How do you secure your dog? Post pics here.

[RidingDonkeys]

Bryson is the same way. He only wears the Doggles when riding, or posing for photos. He does not like having them on when stopped. The first thing he does when stopped any longer than a traffic light is try to paw them off.

[Boondox]

After two years of riding with Barley tethered to the hack, we did the trip from VT to MO completely on trust. No restraints other than the high lip of the Hannigan lid. He was absolutely deserving of my trust, even when stopped and with bystanders fussing over him. I liked that he could move about freely within the cockpit without getting tangled in the lead.

This will be our practice going forward, but it's a trust that had to be earned.

Pete

[cueman]

I built a plastic tube encloser and covered the top for shade. I'll try to post a pic. Well, it didn't work.

[DRONE]

I've been thinking about this thread. Right now, I tether Kirby on pavement, and unclip him on dirt. My thinking is that the most likely accident on pavement will be a collision of some sort, and I would want his harness to act like a seat belt. On dirt, the most likely accident would be driver error resulting in the both of us going over the embankment, in which case I'd want him to be thrown free rather than getting crushed by the rig as it tumbles down into some canyon.

The problem with this well-thought out plan is . . . deer . . . and squirrels . . . and rabbits. Kirby is just a bit prey-crazy and though he has never exited the car without permission, this is something I'm worried about. When we are on our dog walks, he has on occasion taken off after a deer, deaf to my commands, returning after 10 or 15 minutes with his tongue all the way out.

So what I reckon I need is some kind of breakaway restraint in addition to my current nylon strap. Something that will keep him planted but will break loose in the event of an accident. Then when transitioning from dirt to pavement, I'll just switch straps.

Earlier in this thread one of the guys suggested using a big magnet. Another guy mentioned Velcro. Hmmmmm. Well, I think I got an idea. Have you guys heard of "breakaway" dog collars? They look like this--




Seems to me that by using the two D rings and the breakaway connection I should be able to cobble up some kind of breakaway strap.

What do you think? Am I onto something or are these things useless?

[RidingDonkeys]

I've never seen those before. Seems like a good idea in theory.

[Latguy]

It is always a good practice to tether the dog in using a harness and not a collar. In the event of an accident, the force of deceleration must be spread out on the dogs body and not focused on his neck.
My 106# Ridgeback got into the hack when I first started it at the dealer's and has been riding with me ever since.
Seat bottom is removed and a full length pad covered in military canvas is installed. A short lead is fixed to the inside wall of the car so that he can stand, sit and lie down fully but not get out onto the step. Most of the time when we are moving, especially on frozen lakes, he is loose and has never gotten out of the car without permission. When we are stopped I always hook him up, just because "Squirrel Happens!"
I tell people that it is his rig and he lets me drive because I have thumbs...

[Boondox]

I agree with Latguy on the use of a harness instead of a collar. I want the collar with his ID and my cell number to stay with him so if we are ever separated the odds of being reunited are greater. I've heard of many dogs who panic after a crash and flee the area.

Barley has two harnesses: a sturdy one that I can use to lift him up rock faces on our hikes, and a web version for hot weather. I tether him infrequently, only in certain conditions because of his highly developed prey drive. No rabbit, squirrel, bird or mouse escapes his scrutiny. And as a pup he once went after a bull moose...while my older, wiser adult dogs ran the other way.

In my experience Velcro and long haired breeds don't mix. The hook portion clogs with fur and in a single season the holding power is seriously diminished. I've also looked at breakaway collars (different style than Drone posted) and will probably go that way with a twist. For five bucks a local sailmaker will replace the clip at the end of a leash with one end of the QR fastener, and attach the other end to Barley's harness.

Pete and Barley

[davebig]

Ruff Wear makes a very nice harness, expensive but so are dogs, mines not a wind in the face dog he loves the nose and only turns up to look around when slowing down.Drone a magnetic attachment would be and easily doable deal DB

[DRONE]

Not sure if the guys who replied realize I'm talking about cutting that collar into three pieces, throwing the middle piece in the trash, then using the other two pieces to make a breakable link in the middle of a strap that would attach to Kirby's harness. I guess I wasn't too clear about that.

Who would attach a dog to the car by the collar?

[davebig]

Originally Posted by DRONE

Not sure if the guys who replied realize I'm talking about cutting that collar into three pieces, throwing the middle piece in the trash, then using the other two pieces to make a breakable link in the middle of a strap that would attach to Kirby's harness. I guess I wasn't too clear about that.

Who would attach a dog to the car by the collar?

Ok I at least have got it.DB

[Boondox]

Originally Posted by DRONE

Who would attach a dog to the car by the collar?

I once saw a dog on the back seat of a Harley attached by a leash from the rider's belt to his collar. The leash was just long enough to drag the dog next to the drive belt. Gave me the willies!

[coupe1942]

Originally Posted by RidingDonkeys

OK, I figured out a decent setup today. It's a start in the right direction. I went to Lowe's looking for a magnet. I wanted something substantial without being large. I did not find that.

I did, however, find a cheap magnet for picking up nails and screws. It was $15 and came with an aluminum extension handle. The length seemed perfect for the footrest of the hack. It turned out to be perfect.

I removed the handle and attached a small lead using the bolt for the handle to secure it.





Then I simply attached it to the footrest. It takes about 20 pounds of force to remove it.




Then I put him in his step -in harness. I connect the lead to the harness with a load-bearing S-hook. These aren't as strong as carabiners, but I didn't have any small carabiners around. I did have these, and I've hung 100lb rucksacks from them before, so I know they'll hold.





Now, I figure twenty pounds will give him enough resistance to recover if he starts to fall out of the sidecar. I hooked him up and tried to coax him out. He had to give it a really tough jolt to get it to release, and then it just reattached elsewhere. Remember, I don't want him to fall out, but I do want him to get ejected in the case of a bad accident. I may well replace the magnet with something smaller and stronger if I find one, but I think this might actually work well for now.

Having had my Jack Russell jump ship when a bunch of rabbits unexpectedly ran out in front of us on the trail we were on, I would not be overly anxious to use your DIy setup, myself. Dogs have a pretty good amount of pull force when they get it into their heads to bail out on you or get excited. I have had similar situations happen at red lights, when a person pulled up beside me in an SUV with its windows down and a big dog in the back. Once that big dog started in to challenging or woofing at my dogs, it would have been useless to keep them from pulling the magnet away. A 20 lb. magnet really is nothing at all to pull away from. I use 65 lb pull and 95 lb pull magnets on my DIY camera equipment and still can have problems under some conditions. Obviously you have never had a roll over in your Ural. I have experienced that event just once. Tossing the dog out is something you can debate all you wish, but there is just no proof either way. You have to do what is comfortable for yourself though. The unexpected is what will get you. I like your creative thinking of the mod you made, but I still say that a 20 lb pull magnet may feel secure to you, but the g-force won't let it hold squat as to being safe in my opinion. Just about any dog with their mind set on jumping out will easily do that. I'd opt for a heavier lb force pull magnet if I were going to make something similar to your creative DIY mount.

[coupe1942]

I went with this setup, as I have used it for years with no failures at all. I have had as many as 3 dogs with this system in place, but I generally only ride with 2 these days. The carabiner shown has been replaced with a smaller sized one recently, but not the small things you typically see. The bucket straps were purchased at Tractor Supply Company (TSC) and the snaps cut off in a vise. These overly large washers hold the end in place at the snowmen bolt. The hack body has extra support in this area, too. The strap is then routed between the bottom and back seat. I can hook it to the dog's harness setup or choose to use a collar for hookup. I believe they are about 18" long, but it has been a long time since I purchased them, so the length may not be correct. My dogs love to hang their heads out the door (dog hatch) as we ride and these tether staps have always held well. I did have the Jack Russell bend a snap once when she saw some rabbits jump into the trail we were on and gave chase. A trigger snap or any type with a hinged snap to it is not strong enough to hold back an excited Jack Russell, so the larger carabiner was substituted and works very, very well. My dog, Dusty, lickes me madly in the face as I screw the carabiner down securely. Man, that will wake you up, too. :-)









Murph was hooked up to his collar in this photo above, but normally I hook the carabiner to his dog harness at the back of it, instead.

[RidingDonkeys]

Originally Posted by DRONE

Not sure if the guys who replied realize I'm talking about cutting that collar into three pieces, throwing the middle piece in the trash, then using the other two pieces to make a breakable link in the middle of a strap that would attach to Kirby's harness. I guess I wasn't too clear about that.

Who would attach a dog to the car by the collar?

I was tracking what you meant. It makes sense and sounds like an experiment worth conducting.

Sent from the voices in my head and transcribed by their drinking buddy...

[RidingDonkeys]

Originally Posted by coupe1942

Having had my Jack Russell jump ship when a bunch of rabbits unexpectedly ran out in front of us on the trail we were on, I would not be overly anxious to use your DIy setup, myself. Dogs have a pretty good amount of pull force when they get it into their heads to bail out on you or get excited. I have had similar situations happen at red lights, when a person pulled up beside me in an SUV with its windows down and a big dog in the back. Once that big dog started in to challenging or woofing at my dogs, it would have been useless to keep them from pulling the magnet away. A 20 lb. magnet really is nothing at all to pull away from. I use 65 lb pull and 95 lb pull magnets on my DIY camera equipment and still can have problems under some conditions. Obviously you have never had a roll over in your Ural. I have experienced that event just once. Tossing the dog out is something you can debate all you wish, but there is just no proof either way. You have to do what is comfortable for yourself though. The unexpected is what will get you. I like your creative thinking of the mod you made, but I still say that a 20 lb pull magnet may feel secure to you, but the g-force won't let it hold squat as to being safe in my opinion. Just about any dog with their mind set on jumping out will easily do that. I'd opt for a heavier lb force pull magnet if I were going to make something similar to your creative DIY mount.

Just to be clear, prey drive is not a concern in my situation. Frankly, I am pretty comfortable running Bryson untethered. But, he is a tall dog, and when sitting, the majority of his weight is well above the sidecar walls. My design was merely intended to give him a bit of support should he topple over on a trail or something. Honestly though, the Pooch Pad has done the most to keep him stable.

Sent from the voices in my head and transcribed by their drinking buddy...