Most dogs travel badly for the first few journeys and then stop thinking about it. The exception is the dog who was never properly restrained, learned the car is a place where they get thrown about, and now plants their feet at the boot.
What the Highway Code says
Rule 57 asks that dogs and other animals are suitably restrained in a vehicle, so they cannot distract you while driving or injure you or themselves if you stop quickly.
It names a seat belt harness, pet carrier, dog cage or dog guard as suitable options. The rule is advisory rather than an offence on its own, but an unrestrained animal can contribute to a careless driving charge, and insurers may take a view after a claim.
The physics is the more persuasive argument. A 20kg dog in a 30mph stop carries a lot of energy, and it goes somewhere.
The four ways to restrain a dog
1. Harness and seat belt clip
The most flexible option: a short strap clips your dog's existing walking harness to a seat belt point or an ISOFIX anchor. Best for medium and large dogs on the back seat. The strap should be short enough that your dog cannot reach the front.
2. Carrier
The right answer for cats, small dogs and vet trips. Put it on the floor behind a front seat, or belt it onto a seat. A carrier loose on a seat is a projectile, not a restraint.
3. Crate
The best protection in a serious impact, and the calmest option for dogs who settle better enclosed. It needs to fit the boot properly, with no room to slide.
4. Boot guard
Keeps a dog out of the cabin, which satisfies the distraction part of the rule, but does not stop them being thrown around inside the boot. Best combined with a harness or a crate.
Four things not to do
- Clip the belt to a collar. In a sudden stop the entire load goes through your dog's neck. Always use a harness.
- Put a dog in the front seat with an active airbag. Airbags deploy hard and low.
- Let a dog hang their head out of the window. Grit and insects at speed cause real eye injuries, and it teaches a habit you cannot undo.
- Leave a dog loose in an estate boot with no guard. It is the same as being loose in the cabin.
Kit for longer journeys
- A travel bowl and water. Silicone bowls fold flat into a door pocket.
- A blanket over the seat or boot floor, which is warmer, less slippery and easier to wash than upholstery.
- A ramp if your dog is older, long-backed, or your boot is high. Jumping down repeatedly is harder on joints than jumping up.
- A drying robe for the journey home from anywhere wet.
Our pet carriers and travel collection covers carriers, seat belt straps, ramps and travel blankets.
Dogs who hate the car
Almost always either motion sickness or association. Break it down: feed a few meals in a stationary car with the engine off, then with the engine running, then drive to the end of the road and come back. Build up to somewhere your dog likes.
If every journey ends at the vet, the dog is drawing a reasonable conclusion. If sickness persists, your vet can prescribe something that works properly, which human travel-sickness tablets do not.
Never leave a dog in a parked car
Not on a warm day, not with the windows cracked, not for five minutes. A car interior can climb well past 40 degrees in that time, and dogs cool themselves far less efficiently than we do.
Frequently asked questions
Can my dog travel in the front seat?
Only with the passenger airbag disabled, the seat pushed fully back, and the dog restrained. The back seat or the boot is better in every case.
Is a booster seat a restraint?
Only if it has an internal tether that clips to a harness, and the seat itself is belted in. Many are simply raised beds, which is comfort rather than safety.
How often should we stop on a long drive?
Every two hours or so for water and a short leg stretch, and more often for puppies and older dogs. Keep the lead on before you open the door: motorway services are no place for a dog to make a decision on their own.
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