It’s now the law in the UK for dogs to be strapped in while driving in a car.
There are a lot of seat belts out there, and my wife and I use 2 of them, which we will feature in this article, but I will also talk about a few more options.
My favourite seat belt is her regular harness which I double up as a seat belt. You can check it out on Amazon if you are in a rush. There’s also a video below of me showing Luna in the harness.
The 2 seat belts we use
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I prefer one, but my wife prefers the other. hopefully one of these will work for you.
1. RAC car harness.
Please ignore the mess in the car; we were all packed up and ready to go on holiday 🙂
There’s a loop on the back of the harness that the seat belt goes through, but there’s enough room for Luna to move about a bit.
This seat belt harness is tricky to figure out, and it always takes me a while as it’s kept in my wife’s car for her to use. However, my wife, who uses it daily, puts it on in 2 seconds.
It’s available here on Amazon. For some reason, it’s not got great reviews, but it’s a sturdy piece of kit, and we like it. The fact the RAC makes it also gives us confidence as well.
2. Walk your dog with love harness
This is the harness Luna has always been walked with, and I feel it works well as a car harness. It also means it’s one less kit to carry around with me.
I put the seat belt across the back of the harness. This means there’s no strain on Luna’s neck, and she can happily lie down or sit up without any restrictions.
A seat belt I don’t like
- 【HIGH QUALITY SEAT BELT】 The Made of high...
I wouldn’t say I like the one pictured above.
A lot of people just put the clip onto the dog’s lead. If you slam on, the dog going to fall off the seat, and all of its weight is going to go on its neck. The only reason I think it would work is if it was clipped onto the harness, but even then, I feel the dog can still easily fall off the seat. However, it has got a lot of reviews, with most being positive.
Should your dog wear a seat belt?
It shouldn’t even be a question, in my opinion. Your dog is part of the family, and I would never forgive myself if Luna wasn’t harnessed in and we had a crash. Even if we are only popping down the road to the field, I still put the seat belt on.
Having your dog fastened in also stops them from trying to crawl all over you. Luna is quite chilled and not the biggest fan of the car on long journeys, and the last thing I’d want is for her to try and crawl all over me while I’m driving on the motorway.
I also get concerned when I see dogs hanging halfway out the window without being fastened in.
Benefits of your dog using a seat belt.
I am sure you have already gathered many benefits from what I’ve said above, but here is a quick overview of having them fastened in at all times.
- Cockapoos love to chase things. If your window is open and they are not harnessed in, there’s always the fear they could jump through the gap in the window. I know if Luna saw a squirrel at the side of the road when we were at traffic lights, she would be straight after it.
- If you are in a crash, there’s a much bigger chance your dog will avoid serious injury if they are strapped in.
- Your dog won’t be jumping all over you or your other passengers.
Closing Thoughts
You must secure your dog in the UK, so please make sure you buy one and maybe even look at a car seat as well that your dog can sit in.
It might be worth visiting your local pet store to try a few. All dogs are different sizes, and sometimes sending stuff back can be a hassle if you buy it online. You will also get the chance to ask the shop owner’s opinion.
Mike is the proud owner of a 7-year-old Cockapoo named Luna. He loves to share stories, tips and information about owning a Cockapoo. With over7 years of experience as an owner, Mike is passionate about helping others own and care for their dog.
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