Hi we will be bringing our standard wire haired dachshund puppy home in a few weeks time and I would like to know what the best way to bring her home would be should I get a small box with a blanket inside and hold her on my lap?  Also when she is older I would like to take her out and about in the car with me.  I have seen a lot if dog owners put their dog in the front passenger seat of the car and often wondered how it is that the dog will sit there and not try to jump on the driver.  Can anyone recommend the correct way of transporting a dog to and fro? I have heard of a dog safety belt do these really work?  Thank you

We used a cat carrier strapped on the back seat when bringing a puppy home and my daughter sat next to it and could open the door if necessary. We have dog seat belts when we don't want to put dogs in the boot, but, personally, I wouldn't want to use them for a young/lively dog. We've only used them for older dogs that sleep for most of the journey :) Crates are the best, IMO, as they protect the puppy and also are easier to clean in case of accidents and also prevent chewing of the car ! :)

For puppies then definitely a carrier or crate. Take a good supply of puppy pads (or human incontinence pads) with you, to line the crate/carrier just in case of accidents or sickness, and some wet wipes and hand wipe gel. Hopefully it will be without incident, but it's best to be prepared with young pups.

When I picked my girl up as a pup I was told by her breeder to bring a crate for her to be in in the car or I wasn't taking her home. Mine didn't like being in the crate in the car so I got her a car harness which is attached to the seat via a lead. That way she can't get off the seat and if I have to slam on the breaks she won't end up going threw the windscreen.

Was speaking to some one from training who was saying there dog sits lose on the back seat as they couldn't fit a crate in there car (GSD) and they tried the harness but the dog wouldn't sit still and kept getting tangled. Well one day they had to break suddenly and the dog got thrown Into the frount of the car and broke the windscreen! Dog was ok luckily.

I transport mine everywhere in her crate - she's crate trained so it's been a godsend for everything from traveling to training and bed times. My breeder said she would rather be on my lap on the way home but we took the crate anyway... When we picked her up we were barely a mile down the road before she wee'd, poo'ed and sicked up all over me. So into the crate she went! Haha!

My pup sat on my knee in the back of the car coming home from the breeder. She sat on a towel and slept most of the way, then straight into the garden for a wee when we got home.
Now, I use a harness and she sits on the front passenger seat in her rightful position !

> and she sits on the front passenger seat in her rightful position

I would never have a dog in the front passenger seat - far too much of a distraction for the driver particularly if a young dog ! You can't drive and watch a dog as well. At least if a puppy is in a crate it isn't going to matter if it wees, poos etc and the driver isn't going to know, so won't be distracted. My dog's rightful position is the safest for both her, me and other road users :)

The safest place for a dog to travel is supposed to be the rear footwell. :-)

I agree with daisy ,small crate strapped in and someone sitting close enough to reassure the pup . Crate with paper and cosy blanket and something from the breeder for smelly reassurance. Takes loads of kitchen towel plastic bags for poo and rubbish, wet wipes, bottle of water and small bowl for drinks. Have fun with your new pup.

Advised when collecting our pup that the best place for him was the front passenger well, so he came home to us either on the floor between my husbands feet or on his lap with plenty of towels & kitchen paper. Was very peaceful throughout the two hour journey & only peed just before we got home. Have never had them in the front since, our breed couldn't even if allowed sit/fit on the passenger seat or the back seat, travel either in the deep boot of the car or if going any distance crated. Terrifies me when I see dogs sitting on laps looking out the windows or even worse sitting on front passenger seats.
Enjoy your pup, a busy time but it soon sadly passes.

Without doubt - crate.   The last two buy ins came home in a crate - with my husband sitting alongside (split back seats) to make sure the puppy was okay while I drove.

I have never used a dog seat-belt, and never would.   Too restricting.   Dogs usually travel far better, and definitely safer, in a crate.   My Whippet's crate is mid-ships, across the car (back seats down) and with the crate anchored with my old benching chains attached to the rear seat brackets to stop the risk of the crate/her flying in an accident.   She's light.   On short trips, my Basset rides in the back behind her crate but if we are going any distance, we put his big crate in the car, behind her crate.

Ten to one your puppy may well unchuck during the trip, so take a good supply of paper towels etc., and some water, with you.   You do not need her on your lap if that's going to happen!!    People who allow their dogs to sit on the front passenger seat are NUTS.

ps   Try to arrange to collect your new puppy as early in the day as her breeder will allow - that should give her time to recover from the trip, and explore her new surroundings before the FIRST NIGHT!!!   Mind you she'll probably be so tired after her first day away from her breeder/siblings that she'll sleep pretty much all night.   It could be the second night when it all kicks off.   Use the crate - alongside your bed to help reassure her she's not abandoned.  And she will need to be taken outside once during the night to empty.

Add -   Before we 'knew' our first Basset came home, in our MG Midget yet, sitting on my lap with his head stuck under my left arm.   He didn't raise his head until we got home and I carried him through the lounge into the back garden - him peeing all the way across the lounge carpet, and then immediately attacking my carefully reared line of lettuce.   How little we knew!!!!

I bought a soft dog carrier for my pup when I brought her home, I have a car with a boot not a hatch back and to get into the back of the car is a real core as it only has two doors. Whilst this carrier was fine for the first journey and she slept most of the way which was great because it turned out to be about 2 hours longer than it should, accident on M5 caused a long long stoppage but lets be grateful we are in the tailback not the accident. However she soon took against this method of transportation and cried and defalcated each time she went in. So I bought a harness which now she is quite happy with. She would still prefer to sit on my lap, not that she has ever been allowed I hasten to add !! but she seems to be happier being with me and whilst I have this car I'm afraid its going to have to stay that way. Next vehicle ? definatley a hatch or estate.

My dog doesn't distract me, or toilet in the car :)

> My dog doesn't distract me, or toilet in the car :-)

Good :)

I assume that you have to have the airbag turned off as you would for a baby ??

Remember that the boot of a hatchback or an estate is in fact the crumple zone, designed to crush to absorb impact and limit damage to the passenger area.

Depends a lot what car you've got and how often you're going to be putting the dog(s) in it.

All of ours go in the car at least one return journey every day, so we've go one of these in the back of our Land Rover: http://www.transk9.com/index.php/boxes/b21/

It's a great piece of kit. Can't recommend it highly enough.

To bring one small puppy home a short distance, though, the traditional method has surely been the cardboard box. More modern/better would be a small pet carrier. Put a couple of old towels in and take some cleaning up equipment. That's all though really. Not very safe or convenient for regular use, but fine for one short journey.

> Remember that the boot of a hatchback or an estate is in fact the crumple zone, designed to crush to absorb impact and limit damage to the passenger area.

Mine is a 7 seater with the rear seats folded down to resemble an estate. I'd hope it's not designed to crumple as there could well be children travelling in that area for those using it as a 7 seater!

My dog travels on the back seat, I have a hammock so she has a bit more space, and a harness to keep her safe.
My dogs used to travel in the boot, but a friend had a shunt and her boot popped open and her dogs escaped, that really put the wind up me.

This seems a good idea for those who want to use the back seat for transporting dog and keeps down the hair in the car too: http://www.petego.com/category/24/Car/product/121/PetTubeCarKennel

an owner video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dopyX-9sRrI

> This seems a good idea for those who want to use the back seat for transporting dog

I can't see that would work well for my dog :( She does like to sit up and look out of the window from time to time. I can also give her a stroke and even offer water on a long, hot journey which would be impossible in this tube (as a passenger - not the driver :) ). We use a harness plus one of the waterproof/clawproof, hammock seat protectors. This works very well and is also very useful for protecting the back seat when carrying other bits and pieces like shopping :) It can be removed easily and hair shaken off.

I always ask puppy buyers to bring someone with them when collecting their puppy, it's always preferable to have someone else to comfort the puppy...either on ones lap or crate. It can be very distracting on a solo journey home if the puppy wails, vomits or gets its teeth caught on the crate wire.
I also give quite a few things like food, paperwork etc and the pup needs to be carried, the 2nd pair of hands comes in handy.

My dogs travel mid ships in my estate car with the crates behind my drivers seat. It does mean I don't use my rear seats but I believe it's the safest position in the event of an accident.
With a single dog it's easy to use the split seat facility to leave a usable seat in the back.

>I always ask puppy buyers to bring someone with them when collecting their puppy, it's always preferable to have someone else to comfort the puppy...either on ones lap or crate. It can be very distracting on a solo journey home if the puppy wails, vomits or gets its teeth caught on the crate wire.

I would far rather a puppy was carried on a passenger's lap than being thrown around in a crate so early on its experiences of car travel.

My dogs travel on the rear seat in a hammock so they don't fall into the footwell in their harnesses.

I've always bought puppies home sat on me and I'm in the back seat rather then the front passenger seat.
When I picked up Isla two years ago I bought a plastic crate with us just in case, but she ended up hanging over my shoulder gazing out of the back window, before finally falling asleep on my shoulder. The journey was about an hour.

> My dogs travel on the rear seat in a hammock

All of them ? :) :) We found two medium size dogs was just about OK - as long as one didn't try to hog all the space (they never liked snuggling up together) :) :) More than two would be impossible, I think :) :)

We can manage three. :-) Four wouldn't fit comfortably into crates anyway.

I would far rather a puppy was carried on a passenger's lap than being thrown around in a crate so early on its experiences of car travel.

Ditto. Those whose first experience is a cage on their own tend to be the ones that whine and throw up.

I try to take all my pups out together with their mum before they go to their new homes (not necessarily all at once!).

Have a custom fitted double deck cage two cages bottom and top both will take two dogs with easy gave bars to fit coup cups battery powered cage fans when need hooks back and front of cage for leads.

in to the car escape hatches for all cages I too had a friend who was rear ended but her boot door was stuck shut fire brigade had to cut dogs free lucky no fire was involved.

Last pup bought in travelled in a plastic box no lid home mum driving, box strapped in back seat me next to it lined with newspapers and vet bed

Remember that the boot of a hatchback or an estate is in fact the crumple zone, designed to crush to absorb impact and limit damage to the passenger area.

My car is a seven seater as well so I do hope the back is not a crumple zone !!! The girls travel well in there with a rear guard and a solid wooden barrier up against the three rear seats. I always make sure my new puppy byers have a crate to travel pups home in if possible.
Aileen

Always a crate, safer for puppy/dog and driver/passengers

By tooolz (****) [gb] Date 01.01.15 11:13 GMT
I always ask puppy buyers to bring someone with them when collecting their puppy, it's always preferable to have someone else to comfort the puppy...either on ones lap or crate. It can be very distracting on a solo journey home if the puppy wails, vomits or gets its teeth caught on the crate wire.

OP - I think above is the most important piece of advice in this thread. A lot of the rest of it is moot/personal preference/dependent on circumstances etc. But in pretty much all circumstances, having a second person to occupy themselves with the puppy is a must, particularly if you're new owners (I'm not sure?) and it's an 8-10 week puppy.

(Not that I think it makes any meaningful difference to the puppy, but it can be massively stressful to the new owner and get the whole relationship off to a bad start, which can be detrimental to the puppy.

Golly thank you all so much what a lot of fantastic advice I have ordered a crate but I equally like the idea of some sort of plastic or cardboard box securely strapped in on my lap sitting in the back of the car so I will take both and see how we go.  The journey is about two hours and I hadn't even thought of wipes etc thank you all so much for the invaluable advice

I have just been looking at the clix car safe harness and seat belt lead which may be a good idea when our puppy is older does anyone know whether I should order small or extra small for a standard wire dachshubd pls?

> whether I should order small or extra small for a standard wire dachshubd pls? .

I wouldn't even think about it yet if you are ordering a crate :) :) Wait and see until a) he/she is successfully reliably housetrained and not car sick  b) doesn't chew everything in sight and c) you don't want to use the crate :) :) Then he/she will have finished growing as well :) (We have the Clix harnesses and they do seem sturdy and well made - but I've only used them on two elderly dogs :) )

One word of warning with the dog seat belts, I got one from wilko and it jamed in the seat belt clip and we had to get a new clip for the car! I now use an old lead tied to the head rest.

> The journey is about two hours and I hadn't even thought of wipes etc thank you all so much for the invaluable advice

I always advise my puppy buyers to bring handtowels (goodsize for catching sickness), kitchen towel, plastic bag(for dirty items).

I also say if there can be two, if possible, when collecting the pup. This way, one concentrates on the driving, whilst the other concentrates on the puppy. I know this isnt always possible..... I also time the feeding to be as long as possible before the journey & try to give a travel sickness tablet(not always).
I know when I get a new pup, they sit, with my mother, on the back seat...they usually fall asleep after a few minutes.
Like someone else mentioned, this may be one of the pups first long car journeys & one wants it to be a nice one :)

I have seen a lot if dog owners put their dog in the front passenger seat of the car

Personally I never let my dog travel in the front seat, if the driver breaks hard its face/head can hit the dashboard quite easily, I just think that under hard breaking circumstances its marginally more dangerous for the dog than being in the back, living & driving in London sudden breaking situations are not rare.

I have a ferplast atlas which fits perfectly in the boot of my car. Keeps my Pomeranians safe & secure. My dogs are never crated or caged so I did worry about how they would get on with it, but they love it as they know when they are put in the car they are off somewhere nice :)