The thread about seatbelts inspired me to post this. I am actually contemplating this for a cross-country move that is coming up. The cats travel in cages (not that they like that, and I'm not sure that it actually does much good in the case of an accident) since it makes it much less likely that they get loose going from the car to the hotel room. The difficulty I am running into on planning this move is that I cannot fit the two cat cages and the dog into my car. So I am thinking about renting a minivan to move the cats, dog, and my electronics, clothes, and other such things that I will need to live for a few months. And if I do that, I will probably have the seats removed to increase the cargo space. That'll be fine for the cats... I can strap the cages down somehow, if there are cargo tie-downs available. But will the seatbelt work if there is no seat? This is a really calm dog, so if I throw a bed in on the floor for her, she will most likely spend the entire trip curled up calmly on the bed. But that does leave her loose in the car, possibly not the best thing. On the other hand, she gets really stressed if she's crated, so I don't want to do that if I don't absolutely have to. So, can I use the seatbelt with a cargo tie-down?

Can you put her in a harness with a lead to tie her down? She could still stand turn and stretch, but if you slam on the brakes or have an accident it will keep her from flying across the van or possibly hitting the windshield. I used to have to travel a lot with my other dog and my vet would give me a mild sedative to her him relax on the road. I wasn't thrilled with the idea but to see him relax in his crate and know he was safe - that was a beautiful thing. Good luck.

I've been contemplating using the lead to tie her down, but the reality is that this will only be useful in an accident (she just curls up on the seat and snoozes on trips), and a 65 pound dog will put an immense stress on the lead in the case of an abrupt stop. So I'm pretty sure that the typical lead would just snap. That's why I would generally go with the seatbelt one, since seatbelts are specifically designed to work in accidents.

It has been my experience that the safest way to travel in a car for a dog is in a crate. Preferably an airline crate. I work in an emergency department and I have seen more than one case of a dog surviving an accident it's human family did not. The airline crates can protect from glass and flying metal pieces that might injure them. All my dogs love their crates. I give them a big blankie and chew toys and they settle in for the long haul. A doggie seat belt might protect from ejection but it will not protect in case of infringement or penetrating injuries.

I have thought about the crate for the dog, but first, I do not have one her size. And the reason that I don't have a crate for her is that she gets extremely stressed out when she is confined. It's odd.. she's perfectly happy on a leash, even if it's a short one. But if you build a pen around her, or try to get her to go through a narrow area, she gets extremely nervous and starts panting and pacing and refuses to go through the area if she can help it. And I'm thinking three or four days of that is a high price to pay for the extra protection of a crate over a seatbelt, given the relatively unlikely chance that we get into an accident in the first place.

What about a barrier?

Dog car barriers, vans and trucks dog dividers

Of course, this only works if you are able to install it properly in the car, but it should help keep Trink safer in the back. I'm not sure how they stand up to collisions, the site doesn't say, but I'd think it would be better than nothing.

Yes, the tied down crate. The second safest place in a car for a dog is the passenger footwell. That is where my dogs always travel when I only have one. In a frontal colision, they aren't going anywhere, and they are safe from the air bag.

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Originally Posted by labman

Yes, the tied down crate. The second safest place in a car for a dog is the passenger footwell. That is where my dogs always travel when I only have one. In a frontal colision, they aren't going anywhere, and they are safe from the air bag.

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I am thinking of renting a minivan (with the seats that fold down) to maximize space for cargo and pets. One of the many issues I have been debating is whether I leave one seat in for the dog to lie on, or stow them all and just put her bed on the floor. Thoughts either way?

I have a van and I have the barrier (like Jillianb suggested) and strap my dog to it with a bed for her to lay on. She is content and doesn't jump around. I think the main problem is when they jump around. Also behind a barrier of a van if you are in a wreck with her in the midst of the van laying on the bed I think it wouldn't have as much of an impact a small car getting hit.