Dog Owners...

[Nate]

When you take your dog for a ride, in the cab or in the back of the truck?



I'm taking care of a German Short Hair (Hank) for my friend, might end up "adopting" him actually.

Now Hank weighs about 65-70lbs so he's not a very small dog.



I'm a bit scared that he might jump out the back of the truck, but when he rides in the cab he likes to climb on the console and wants me to pet him/licks my face, etc, which is a bit distracting.



Going down the instate at 75-80mph, seem that it would be fairly windy back there??



I'm just curious since I'm not an experience dog owner.

 

[Bertram65]

Never ever in the bed, I have a 65lb Springer Spaniel and 45lb Shepard Beagle mix. It is not safe for them in the bed. When we travel me and the dogs ride in front and my wife and daughter ride in the back, works out best for everyone. This is them on thier chair in the house.

 

[phloop]

When ever I have been able to convince the big dummy to go with me, I have taken my dog in the back. If you do carry the dog in the back, you need to have your dog leashed into the center of the front of the bed of the truck so that the dog can not jump out. I believe it may be a law in almost all states now that you must do this. I do not know how well it is enforced though.



They sell special kits to do this but I have just used a motorcycle tie down strap from one side of the bed to the other and a short length of old leash tied in the middle of the strap. The old leash is just long enough for him to roam from side to side but not long enough to allow him to be able to get over the side of the bed.



But as my mutt weighs 125+ lb's, (last time he was on a scale he was some where around 135 but I put him on a better food diet) I do not take him very often as I refuse to lift him into the back of the truck when him can get in there by himself, and he still thinks he's a pup and wants me to get him in the back. :-laf



And the dogs do not mind the wind to much, if they get tired of it they will just lay down out of it. But most times their heads will be hanging over the side drooling all over sides of the bed.



Really, it all comes down to the fact if you want a dog on the inside of your truck tearing it up or not.

 

[gonehuntingagain]

You just need to teach him where he needs to ride. My 70lb lab rides in the quad cab area of the truck most of the time. When I take him swimming or duck hunting he rides in a kennel (strapped securely) in the back of the truck.



The kennel has saved his life. I had to swerve hard to miss a damn near head on collision while towing a boat. If he was riding in the back of the truck unleashed it is more than likely that he would have been thrown out and if that didn't kill him, the boat surely would have. I am not a vet, but I would think that if he would have been tied up in the back, he would have had some damage to his neck.



Getting a crate (port-a-pet or whatever you what to call it) and training him to use it comes in handy for other occasions as well.



If you hunt birds, head south of the base there and you will get into quail, chukar, and pheasants down by the river.

 

[phloop]

You just need to teach him where he needs to ride. My 70lb lab rides in the quad cab area of the truck most of the time. When I take him swimming or duck hunting he rides in a kennel (strapped securely) in the back of the truck.



Getting a crate (port-a-pet or whatever you what to call it) and training him to use it comes in handy for other occasions as well.

Good idea on the kennel. I thought of adding that but thought my post was getting long winded.



When I had a wife, (and she had a dog) when we went camping her dog rode in a kennel in the back of my truck. As her ex-dog was kennel trained, the dog had no problems riding in it. We went across the state of Oregon and back, from the NW to the SE corners, and that dog was just as happy in the kennel as she was in the truck. Also caused less problems in the kennel than when she was allowed to be alone in the trailer. And she was not allowed in the front of the truck after being a pup.



Except for the fact that dog always got car sick, she was a good dog. Dang smart for an adoption dog.





And you lab is only 70lb's? My mutt is 50/50 Lab-Rottie-elephant and he is now down to around 125lb's. Goes to show what a good dog food will do for your dog as compared to the wally world cheap stuff. And he is still a big dumb dog. Dang near as good as his name sake. Also that is the reason he rides in the back, I don't wanna take the front pass seat out all the time for him to ride up front. :-laf

 

[KBennett]

Ours rode in the truck until I got a cap last year and only if it is under 70 degrees. Personally, I don't like to see dogs riding in the back of an uncovered truck.



You need to train the dog to sit and be firm with him about it. GSH's are pretty wild mannered but if you are firm and give them praise when they obey then you will get along.

My Viszla is higher strung like a GSH and he will sit in the back seat. He tries to come up front as a test once in a while but he knows the command "back" very well

 

[gonehuntingagain]

And you lab is only 70lb's? My mutt is 50/50 Lab-Rottie-elephant and he is now down to around 125lb's. Goes to show what a good dog food will do for your dog as compared to the wally world cheap stuff.

No kidding there, I switched him from pedigree to eukanuba and I was able to feed him half as much - otherwise he would get chunky. Eukanuba costs 2x the pedigree, so it is a wash cost wise, and there is a lot fewer "doggie mines" in the yard.



I also had to cut down a plum tree to keep him from getting fat - he supplemented his diet with plums. I would clean up the plums, then the squirrels would take a bite and drop them in the yard. No waking up in the middle of the night to him acting like a cat with a hairball with the plum pits.







As for the kennel, if he sees me put it in the back of the truck he gets all excited and can't wait to get in - he knows he is going somewhere and will get to play/swim/hunt when he gets there. When I take him camping he will go in the kennel and take a nap if I leave the door open for him.

 

[Jengle]

KBennet, My Springer rides with me everywhere and in the right front seat. If I tell her in a firm voice, "Back", I get a rolled eye look and a bark, like how dare you.

 

[GFrance]

My chocolate lab has the whole back seat of my dually. I have the fold flat floor down with a 3" foam pad covered with a sheet. When in town he likes both back windows down. I'm always having to wipe down the fenders from doggie drool. :-laf



In my toyota tacoma I let him sit up front, but DLW has laid down the law in the dodge.

 

[Nate]

I have a plastic kennel for him, didn't really think of that. That might be the best thing. He will sit in the back seat without much trouble, but it's when I stop at a light or something he gets up.

 

[Tee]

Both my labs ride in the back seat of the mega Cab, and my daughter too. I fold down the big half and have a bed on it. Then the daughter rides in the little seat behind me. Works great, all three are comfy and not in each others "space"

 

[vegasredneck]

In Vegas, you really have to be carefull with the dogs in the bed (burns the pads of the feet) in the sun. My boxer rides up front and when I stop. I just leave the truck running nobody is going to bother it with him in it. I had a older lady try and pet him when the windows were down. He played real nice until she stuck her hand in the truck and almost had a finger sandwich. I come walking out and she was mad. I told her don't stick you hand were it shouldn't be jumped in the truck and left. while she stood there holding her stub.



PS. They make seat belts for the dog so he will stay in the back seat and can't get up front.