Car ride options

[tbuckland4]

Hi everyone. 
 

Our boy loves going out in the car. He currently rides in the boot of our Kia Sportage safely tethered so he doesn’t leap out when we get to our destination.

We’re considering moving him to the back seat so we can use the boot for longer journeys and we think this will also help him get in and out as he gets older (he manages the jump in to the boot fine now but the jump down sometimes looks uncomfortable). 
 

I’ve seen tethers that clip in to seat belts and back seat “hammocks” for dogs but whilst the car is fairly big, I do wonder if he will have enough space. He isn’t the biggest grey we’ve met (he weighs about 32 kg) but naturally we want him to be safe and comfortable. 
 

Does anyone else’s hound ride comfortably on the back seat and if so, are there any accessories you would recommend to help with comfort and protect the upholstery?

Thanks in advance. 

[greysmom]

The only "safe" way to transport a dog is inside a crash rated kennel outside of the crumple zone of your car.  That being said, most of us can't accomodate a dog, a large kennel, other humans, and any space for storage in our usualy family cars, so we do the best we can. 

Those seat belt attachments really aren't good, as in a crash the dog becomes a tetherball.  If you need to use one, definitely use the kind that attach to a harness rather than the collar.  Lots of greyhounds ride just fine in the backseat, with or without a hammock.  If you want to give him some extra room, fill in the footwells behind the front seats with foam or comforters (I've even seen folks build storage boxes).

[Rickiesmom]

Sleepypod safety harnesses are crash-rated - details in the page linked below.  This vendor is a GT member which is how I know about this particular site: 

https://www.hound-safe.com/products/sleepypod-clickit-sport-dog-safety-harness