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The Great Dane dilemma: How to travel safely
By Keith Turner
August 25, 2008
Regular DogCars.com readers have already been introduced to dedicated DogCar lover Marjorie Darby, from the Toronto area, who recently contributed some detailed insight into dog-friendly (and not so friendly) hotels.
Today, Marjorie confesses that the size of her lovable Danes present a troubling situation when it comes to safely securing them into her vehicle.
Here’s Marjorie’s story:
Here’s where I reveal a dirty little secret.
As a lifelong Great Dane aficionado, I can attest there are no satisfactory restraints for dogs the size of Great Danes.
Back in the ’70s, we (all) drove around with our Danes sprawled out on the back seats of sedans. They’re too tall to stand fully upright, but at least a few times in the journey, they’d stand as best they could, and completely block the view out the rear view mirror.
(Just a couple of years ago, a man was ticketed by police in relation to this. In that jurisdiction, driving in the passing lane of a multi-lane highway is prohibited. You may only remain in the passing lane as long as you’re passing other vehicles. Then you must move back into one of the traffic lanes. A police car rode behind the man for some distance in the passing lane before pulling him over. A Great Dane in the back seat, the driver thought he might get out of the ticket by saying he didn’t realize the officer was there because his dog was blocking his view out the rear window. That only garnered him another ticket for having an obstructed view.) (Hey, it’s a lesson for the kids out there.)
At least since the 90’s, maybe 80’s, I’ve deemed this method of transporting Danes too dangerous, too uncomfortable for the dog, and just plain impractical (since it takes up the entire rear seat).
Even if I did go back to letting a Dane ride on the back seat, seat belt-type harnesses would be useless because Danes don’t sit upright on the seat, as the harness and it’s attachments assume.
Don’t even get me started on cages. …Not an option. Aside from the fact that I don’t cage my dogs, a cage big enough for a Great Dane is a huge eyesore no matter where it is, and it assumes the dog stopping itself, via its face, is a good alternative. Personally, I think not. Some sort of restraint for the torso is the best option. I have visions of 110-200lb Danes “face planting” against a wire cage door at 60mph. Ouch!
Skip ahead to our Saab 900 SE Turbo. (FANTASTIC CAR! We miss it so much we’re actively in the market to find a used Viggen hatchback, even though I think the last year they were made was 2001.)
The Saab worked extremely well for us and our single Great Dane. Aside from the Saab’s fantastic handling, adorable quirkiness, and cavernous interior for which they’re legendary, the rear cargo area was just big enough for my female Dane to stand, turn around, and lie down comfortably. (One of my past, big males? Probably not.)
True, she couldn’t stand all the way unless she put her head over the rear seats (due to the classic slope of Saabs’ rear windows). But she felt pretty secure back there. No amount of wild driving seemed to bother her. She mostly laid on her bed, anyway.
We eventually decided we needed to improve her driving experience, because the rear window wasn’t tinted (so the sun was blazing in on her from pretty much all angles, given its large size and angle), and there were no rear air conditioning vents. The closest was a single, central vent directed at the rear seats. But, realistically, that made little difference. We just kept the AC on full blast in the hopes of it making its way all the way to the back.
Of course, we received a lot of (stupid) comments. People don’t realize how much space those hatchbacks had. (I have pictures!) (We could actually have both the Dane and another smaller dog, ride in there, as we did many times with visiting dogs and fosters. I have even folded down the rear seats, and had two Danes in there. …Although, that WAS a lot of dog.)
There were even some nosey idiots with thinly-veiled accusations we were abusing our dog. One neighbourhood child came to me, one day, and asked if it was true we put our dog in the trunk. From that point on I waited for the visit from animal control.
Thankfully, that day never arrived. (knock wood)
Skip forward to our Town & Country. Buying a minivan was, not too surprisingly, something we’d avoided. My husband and I like fun cars. Stylish cars. Luxurious cars. But mostly fast cars. (For the most part, our fastest cars would never accommodate a Great Dane. And we accept that.) http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=fmAuKITia-U
We needed something with more space for our dog, but we’d desperately hoped to find something fun, stylish, and fast, too. At the time, we almost purchased a Murano, when it was new on the market. The last step, before committing, was to see if our dog fit. She didn’t, and the hunt continued. (That also immediately put the Lexus totally out of the running, since it’s cargo area is even smaller.)
Eventually we realized a minivan was the best option. With one of the middle seats removed, our dog could ride there, with still enough seats for up to six human passengers, and still a cargo area behind the rear seats for luggage and whatnot. (We’re not the types to strap stuff to the roof.) We learned that, at least back then, the Town & Country was the top-of-the-line minivan. Everything else really paled in comparison. We saw all the amenities, and were sold. We’d become minivan owners.
We set about decking-out the vehicle with fluffy dog beds and travel stuff (extra leash, food/water bowl, poop bags, etc.). Everything was lovely and pristine, ready for our first trip to a dog park or to the cottage. The tinted windows would take the sting off the sun, right? The front, middle, and rear AC vents would be just the ticket, right? The ample head room would be welcomed, right?
Well…not right. I’m sure all those other things are marked improvements for my dog. But the ample space was not welcomed, for all the reasons dogs should be restrained in vehicles. Just if I tried to ride around in our minivan unrestrained, my innately nervous dog found the prospect rather daunting. She went from a somewhat apprehensive car rider, secure in her little niche, to one that is downright fearful of all the jostling.
Don’t misunderstand. It’s a much shorter task to list the things that my dog isn’t afraid of. But she’d been generally good in the Saab, and was now really anxious on in the Town & Country, primarily due to ‘too much’ space and the subsequent lack of restraint.
Skeptical about how it could possibly work, I bought a harness in the hopes that using an extender and attaching it to a rear seat belt could keep her safe. Alas, no. She’d get caught and twisted on the tether, and I’ve have to stop and untangle her.
I was/am still considering having some custom work done, to design some kind of padded roll bar system. One that would come up to about chest level both to her left (driver’s side) and to the front. It’s hard to describe in words, but my equestrian background is partly the impetus. When trailering horses, they’re kept in what is essentially a stall, where the sides prevent much side to side movement, and there’s typically a padded bar that stops them from flying forward during a sudden stop. (You wouldn’t want them to use their noses, of course.) The problem with the “dog stall” theory is the fact that dogs lie down or sit, either of which might put them under the roll bar, and possibly making it a hazard in some ways.
Nope. Back to the drawing board.
To be fair, my dog has the ability to “brace” against the back seat, the other middle seat, and the side door, if she feels the need to do so. In a serious accident, though, she could still be launched. I worry about that every time I put her in the car. Yet there’s nothing for us in the marketplace. I’ve looked. Oh how I’ve looked and theorized and designed. Where’s Xzibit when ya’ need ‘im?
I’m a bit happier with the idea we might again use a Saab for Great Dane transport. Although there would still be a chance she could become airborn via that small space between the top of the rear seats and the rear windown, I think it’s a small enough risk to be acceptable. But until we find an acceptable Viggen, our doggie transports still involve the spacious Town & Country, so it’s still not ideal. Which means I fall into the category of people who don’t restrain their dogs in vehicles. It’s not for lack of trying, though.
We’ve included a photo of Marjorie’s picture perfect pup sitting with a friend in a Chrysler Town & Country minivan. Here’s Marjorie’s description:
My dog (the brindle Dane in the foreground) is such an innately nervous, diffident, and thus obedient, dog, she’d never contemplate climbing up on the rear seats of the minivan without at least an invitation from me first. Even then, it would probably be too scary up there to remain for long. ;-) Her friend, the fawn (sadly recently diagnosed with osteosarcoma), is her polar opposite in every way. So it wasn’t too much of a surprise that she took her rightful place on the comfy seat.
Thanks again, Marjorie, for your awesome insight into the world of Big Dog traveling. Happy (and safe) travels!
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I’ve had Danes for most of my life, and currently have 4, so I feel your pain :-) My main dog car is a 2007 Rav4 - not very big, but it works for me. My dogs are all very comfortable (one at a time of course!!) riding on the back seat. So for trips to a class or the vet or even a trial/show with just one dog, the Rav4 is great. Plenty of room in the cargo area for a folded soft crate, training bag, even overnight bag and dog food. Well, if it’re really an overnight/weekend trip then some stuff will have to go in the passenger seat or in front of it! It can get cozy, but it does work.
And it works for taking two dogs to a class or the vet - I’ll just lay the back seat down and throw a comforter back there and they seem to ride just fine. You don’t have any room for a crate that way though, and the dogs have to like each other…
For our main show trips which are 2 to 5 day stays with 2 or 3 but up to 4 Danes (translation: LOTS OF STUFF) we rely on our faithful full size Dodge conversion van. We’ve removed one of the passenger seats - leaving one captain’s chair behind the driver and a bench seat about 2/3 of the way back. We put foam padding on the floor and cover that with comforters and blankets. One dog rides on the bench seat, the others are on the floor but it’s so soft they don’t mind at all. Crates, X-pens, luggage, food etc. fit behind the bench seat. The only thing that bothers me about all this is that the dogs aren’t restrained. I’ve tried all sorts of different harnesses and all sorts of different attachment rigs but like you, I find that the dogs always get tangled.
Oh, and for your girl who is anxious on the floor of your minivan… adding some sort of bolster may help her feel more secure by taking up some of the space, and giving her something comfortable to lean against. Body pillows work great, but so do rolled up comforters. Just a thought!
Comment by Barb — August 25, 2008 @ 9:19 pm
Yes, I see you feel my pain, Barb. ;-)
I’ve repeatedly mentioned, to those who suggest an SUV, that they simply don’t have the versatility of a minivan. Either the dogs take up the cargo area or the seats. There are times we need seats (for humans), cargo area for luggage AND an open space for dogs. That appears to be minivan territory! :-)
Thanks for the tip about the body pillows. While it won’t solve the restraint problem, it very well might keep her from “lugeing” when she’s lying down, but still upright. I’ll definitely try to think of a way to make it work for us. Thanks! :-)
Comment by Marjorie — August 26, 2008 @ 6:03 am
I, too drive with unrestrained danes. I have an old Suburban and my dogs are GREAT on the road. I fold down the center seat (which folds into the floor creating a flat sturdy surface) and leave the third row seat where it is depending on how many people I’m taking. I pile dog beds on the floor and one dane lays on the bench and one on the floor (their choice) and they both lay down the whole time we are moving. We haev had six people, the two danes and enough stuff for three day mini vacation in the Suburban and though it’s kind of a gas hog, I love it beacuse of all the space. Reading the concerns of others, though, I’m thinking it can’t be that difficult to use crate type panels padded on both sides with vinyl covered foam mats and turn them into doggie stalls (I have an equestrian background as well :}). I’m sure they could go from floor to ceiling with the padding left off the upper portion so the danes could see out, but it would be much more protective than, well, nothing. There are small portable fans that could be clipped onto the top of each dane’s “stall” to keep air moving whether its heated or cooled air. If it worked sort of like an x-pen where you can add/remove panels as necessary, it would be great. You could use heavy duty slide pins at the top and bottom so that they can be removed completely if needed and they should be available in different heights depending on the vehicle you have. I would use something like that if I lived in an ideal world, but until then, I’m just happy mine are so well behaved when riding. Good luck in finding an alternive.
Comment by Michelle Pape — August 26, 2008 @ 9:32 am
I travelled many miles with 2 Scottish Deerhounds and a Whippet in a 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan. The middle and back seats long ago went to a dumpster (nowhere to store them). Since I have a horrible dread of unrestrained dogs flying through windows in case of an accident, all my guys have traveled crated. The two Deerhounds in It’s A Breeze 2 soft crates. The big wire crates were just too heavy, awkward and ugly to suit me. With those big dog beds from Costco, the hounds were only too happy to hop in and ride safely in comfort.
Comment by Cate — August 26, 2008 @ 6:31 pm
I have had 2 Danes,with the first one we had a Volvo V70. We had the gargonet installed all the time. We also had an iron cage door installed so we could always leave the cargodoor opened. After a while we got a Ford Minivan wich was great for our german shepard and we though it would be great for our 2 dogs now (we just got a new Dane). But we had to sell it cause when our new Dane got 6 month the German shepard did not like the small space they got. So we have bought a new Volvo V70 and both of the dogs are happy now.
And the best of all the cage door and nylonnet are very safty. And in Sweden the safty allways comes before anything else. You can get everything at Volvo. :) Good luck
Comment by Ninna Koplanyi — September 2, 2008 @ 12:19 pm
I have a cargo van, and my husband built into it crates for my Irish Wolfhounds. So much easier for my babes!!
Lorie
Comment by Lorie — September 5, 2008 @ 10:34 am
I’ve found seatbelt type harnesses that work in both my minivan (2000 Ford Windstar) and my Saturn Vue for my Irish Wolfhounds. Both of my dogs are large, even for IWs (41.5” & 200 lbs for the larger) and both ALWAYS ride belted in. we use the Champion K9 “Survivor” big dog restrain system. http://www.champk-9.com/SVSS.htm
The harnesses fit & allow the dogs to lie down in the back or on the seat. The tether fits over the seat belt, so the dog can lie down (although my dogs have figured out a way to half sit, half lie) and still be tethered safely, or you can add a bolt clip to it and attach it to a sturdy anchor point in the mini van cargo area. (I use the floor anchors for the seats which were removed.)
I have thick foam dog beds covered with throws on the floor of the Windstar, with the seats removed, and the seatbelt tethers anchored to the seat attachments. THe tethers go around hte dog beds, and the dog is safe & comfortable. Sadly, because the Windstar really wasnt designed to be versatile at that time, the seats are too heavy to put in & take out- but most minivans have some sort of sturdy metal anchor point. When we want to use the vehicle only for cargo, we jsut remove the beds & tethers.
I got the clips at a mountain climbing store, they screw shut, and accomodate both the tether end & the floor anchor.
Now I’m looking for a vehicle that will comfortably hold 3 IWs & 3 people for short day jaunts (that is, not a full sized van, a family vehicle that will haul dogs). THAT’S hard to find!
Comment by Jodie Jeweler — September 5, 2008 @ 1:19 pm
I currently also have a Great Dane and at one point owned 3 Danes and a Saint. Because I use a cargo van (with plenty of crate space, but not great gas mileage) to go to shows, I was looking for something to use for closer shows and to training or the vet or whatever. We found the Dodge Magnum. Style, luxury, and speed… all wrapped into one :-). When my male was a baby, I easily fit all three Danes in the back (when the seats were down). I can still easily fit two dogs with room to spare. Because the seats fold down independently, you can have a seat up and seats down to make room for dogs and people. I admit, you can’t travel with a lot of dogs, a lot of people, and a lot of luggage. But a Dane, some luggage, and some people are doable. I’ve also had relatively few problems with it in the three years I’ve owned it. I’m hooked for life!
Comment by Kathryn — September 9, 2008 @ 5:17 pm
Kathryn,
Magnums are kinda…awesome. ;-) But I’d never really even considered one. Is there actually enough head room for a Dane to stand upright? Really?!? …Coohoool.
Myself, I’m not actively in the market for a new doggie transport vehicle, right now. But when I am, I’ll be sure to put the Magnum on the list. The other monkey wrench is my rather tall husband, who fits in very few vehicles.
I assume the Dane(s) ride(s) loose in the Magnum, though. ;-)
Comment by Marjorie — September 14, 2008 @ 11:35 am
I’ve got two Danes, both of which are between 18-26 months and might get transfered overseas. Are there any suggestions in how to travel with them… is that even a possibility? I don’t know the correct forum to ask this, so I’ll put it out there now. We appreciate any advice/tips available.
Comment by Kirk — October 24, 2008 @ 9:05 pm