Car Safety Barrier Recommendations

[milobuddy]

Hello! So I'm looking to buy a car barrier so that I can get my 7 month old lab to ride in the back of my car (those attachable bars/cages that you see in some cars). I've been looking into reviews for different ones, but my concern is that the barrier won't be stable/sturdy enough for Milo, because he probably will try to push through whatever I put in. I am definitely in need of a change, because he is completely unreasonable in the car and will jump around and chew anything he finds.

If anyone knows of sturdy car barrier brands, or have one that has been lab-tested, please let me know!

Thanks.

[Laura]

If he is a chewer AT ALL and you value your dog and/or your car, I would strongly recommend crating him. If I were to try to put Theo behind a barrier (which I have used in the past with other dogs and still own), I know he would chew the backs of the seats that were down, the cargo liner, the cup holders, really anything that he could get his 13-month old mouth on. Some dogs are more reliably good than others, but I readily acknowledge my dog's limitations. He's just not ready and may never be. Better to not find that out when I'm going 70mph down the freeway.

[barry581]

I would highly recommend a crate rather than a barrier. The main reason is if you get rear ended, the dog is secure in the crate.

[Labradorks]

Is the barrier for a car, as in a sedan? SUV? Wagon? It would be helpful to know what you drive.

[Maxx&Emma]

Another vote to securely crate your puppy.

[K10]

I use one of these Clickit Sport - Sleepypod® | The safest pet company | Dog Carrier | Cat Carrier | Dog Harness . Not a barrier, but it does keep my dogs in the back seat. It's the only brand I can find that passes crash testing. Before the ClickIt Sport harness, I had tried Clickit Utility harnesses with less success. The dogs weren't comfortable in the Utility harness, and one even cut his leg on a strap. When the Sport harness came out, I was able to exchange the Clickit Utility for the ClickIt Sport, and our problems were completely solved. The dogs are comfortable, can change positions easily, and are safely restrained in the back seat. I like that the ClickIt makes the ride safer for passengers by keeping the dogs from flying forward during a crash, and I definitely like that it keeps them safer by keeping them on the seat and reducing impact.

[ckfalz]

I use one of these Clickit Sport - Sleepypod® | The safest pet company | Dog Carrier | Cat Carrier | Dog Harness . Not a barrier, but it does keep my dogs in the back seat. It's the only brand I can find that passes crash testing. Before the ClickIt Sport harness, I had tried Clickit Utility harnesses with less success. The dogs weren't comfortable in the Utility harness, and one even cut his leg on a strap. When the Sport harness came out, I was able to exchange the Clickit Utility for the ClickIt Sport, and our problems were completely solved. The dogs are comfortable, can change positions easily, and are safely restrained in the back seat. I like that the ClickIt makes the ride safer for passengers by keeping the dogs from flying forward during a crash, and I definitely like that it keeps them safer by keeping them on the seat and reducing impact.

If the dog chews, this probably won't work. When Sam is tethered to anything he chews through it. I gave up trying to tether him in the car. Unfortunately, a crate won't fit in my car which leaves him loose and obnoxious. Although, my car is small enough that when tethered (prior to chewing through each of them) he could still reach me in the front seat so it didn't help with the obnoxious part.

I've looked for barriers that fit behind the front seats but have not found any other than soft ones that don't really do anything.

[milobuddy]

I drive a Honda CRV, so smaller SUV. The reason I was thinking a barrier would be better is that I'm someone who is probably going to be moving around a lot in the near future, and am worried that crating him for long hours in the car would be worse for him than being loose in the back. He probably won't chew the seats, but I can definitely see him chewing through a tether if tethered to something. I also don't know if a big enough crate would fit in the trunk of my car (the Honda CRV has an open trunk/back, but it isn't big enough for the kennel he currently sleeps in.

Has anyone heard about this Guardian Pet Barrier? It seems to have better reviews. Amazon.com : Guardian Gear Vehicle Pet Barrier, Strong, Sturdy, Pressure-Mounted, and Heavy-Duty Adjustable Steel Rubber - Black : Automotive Pet Barriers : Pet Supplies

[Labradorks]

Honestly, I would not bother unless you can get a bolted in barrier. I cannot tell you how many times those pressure mounted barriers fell on my dogs back when I had one. They push on the bottom and it just flips. It'll ruin the ceiling of the car (the fabric) in the process. Happened to my friend with a CRV.

[K10]

If the dog chews, this probably won't work. When Sam is tethered to anything he chews through it. I gave up trying to tether him in the car. Unfortunately, a crate won't fit in my car which leaves him loose and obnoxious. Although, my car is small enough that when tethered (prior to chewing through each of them) he could still reach me in the front seat so it didn't help with the obnoxious part.

I've looked for barriers that fit behind the front seats but have not found any other than soft ones that don't really do anything.

Mine aren't chewers, so I can't say they've tried, but I can't really imagine how they would be able to twist themselves around enough to get into a position to chew on it.