneedacarseatbeltANDaharness
Itseemslikepassingorfailingcrashtestswouldbeadeterminingfactorinratingaharness.Failingtests=definitecon.