Greys And Cars - How Fragile Are They?

[Guest Heath_Bar]

I come from a background of golden retrievers that were shorter (than my new grey) and stockier (obviously!). They loved car rides and due to their proportions it never crossed my mind they'd get injured if tossed around a bit when going over rough bumps, pulling out quickly into traffic or taking an on-ramp at speed. My grey Heath, however, is fairly new to the car and until he lays down tends to lack balance as we drive. Sometimes I'll use my hand to hold him in place as we come to a quick stop, or as we take a turn - but is this necessary? I'm just not used to seeing so much mass (he's ~80lb) on such skinny legs! Other than falling off of the seat, has anyone else experienced in-car injuries with their greys? Put my mind as ease, I'm driving more cautious than a 90yr old grandma now .

[Guest SoulsMom]

Soul WILL NOT lay down when we head out to a meet and greet. Too excited to get there. To avoid injury in the case of an accident I have a pet barrier in the back of my CRV. Then I'm just very careful about taking off and slowing down and do it oh so gradually. I also got a "Greyhounds on Board Please Do Not Tailgate" decal for my back window, so the other drivers will understand why I'm slow to take off from a stop.

 

Soul had also learned how to "root" himself so he won't tumble as much . . . .

 

edited to add: I also avoid routes that would have a need for quick take-offs and stops, such as the traffic riddled on ramp by my house. The first weekend I had Soul (before I adopted him) I took this ramp, had to floor it to get into traffic, then slam on my brakes because traffic stopped. Didn't have the pet barrier at the time and Soul flew forward and crashed into the back of my head, breaking my hair clip. He was ok, but I got cut and showed up at the meet and greet bloodied.

Edited May 1, 2008 by SoulsMom

[Vertragi]

When my pups are in the car, I'm a 90 year-old grandma driver, too

Once on the freeway, they usually lay down, and that minimizes the stumbling around.

But at the first sign of any slow-down/stop-start, they pop up onto their feet.

If I take it easy, it's not so bad, because if there is too much jostling, sometimes Belen can get carsick

not fun for her or me.

Seat belt harnesses, pet barriers, or even stuffing the wheel wells with comforters/quilts/pillows,

are all things you can to do maximize safety, and minimize injuries.

 

Cheers

Edited May 1, 2008 by Vertragi

[Guest AaronsMom]

We really drive much better when our boy is in the jeep. He lays down right away, but I am oh so careful about increasing/decreasing speed, turning, etc. It has made DH such a greyt (e.g. better/calmer) driver that I prefer to have my boy with us!! Some prefer harnesses, pet seat belts, some have concern about those as well. I don't know what the best answer is. We line the back with comforters as well. It's a risk for all of us when we get on the road... being more concerned about one's loved one in the back at least increases the defensive driving skills.

[grey14me]

I just drive like a grandma when she's in the car...less tickets and the dog is safer

[Guest Spencers_Greyt]

It took Spencer a while to balance well and he never lies down unless very tired. My foster Clyde is a huge clumsy boy! I take turns very slowly and I don't do rabbit starts at green lights nor do I try and run yellow lights in case I have to brake suddenly. He's hurt himself a few times (minor nothing serious) with quick turns, braking etc. so I'm just more cognizant of my driving when he's with me.

 

[Guest Sula]

I come from a background of golden retrievers that were shorter (than my new grey) and stockier (obviously!). They loved car rides and due to their proportions it never crossed my mind they'd get injured if tossed around a bit when going over rough bumps, pulling out quickly into traffic or taking an on-ramp at speed. My grey Heath, however, is fairly new to the car and until he lays down tends to lack balance as we drive. Sometimes I'll use my hand to hold him in place as we come to a quick stop, or as we take a turn - but is this necessary? I'm just not used to seeing so much mass (he's ~80lb) on such skinny legs! Other than falling off of the seat, has anyone else experienced in-car injuries with their greys? Put my mind as ease, I'm driving more cautious than a 90yr old grandma now .

 

My girl seems to do fine in the car and I've had a few fast stops/starts. She's flown a bit forward and not had a problem. At first I thought these dogs were made of glass and was super freaked out but she's turned out to be a toughie so far (not that she's flying in the car all that much!) Anyway, Stella mostly lays in the back seat. I wonder if you got Health some great chewies for the car if it would just help him to lay down and stay down?

 

[Guest loubieblue]

Blue stands or lays on the back seat of my car and did fall off a couple of times, thankfully no injurys but it deffinately shook him up. He now has a padded car harness which clips to the seatbelt and has a swivel clip so he can still turn around.

[Guest Heath_Bar]

Thanks guys! Sounds like the general agreement is that although not a rough and tumble kind of dog the greyhound can handle some light tossing around in the back seat. I'll try the treat trick, maybe I can get him to lay down quicker. The only roadtrip we've taken so far (~1.5hrs) he settled in and slept almost the entire way. So - we're close! I'll continue to drive nicely, but maybe like a 70yr old grandmother .

[Guest LynnM]

Not a rough and tumble sort of dog? Where did you hear that one?

 

These guys are a lot tougher than many folks let on!

 

Lynn

[Guest Redrabbit]

I definitely think Buster got better at riding in the car over time - he seems to loop his tail over the back seat for balance. But I do take it very easy when we are going for a drive to the park. I figure if people see a dog's head out the window they will understand.

 

[Guest Dillymom]

Lola will go back and forth between standing and laying down- I live on a road where there are sharp bends and a 55mph speed limit. I watch her root herself and lean against the turn so not to tumble.

 

Funny story this morning- I normally put Lola in the way back of my Suv but today there was a ton of stuff back there so I let her in the back seat area just to drive dd to the bus stop. I opened the garage door and thought it was open all the way so I started to back out when I heard the THUD. I slammed on my brakes and Lola went flying forward and onto the ground. Apparently the garage door wasn't open all the way and I backed into it. No damage to dog, door or car- thank goodness. The look on her face was priceless- I swear she was thinking, "You idiot are you trying to kill me?"

 

 

[Trudy]

I'm mean.

I put them in the back seat, I get in the front and tell them to sit their butts down.

If they aren't sitting by the first stop sign on our street... I hit the brakes hard.

If they still haven't figured it out by the next stop sign, hard stop again.

They usually figure it out by the second sign.

 

once we are going if they want to stand for a bit I'm ok with that, but in town with lights and stop signs and what not, I want them sitting or laying down.

[JenniferS]

Am I the only one who realizes how unsafe it is to have 85 lbs of dog unrestrained in a car? I don't know the technical terms for the weight/G-force or whatever it's called in an accident. But I do know that even at slow speeds an accident could cause your dog to go straight through the windshield or get tossed out of the car. Heads hanging out the window in an accident could also be fatal.

Call me paranoid, but I am never without my seatbelt in the car, and neither is my dog. He wears a seat belt harness everytime he's in the car, even for quick trips, and he's not allowed to stick his head out the window. I know I am in the minority, but I feel a lot better knowing we are both buckled up!

[Guest goodtimekid]

Am I the only one who realizes how unsafe it is to have 85 lbs of dog unrestrained in a car? I don't know the technical terms for the weight/G-force or whatever it's called in an accident. But I do know that even at slow speeds an accident could cause your dog to go straight through the windshield or get tossed out of the car. Heads hanging out the window in an accident could also be fatal.

Call me paranoid, but I am never without my seatbelt in the car, and neither is my dog. He wears a seat belt harness everytime he's in the car, even for quick trips, and he's not allowed to stick his head out the window. I know I am in the minority, but I feel a lot better knowing we are both buckled up!

 

 

Does he sit down in the car? Is that how the harness works? I too worry about them being bumped all around but never thought of them possibly being ejected if we crashed. Food for thought thanks.

[JenniferS]

This is the website I ordered mine from. Canine Auto Restraint System He can stand up or lie down with it on, just not turn around. It took a few tries for him to get used to it without getting tangled, but he's now been wearing it for years on trips from 5 minutes to 8 hours.

 

And I found a blurb about the force in a crash: "In a 30 mph. collision occupants of the vehicle can exert a force 20 times that of their body weight! Seat belts and harnesses protect by absorbing some of this force and distributing the load evenly across the stronger areas of the body, protecting the head, neck, and body from injury. A dog restraint that reduces this potential impact force can make the difference between life and death, and help prevent serious injury".

Edited May 2, 2008 by JenniferS

[ahicks51]

I always worry about 'em breaking a leg or hurting their necks while traveling in the car.

 

At the same time, these dogs *are* hauled all around the country, sometimes hundreds of miles at a clip, occasionally with more than one dog in a "hole." Locally, where the Phoenix track does not kennel dogs on track property, some of them are hauled ~100 miles round trip every time they go to the track- and probably more. I think David Blair is down by Marana, and I understand he races dogs at Tucson as well as Phoenix.

 

But, of course, retired hounds aren't in the same condition as current racing dogs, so their treatment should be tempered by this fact.

[Guest MomofSweetPotatoes]

My guys lay down below window level in my car. They are on the floor and as soon as the car is moving, they are laying.

 

I've tried harness restraints with my guys, and it led to a tangle of knots, a leg getting twisted in a strap and lots of crying. (also panic on my part while trying to pull over) So, they are cusioned all the way around as best I can.

 

If I am back to 2 dogs, I will put the seats in my car and restrain them with a harness system. But for now I drive like a granny and am super cautious of the drivers around me.

[Guest SoulsMom]

My guys lay down below window level in my car. They are on the floor and as soon as the car is moving, they are laying.

 

I've tried harness restraints with my guys, and it led to a tangle of knots, a leg getting twisted in a strap and lots of crying. (also panic on my part while trying to pull over) So, they are cusioned all the way around as best I can.

 

If I am back to 2 dogs, I will put the seats in my car and restrain them with a harness system. But for now I drive like a granny and am super cautious of the drivers around me.

 

Same here, doesn't work for Soul. He's actually hog tied himself twice. That why I have the pet barrier, to keep him from flying forward

 

[GeorgeofNE]

I definitely think Buster got better at riding in the car over time - he seems to loop his tail over the back seat for balance. But I do take it very easy when we are going for a drive to the park. I figure if people see a dog's head out the window they will understand.

 

 

Talk to your vet about all the reasons you should NOT let your dog ride with his head hanging out of the car window. I know they like it, and it's cute, but it's actually not a good idea.

 

 

 

[Guest Tigonie]

I'm mean.

I put them in the back seat, I get in the front and tell them to sit their butts down.

If they aren't sitting by the first stop sign on our street... I hit the brakes hard.

If they still haven't figured it out by the next stop sign, hard stop again.

They usually figure it out by the second sign.

 

once we are going if they want to stand for a bit I'm ok with that, but in town with lights and stop signs and what not, I want them sitting or laying down.

Me too, same trick sometimes, but I'm meaner. I tell Emma to lie down, and her job is to lie down--the whole trip.

 

When I first got her, she was so excited to ride in the car, she would always stand up. I figured she was in the back seat, so she'd be ok. (A very dumb thought, but it was my way of rationalizing that, as a new dog owner, I didn't know how to get her to lie down when she didn't want to.)

 

Anyway, when I'd had her a couple of weeks, one time we were driving to the dog park. We were almost to the park, and I had to hit my brakes and stop quickly. Emma fell forward and her very hard skull clunked me on the back of the head, hard. OW! And especially since I was driving, it was quite dangerous to get hit in the head with a flying greyhound. No one was hurt, and there was no car accident, but at that moment, I decided she would lie down when we drive. I didn't argue the point the rest of the way there (it was less than a block away), but on the way home, I told her in no uncertain terms, "Lie down." Every time she got up, I pulled over and told her again to lie down. She wanted the car to go, so she did comply.

 

She's pretty good now and will mostly only get up if we're stopped at stoplights, but she knows to lie down once we get going again. DH was the one who came up with the stop hard on the brakes thing, because she had a phase where she was pushing the rule and wanted to wait to settle until we got out of the neighborhood and really got going.

[Guest md7nd]

 

Since someone else mentioned how unsafe it was for the grey, I'd also think that taking a pic of the grey while driving is ..well, illegal.

 

Not pointing fingers/paws here, but I wouldnt nor have I ever did this, nor would I allow Nina to stick her head out of a moving vehicle. My brother had his hand outside of a moving car when something flying it hit. He had to go to the hospital for it. And when I was in Bosnia, a truck went by my humvee and smashed my mirror when I had the window down. Thank god I wasnt cut or hurt at all.

 

We have been using the ..what is it called, its a waterproof thingy that goes between the front row and back...its a Hammock looking thing, but anyways, we've been using that, but we may add what JenniferS said.

 

I know of at least one GT thats been in an accident and I'm sure they can tell you the stories... I'd like to think, If you wouldnt allow your child to do it, why would you let your grey/pet?

 

 

[Guest Montel]

Three words: Doggie seat belts.

[Guest Redrabbit]

I stand corrected and chastised. I have not owned a dog before and over the past five years having his head out the window has not been a problem during our short trips once a week. I will be more cautious in the future.

R

[Guest onefloppyear]

Does anyone have any suggestions for putting 2 greys in the back seat? We currently have one grey, and he's fine alone. We are thinking about a second, though. I was curious how both would fit in the back of my fairly small car. I can't always steal DH's SUV! Any tips?