Has anyone had any experiance of travelling with their dogs in an open topped car? Just wondering if there were any special restraints other than a harness? It might be illegal to travel with the roof down and dogs on back seat, I don't know, but would be grateful for any advice.

Thanks

I don't think it would be illegal but I reckon it would be a bit daft :).  I would say the safest thing for the dog would be a crate firmly secured to a fixed point otherwise I would say an appropriate harness attached to the safety belt.

I was thinking along the lines of some sort of purpose built crate/cage. It does sound a bit bonkers I know! We're just in the early stages of considering a sporty 4 seater, but where we go the girls generally go too! I have this very amusing image of both dogs sat on the back seat wearing goggles and helmets and humming along to 'stop the pigeon' or catch it or whatever!!

My daughter travels our Borders in her convertible with a well fitting harness attached to the seat belt and had never had any problems.

Mind their faces the first time in a car with no lid is something to see. lol

Is it a special harness Lady D, or bog standard?

As far as I know it is just a bog standard car harness, she is away for the weekend, but when she gets back I will check out the make for you.

Regards

Jayne

Thanks Jane
xx

My Anton would love to drive in one of them :d  He's one of those dogs that loves sticking his head out of the window, although i don't allow it to go down that far and his ickle nostrils flare away and he has a big grin on his face.  He loves it the strange boy :d  Though I would rather spend the money on a van if I had the money that is :d

As long as they had car harnesses secured to seat belts that would be ok, but I would be concerned about them getting stuff in their eyes in a convertible, I understand that's why they shouldn't stick their heads out of windows?

That's a good point Lucy. Will just have to kit them out with goggles!

My Flatcoat has been known to travel on the back seat of my convertible.  He wears a car harness and lies down on the back seat.  When the lid is off he sits up while the car is stationary, but as soon as he feels the wind in his face he lies down and stays there.  :p

And he enjoys it and is safe?
We have 2 dogs and I drive a little VW Polo and have the back seats down to accomodate girls, and my husband has Volvo estate- again to accomadate girls. It turns out that a gorgeous, super, blumming lovely cabriolet convertible retails at about the same price, perhaps slightly less than the estate. Now, I devote most of my time and energy to my 2 dogs, and I wouldn't want to change their lifestyles, but I am being tempted- call it mid-life crisis (I'm 37 but it can strike anytime) and you'vegotta have fun when you can.. 

Well, put it this way, he is eager to get into the car.  But then that may be because he'd rather come with me than be left at home! :D  He is safe because of wearing the harness (attached to seatbelt) and because he doesn't like to move around when the car is moving.  The windows stay up to minimize the wind.  We also don't have the roof down on longer journeys or travelling fast.  He doesn't show any signs of being stressed.  He is quite big so takes up the whole of the back seat.

I have to add that this is not his primary mode of transport though.  We do have an estate as the official "dog car".  The cabrio is only used when necessary as he's obviously more comfortable in the estate as there's more room in it.  I quite understand the mid-life crisis feeling though, and having fun is a necessary evil at times. ;)

Totally agree, I have to experiance the windswept look at some point and it may as well be with the head scarf as an accessorie rather than a covering up the grey/bald patch necessity!