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car and plane carrier and barking

5K views 30 replies 20 participants last post by  Jackie from Concrete WA 
#1 ·
The car sickness thread inspired me to start this thread ... We are grateful that Shama doesn't get carsick as as we regularly travel three hours to see my parents and 90 minutes to see DH's parents. Our problem is barking.

If we travel somewhere overnight, we take Shama's wire crate which goes into her expen at our destination. In that case, she can sit in the wire crate facing forward from the middle of the back seat of our Subaru Forester.

If we're going somewhere locally or just for the day, we take my car, and she rides in her Petego Jet Set Pet Carrier which is secured to the back seat by the PetEgo ISOFIX Latch Car Connection. (We researched a long time before choosing this carrier and car connection to be safest in the case of a crash.) In this setup, she can't see, she has to lie sideways to the motion of the car, and she barks a lot more.

Does anyone have any thoughts on helping her calm down and bark less? Lavender essential oil in the car hasn't helped much, and Safety Zone Natural Herbal Calming Spray hasn't helped much. I suppose maybe we should try our recently discovered best chew, beef achilles tendons, in the car ...

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https://www.greatdogco.com/collecti...illes-tendons-5-count-bag-sourced-made-in-usa

Thanks!

PS One could argue we should put Shama in the safest carrier we have when we go on longer road trips, but there's only so much room in the car when we're taking the expen. I figure she's definitely safer in her wedged-in crate than she would be completely loose. (I am always surprised to see small dogs loose on their owners' laps when their owners are driving a car. A driver could suddenly need to slam on the brakes for any number of reasons. What happens to that little dog in that case?)
 
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#3 · (Edited)
I know it's safer to have a dog car seat but I'm one of those who doesn't use them, although I have used them. I do leash Patti's harness to the seat, so she isn't running around the vehicle. When we go to the mountains its a 14-hour-drive and it works better for us. She can either get up in a seat and look out but typically she rides laying down on the floor in the back. I can't imagine keeping a dog in a crate for a long drive and if you're just going across town I wouldn't use a crate. Unless they're strapped tight in a car seat or a crate the dog is going to get slammed around if there's an accident.

To each his own... Whatever works and makes one feel good, you should do it.
 
#4 ·
For calming, you could try Rescue Remedy which is one of the Bach flower essences. This is non toxic. It really helped my cat who was deathly afraid of storms. I am not a car safety expert. However, if a dog is loose inside a hard crate I would think they are going to get banged around pretty bad if an accident occurs. They do a great job of containing the dog but aren’t they going to be slammed against the crate pretty hard in an accident? Have you tried any seatbelt / harness arrangements? I would think the main fear is keeping your dog from becoming a projectile and being thrown against the front seat or worse. If there is a complete rollover, perhaps the dog will come out better in a crate but most accidents are not rollovers. I only know one dog that was in a car accident. This dog was in the front seat unrestrained and they had a head on collision with a fair amount of force. The dog was thrown forward onto the floor and the front of the car crumpled and it was trapped there. The emergency rescue people took quite awhile to get the dog out. The owner said she would never have her dog unrestrained again and would put him in the back seat instead of the front. The dog limped for two months and now is fine. They were very lucky.
 
#5 ·
harness/ seatbelt

For calming, you could try Rescue Remedy which is one of the Bach flower essences. This is non toxic. It really helped my cat who was deathly afraid of storms. I am not a car safety expert. However, if a dog is loose inside a hard crate I would think they are going to get banged around pretty bad if an accident occurs. They do a great job of containing the dog but aren't they going to be slammed against the crate pretty hard in an accident? Have you tried any seatbelt / harness arrangements? I would think the main fear is keeping your dog from becoming a projectile and being thrown against the front seat or worse. If there is a complete rollover, perhaps the dog will come out better in a crate but most accidents are not rollovers. I only know one dog that was in a car accident. This dog was in the front seat unrestrained and they had a head on collision with a fair amount of force. The dog was thrown forward onto the floor and the front of the car crumpled and it was trapped there. The emergency rescue people took quite awhile to get the dog out. The owner said she would never have her dog unrestrained again and would put him in the back seat instead of the front. The dog limped for two months and now is fine. They were very lucky.
They would get thrown around with a harness/ seatbelt as well - up in the air, into the door, etc. I don't think there's much you can do to prevent that no matter what method you use. For me the key (regardless of what your personal choice) is to minimize any danger of them getting thrown too far (a soft or hard crate that is size appropriate wouldn't really give them much momentum inside) AND to make sure, if a door pops open, that they aren't going to get thrown or get spooked and run.

As for the original question on barking - can't really help. Perry travels in his sherpa bag (to contain the car sick and for safety) belted to the seat, so we don't have an issue with barking when we travel (just with getting car sick)
 
#6 ·
The car sickness thread inspired me to start this thread
I hesitate to bring this up because I haven't tried it. But there was something on Amazon, chews to help calm your dog. I think they were made of hemp. Pretty sure the name was Zen Dog or something similar. They were intended to calm stressed-out dogs, especially dogs with separation anxiety. The reviews are good-if they're real.
Our lab Cooper didn't bark much but they got EXTREMELY agitated and whiny in the back of the car (the car meant they were going either to the dog park or the vet). Usually my husband would drive, while I restrained Cooper in the back seat. Needless to say, these were short trips. But one day I couldn't go with Ray and Cooper rode next to him. Ray said she was as good as gold sitting up front. But I'm sure you don't want to literally take a back seat to your dog for a longer trip.
I got a doggy seat belt chair for Hashi, but I don't drive much.
I have a carrier that looks very much like yours.
I'm sorry I don't have that much experience.
 
#7 ·
I tried some all natural calming chews at one point (I’m sure there are many different kinds) and I swear the smell of them was like coming out of his pores for days! My husband thought they helped but I’ll never use them again, they made him smell like Thanksgiving dinner! Don’t get that brand ;)

Do you think it’s because she can’t see? Or is she just trying to remind you she’s there and wants to move? I wonder if there’s a way to give her some kind of visual stimulation, or to somehow see outside in spite of her position. Like maybe one of those baby mirrors?
 
#8 ·
I tried some all natural calming chews at one point (I'm sure there are many different kinds) and I swear the smell of them was like coming out of his pores for days! My husband thought they helped but I'll never use them again, they made him smell like Thanksgiving dinner! Don't get that brand ;)

Do you think it's because she can't see? Or is she just trying to remind you she's there and wants to move? I wonder if there's a way to give her some kind of visual stimulation, or to somehow see outside in spite of her position. Like maybe one of those baby mirrors?
LOL!!!!!!!:bolt:
 
#10 ·
Jessie has no problem riding in the car. She has a comfortable car seat she and sit up in and look out the window, or curl up in and sleep. The seat is secured with the car seat belts and she is clipped to the seat. However, She could get some bumbling around in a crash.

My concern is air travel. Jessie is about 11 lbs, but I can’t see her fitting under the seat in an airplane. The carrier size recommended by the airlines seems too small for her. I want to be sure she will sit comfortably in it and still fit under the seat. There seems to be no way to test it prior to boarding. Needless to say, we don’t fly....make the 1500 miles from Florida to Massachusetts by car. However, in case of an emergency, like to know I can fly up with her. Has any one flown and been successful with a carrier?
 
#16 · (Edited)
However, in case of an emergency, like to know I can fly up with her. Has any one flown and been successful with a carrier?
Ricky is a veteran air traveler. He flies 3 to 4 times a year from Los Angeles to Cabo San Lucas. This is about a 2 1/2 hour flight each way. But with check-in, TSA, and then at arrival immigration, customs, and Mexican animal regulation, it entails almost a full day of travel. So he puts in around 8000 miles of air travel a year.

We always fly Alaska Air and we see the same flight crew frequently. They all know Ricky Ricardo by name and he is a favorite. Ricky is a 15 pound bowling ball and we use a Sherpa Original Deluxe carrier. But, but, but, the crew knows Ricky and how well he behaves. They say Ricky behaves better than most of the passengers on that flight and they allow him to ride in my lap for the flight and he usually sleeps or lies quietly alert fascinated by all the goings-on aboard. If the seat next to me is occupied, I ALWAYS ask if the person next to me objects to his riding in my lap (and a few will say yes) then into the Sherpa he goes under the seat in front of me. It is a tight fit for him and he prefers NOT to be in it. But in he goes if I insist and he will endure the ordeal without barking or making noise other than an occasional whimper which most passengers don't even notice. He is a good boy.

Regarding where to sit if you have a dog, each plane model is different and it can vary, but I definitely avoid an aisle seat - too much opportunity for him to get bumped or stepped on. On the equipment Alaska uses for the Cabo flight, the window seat provides the most room and protection.

We keep Ricky on a leash until time to board. As soon as the plane pulls into the ramp, he comes out of the Sherpa (if he is in it) and then he walks off the plane on his own while on a leash. Ricky LOVES airline terminals. He loves all the activity, noises, people, and smells. Ricky is NOT afraid of loud noises, in fact he will run to where the noise is to investigate. And then there are always people coming up wanting to know all about him and pet him. I love it when VERY shy children come up and say quietly, "can I pet your doggie?" And Ricky loves the attention. "He's so soft!"

Most terminals have a potty spot in a small fenced area with artificial turf. Ricky doesn't like artificial turf and usually will just hold it for 6+ hours. He seems to be too distracted to know he has to go. Now, Popi is another story!

When we get off the plane, the flight crew and pilots stand at the exit saying goodbye and I have this stupid dog trick. Ricky is on his lease and I lean down and say, "Ricky if you think the crew did a good job, give me a fist bump." Ricky reaches up with his paw (always his left paw, he's a lefty) and dutifully fist bumps my fist. The flight crew goes nuts! Now some of the crew who know him well, will react first bending down saying, "Ricky if you enjoyed your flight give me a fist bump." And, BAM, Ricky will fist bump them! Passengers and crew are amazed. It is an easy trick to teach. Ricky doesn't understand the words, he only reacts to the fist in front of him.

In the beginning I had a lot of anxiety about flying with Ricky but now it is a commonplace exciting adventure.

Ricky's Popi
 
#11 ·
Sometimes it is better to NOT participate in a thread, but this time I just can't resist.

Sometimes we drive to Mexico which is two, 10/13 hour days of driving. However, most of our trips are under 90 minutes. We always use the Kurgo harness and seat restraint. I have a lot of confidence in it. The Kurgo did not fare well in the comparison test posted on HF last week. BUT there were two things wrong with that test:
- Ricky is a 15 pound dog rather than the 50 pound dog used in the test.
- the harness was NOT hooked up properly as recommended by Kurgo! They didn't read the instructions!

So I still feel comfortable and confident with the Kurgo. We hook Ricky up in the driver's side back seat. We stop every two hours to give him a break on long trips. He never barks. He sleeps or rests most of the time. He does not get car sick. Momi drives all of the time when it is the three of us together (I will not explain, it is, what it is). This allows me to interact with Ricky at times by reaching back since I am in the front passenger seat.

Now, having said that (takes deep breath to work up courage) sometimes I do let Ricky sit on my lap in the front passenger seat while he is unrestrained (maybe 10 or 15 minutes at a time). BAD POPI, BAD POPI, BAD POPI!!!!!!! I DO NOT recommend you do this! It is irresponsible on my part. I can't think of a good reason why I do this. If something were to happen to Ricky, I would be 100% responsible!

So there you have it. I am just as much a hypocrite as the next person. But I feel better being honest. Please don't do what I do, it is not a good idea.

Ricky's Popi
 
#13 ·
And I will join in to admit that while _I_ don't EVER like to have my dogs loose in the car, DAVE lets Miss Pix ride on his lap at times. Never on the highway (I put my foot down there) but these big guys seem to be big softies with their little fluffy dogs! LOL!

And... We had an instance recently where (and I don't even remember why) but I had Panda with me, and needed to trade cars with my son, then drive home, with Panda, in his pick-up truck, with no way AT ALL of restraining her. She has NEVER ridden in a car without being in a crate. I really was a little nervous. I am not used to driving his huge work truck, and I didn't know what to expect from her. I put her on the other seat (no back seat in a work truck) at told her to lie down. She did. And she stayed there the whole way home. (which wasn't all that far... 5 miles on back roads)

I don't think it's safe. I'd never recommend it. But sometimes you've got to do what you've got to do in urgent family situations!
 
#12 ·
Thanks for all your calming treat recommendations and for the car seat discussion. (I'm sure someone will soon weigh in about air travel. We don't plan to ever take Shama in a plane ...)

Popi, no one is perfect. I'm sure we are all pretty good dog owners even though none of us are perfect. Two things are certain, however: we LOVE our sweet dogs SO MUCH, and we care about helping others, both people and dogs!
 
#14 ·
Melissa Brill is the person who knows ALL in the INs and OUTs, when you fly with a dog. She flies from South Africa to the U.S. a couple of times a year. I'm not sure South Africa is correct, but where she lives is on that continent. You could Private Message her about air travel..but I don't know how to look up her PM address. Maybe someone else knows.

All this Hang Ringing over confining your Precious when traveling by car is funny. Short around town trips are actually more dangerous, there's more accidents than long trips. On 14-hour trips to the mountains, our grandchildren at some point unharness themselves and lay down in the back of the Sunburn. By the 12-hour, Patti is Barking...Let Me Out of Here!!! Humans and Dogs are ALL ready to escape the vehicle.

Some times I hold Patti in my lap around town and on long trips. Mostly her leash is connected to her harness with the leash connect to the seat. Life is Short. Don't Worry So Much. Whatever you do ... There's no guarantees in this world.
 
#15 ·
We fly with our 15 pound Hava all the time. He fits easily into the wheeled Sherpa bag, which goes under the middle seat on Southwest. There is plenty of room for him in there, the side flaps can be up or down (we fly with them down), and you can pet through the zippered top if necessary. On Southwest, the only option is the middle seat- if you put the carrier under the window seat there is not enough room for your feet/legs (I found that out the hard way, as I prefer the window seat)... There may be a little jostling to get the carrier under the seat but it fits. We get a pet ticket for him, and have never had a problem. If possible, I would get the case and practice with it- we use it as our car carrier too, so he is super adjusted to riding in it. Sorry I have no experience with other airlines... Good luck!
 
#17 · (Edited)
Greetings, friends! Just an update to let you know that ShamaPapa, Shama, and I were in a very serious car accident three nights ago.

We had just taken Shama to hydrotherapy at Twin Cities Animal Rehab (she walks on a treadmill in a tank of water for seven minutes and does other exercises), and we had just picked up approximately 130 textbooks and approximately 120 paperback novels (my school district - where I'd been teaching for 21 years - cut my French program, but I purchased my books at auction for a grand total of $4.30, and now we're picking up all the books over time - this was just one load - I now teach in the town where I live and where we recently moved my dad who lives with Alzheimer's into assisted living - am hoping the quality of life improvement - no longer commuting more than two hours a day - will make up for the HUGE pay cut and destruction of my retirement planning - sorry I've been out of touch with all these personal news).

It was 8 PM, so dark in Minnesota in late September, and we were driving south on the freeway, slower than the speed limit in the right lane, when we caught up to a semi hauling round hay bales that had not moved into the right lane despite having ample opportunity to do so. We wanted to not be next to him any longer than necessary, so ShamaPapa increased speed to get past him. That's when the semi driver decided to move into the right lane and apparently didn't look to see if anyone was there. The front of our car was in front of his, so he should have seen both our lights shining ahead and the front of our vehicle. He clipped us in the back of the driver's side, sending us SPINNING, SPINNING, SPINNING. We think we then collided with his trailer, before coming to a stop IN THE LEFT LANE OF A FREEWAY AT NIGHT ON A CURVE. We turned on our hazard lights and were starting to get our bearings when BAM! we were hit by a woman who hadn't been able to slow down or switch lanes as a car was next to her. She went careening across both lanes and into the ditch.

We looked to see if Shama was OK, and there was only one binder of teacher materials on top of her carrier (the one described in the first post of this thread and shown in a video in a later post in this thread). NO BOOKS from the "way back" of the vehicle had come into Shama's space or our space, despite the fact that many were unboxed, thanks to ShamaPapa's excellent packing. I unzipped the end of the carrier, and Shama quickly emerged.

Shama was trembling for a long time. (I think she might have howled during and/or right after the accident. I know I was SHRIEKING the entire time we were spinning and getting hit.) She eventually calmed down. Amazingly, ShamaPapa and I didn't suffer serious injuries. We had been protected by our carrier, a 2010 Subaru Forester with nearly 300,000 miles on it. Our front and side airbags deployed, no glass even cracked, our engine didn't burst into flames, and the first responders were even able to open both of our doors. The woman who hit us was taken to the ER by ambulance with a shoulder injury sustained either when hitting us or when coming to a stop in the ditch. We were checked out by the ambulance but then picked up by our niece who lives in our town, which was 50 minutes away from the nearest gas station where the state patrol transported us.

Our vehicle was totaled. We'll miss it, but it died a valiant death, saving the life of its owners. We bought a 2021 Forester yesterday. ShamaPapa's first Forester also had nearly 300,000 miles on it when we had to give it up instead of doing one more major repair. This new one is a baby with only 53,000 miles on it.

We tried to get Shama in to Urgent Care on Friday morning, but the appointments were all full, and she's been acting completely normal.

All this to say, PROTECT YOUR PUP WITH A QUALITY CARRIER!

Love to you all!

💚💛🧡💜💙


From ShamaPapa:

Here are some pictures of our Subaru after the accident.

Tire Vehicle Wheel Car Automotive lighting


Tire Wheel Car Vehicle Automotive tire



Wheel Tire Car Vehicle Automotive lighting
 
#21 ·
Greetings, friends! Just an update to let you know that ShamaPapa, Shama, and I were in a very serious car accident three nights ago.

We had just taken Shama to hydrotherapy at Twin Cities Animal Rehab (she walks on a treadmill in a tank of water for seven minutes and does other exercises), and we had just picked up approximately 130 textbooks and approximately 120 paperback novels (my school district - where I'd been teaching for 21 years - cut my French program, but I purchased my books at auction for a grand total of $4.30, and now we're picking up all the books over time - this was just one load - I now teach in the town where I live and where we recently moved my dad who lives with Alzheimer's into assisted living - am hoping the quality of life improvement - no longer commuting more than two hours a day - will make up for the HUGE pay cut and destruction of my retirement planning - sorry I've been out of touch with all these personal news).

It was 8 PM, so dark in Minnesota in late September, and we were driving south on the freeway, slower than the speed limit in the right lane, when we caught up to a semi hauling round hay bales that had not moved into the right lane despite having ample opportunity to do so. We wanted to not be next to him any longer than necessary, so ShamaPapa increased speed to get past him. That's when the semi driver decided to move into the right lane and apparently didn't look to see if anyone was there. The front of our car was in front of his, so he should have seen both our lights shining ahead and the front of our vehicle. He clipped us in the back of the driver's side, sending us SPINNING, SPINNING, SPINNING. We think we then collided with his trailer, before coming to a stop IN THE LEFT LANE OF A FREEWAY AT NIGHT ON A CURVE. We turned on our hazard lights and were starting to get our bearings when BAM! we were hit by a woman who hadn't been able to slow down or switch lanes as a car was next to her. She went careening across both lanes and into the ditch.

We looked to see if Shama was OK, and there was only one binder of teacher materials on top of her carrier (the one described in the first post of this thread and shown in a video in a later post in this thread). NO BOOKS from the "way back" of the vehicle had come into Shama's space or our space, despite the fact that many were unboxed, thanks to ShamaPapa's excellent packing. I unzipped the end of the carrier, and Shama quickly emerged.

Shama was trembling for a long time. (I think she might have howled during and/or right after the accident. I know I was SHRIEKING the entire time we were spinning and getting hit.) She eventually calmed down. Amazingly, ShamaPapa and I didn't suffer serious injuries. We had been protected by our carrier, a 2010 Subaru Forester with nearly 300,000 miles on it. Our front and side airbags deployed, no glass even cracked, our engine didn't burst into flames, and the first responders were even able to open both of our doors. The woman who hit us was taken to the ER by ambulance with a shoulder injury sustained either when hitting us or when coming to a stop in the ditch. We were checked out by the ambulance but then picked up by our niece who lives in our town, which was 50 minutes away from the nearest gas station where the state patrol transported us.

Our vehicle was totaled. We'll miss it, but it died a valiant death, saving the life of its owners. We bought a 2021 Forester yesterday. ShamaPapa's first Forester also had nearly 300,000 miles on it when we had to give it up instead of doing one more major repair. This new one is a baby with only 53,000 miles on it.

We tried to get Shama in to Urgent Care on Friday morning, but the appointments were all full, and she's been acting completely normal.

All this to say, PROTECT YOUR PUP WITH A QUALITY CARRIER!

Love to you all!

💚💛🧡💜💙
So glad everyone is OK! In the initial post, you mentioned 2 carriers. Which one were you using?
 
#20 ·
The guy who brought us to get all the books and the rest of our belongings out of the Forester yesterday said Subarus have the strongest frames he's seen in his towing and his other job. His other job is flattening junked vehicles, and he said he has to apply way more pressure to crush a Subaru because of the way Subarus are built.
 
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