# Safest way to transport your GR in the car...



## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

Safest would be a small crate with blankets. A soft sided crate might work but little puppies can have very sharp nails. Some settle down during car rides, some don't.
When I picked up my pup we had a 5 hr drive (one way) so had someone drive me so I could cuddle all the way home. I figured the separation was going to be hard enough without having to be alone in a crate. With 5 kids in the car we all took turns holding. If you are in the front seat be sure to disable the air bags! Drive safe and enjoy!


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## SEileen (Jan 16, 2017)

I never thought about the air bags, thank for the helpful information! I appreciate your feedback!


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## Atis (Jul 8, 2014)

SUV's in general are safer than sedans and station wagons but I would suggest doing some research on your specific model to try and find out the actual crumple zone areas for your car. I used to let my boys travel in the rear of my station wagon with the rear seats down (VW Jetta Sportwagen) until I realized that the cargo area of the vehicle is considered part of the crumple zone. In all vehicles regardless of model the passenger areas will for obvious reasons not be included as part of the crumple zone. Although I still do not belt or crate them my boys now travel in the back seat and I will not put them in the cargo area of my car. If you can do it you may find it better to put them in the seating area as well, there are a lot of choices in seat coverings.


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## G-bear (Oct 6, 2015)

i would agree with a crate. When we first got Bailey we were in the process of purchasing a second home. Because he was not yet house trained and could not be left alone for any length of time we took him with us. We purchased a small crate which fit very snug between the front and rear seats of our SUV. Then I put strapping over the top of the crate which I attached to the head rests of both front and rear seats. Mainly because I am overprotective and wanted to make sure that if, in some horrible situation, we had an accident , Bailey's crate would not fly all over the vehicle. I have three dogs and travel with all three of them in crates is not possible in our SUV. Back when we had a mini van I would take down the rear seat and put all 3 crates back there but then a friend who was working ride along with an ambulance service told me that the rear area of an SUV or mini van is considered a "crumple zone" and it is not a safe place for my dogs. I now harness all three of them in the rear seat of my SUV. There was some serious grumbling about this when it first began. The dogs did not like it. Since we travel to our lake home in northern MN every week and drive well over 200 miles each way I decided that safety overrode whether or not they LIKED their seating arrangements. Now, after a year of it, they have settled in. It worked out fine once I learned that Jack insisted on a window seat. Lol. 
If you decide to ride home with your puppy in your lap I would suggest sitting in the back seat so that the front airbag is not even an issue.


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## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

I have my two in Ruff Tuff kennels. I folded down the second row seats of my SUV and put the crates side by side (either strapped down or bolted down onto a platform) on top of the folded down seats, exactly due to what a poster mentioned above regarding crumple zones. I do not feel comfortable with my dogs in the cargo area, even crated. It can be a pain to open the crate doors to let the dogs in and out since I have to reach so far in (I'm not very tall) but the dogs are safest this way. It's really secure back there; the crates don't budge.


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## SEileen (Jan 16, 2017)

Thank you for all of the great info!!! I never even thought about the "crumple zone", thank you for sharing you recommendations!


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## CashStringer (Aug 17, 2015)

We bought the Sleepypod harness (http://sleepypod.com/clickit-sport) for our goldens once they got older. At the time (not sure if it is still the case), it was the only crash rated dog harness on the market. It's expensive and while our dogs don't mind it, they aren't exactly in love with it either (it holds them pretty secure to the seat). That said, I was in a car accident with Cash when he was younger (we were rear ended and my car was totalled) and he came out unscathed. Given that, it's worth every penny and I don't mind that they aren't thrilled with it since I know they are safe if something happens (I figure it's like a kid learning to deal with a seatbelt).


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

Very interesting post... I had no idea about "crush zones". All this time I thought putting the large crates in the back of the suburban was safe! Shoot my little mini is probably all crush zone! Thanks for the alert and will be looking up info before my next road trip.


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## DanaRuns (Sep 29, 2012)

Definitely a crate. Best is an airline crate or sturdier. I've seen bad results even with wire crates, I'm sure a soft crate would be a disaster in any serious accident.


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## danoon58 (Jul 1, 2015)

Definitely a crate! I hadn't thought about the crumple zone either - thanks! I thought that they were safe in the back of my Tahoe but I will definitely move them behind the front seat. My daughter rides with her dog in her lap and it drives me crazy! I hate the stories about an accident and the dog bolts and they may or may not ever find them.

Here are results from the Center for Pet Safety crash test results.

2015 Crate Study Results - Center for Pet Safety


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## jennretz (Jul 24, 2013)

How do you find where the crumple zones are for your vehicle? Every time I google it, I get news stories, etc.


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## SEileen (Jan 16, 2017)

After researching the topic, I learned that most cars have crumple zones in the front end (where the engine is located) as well as the rear trunk/cargo space. A crumple zone would not be in an area designated as being safe for a passenger to travel. On puppy training.com, they suggested dogs ride on back passenger seats or floorboards, and always secured/harnessed. They mentioned that many service dogs are trained to ride on floorboards in cars because when they ride in taxis, they have to be trained to safely/easily be seated or laying down in the floorboard area. Did you try to google image search for the crumple zone for your make/model? I'm sure your local dealership would have all of the specifics. Good luck....


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## captainbeer (Jan 10, 2017)

Put em in the bed of the pickup truck. That's an easy answer...


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