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July 1, 2010

Suddenly, Tom likes to take Lilly on little outings in his truck. It has no back seat or king cab or anything, and he isn’t keen on stuffing her crate in there with him, so I began my quest for a dog seatbelt harness thing.

Thanks to friends on Twitter, who offered ideas, and HUGE thanks to Lindsey Wolko from CanineCommuter for sending me FREE samples of the top two contenders (Ruff Rider Roadie and the Solvit) so that we could try them out before we decide.

I’m particularly grateful because the new version of the Ruff Rider Roadie seem impossible to get anywhere right now. Most places have only a few sizes of the old ones left, and no new ones. They must be having supply-chain issues, which is understandable, but also REALLY frustrating for a motivated shopper.

Ruff Rider Roadie

In terms of overall fit and simplicity, we’re leaning towards the size 5 Ruff Rider Roadie. (I do, however, need to double-check the fit next time I put it on her.)

It’s all one piece — no buckles, no hardware.

It’s light, and relatively easy to get on (if you have a cooperative dog friend).

Getting it OFF, however, gives me pause. Even though I’ve done it a few times now, I still kind of panic … like when you’re in the dressing room at a store and suddenly think you’re not going to be able to get your big behind out of that swimsuit or skirt without tearing it.

Except in this case, I’m worried that I’m going to TWEAK Lilly’s wrist or elbow getting it off.

Solvit Safety Harness

Lindsey LOVES the Solvit. It’s one her top picks. Lilly, however, isn’t as keen on it. Maybe it’s because we don’t have the right size (this one seems small on her), but the metal fasteners, which can be better than plastic buckles at key connection points.

But, the “weight” of the unit and the cumbersome chest padding really seem to bug Lilly, like she has a huge diaper strapped to her.

When I first put it on, she acted like I had just loaded her down with sandbags. You can tell by the shape of her head that she is NOT happy in this photo.

The Next Hurdle

So, the next hurdle beyond overall fit and ease comes when we actually put Lilly in the truck and try to buckle her in … and TRY is the operative word here.

When she is in a harness, she pretty much blows off any request I make. Even a simple sit so that I can better thread the seatbelt through the proper harness loop is TOO much for her, which tells me the harness freaks her out.

I’ll keep working on how she feels, but my initial attempt at installing her right seemed weird.

With the strap on the harness and whatever slack the seatbelt might give, I’m not sure it’s going to keep her safe in the truck’s cab. The space in there (front to back) is just too tight.

Lindsey reminded me, and it’s a good message for EVERYONE. While pretty much NO ONE recommends putting a dog in the front seat, IF you’re going to do it … you Must, Must, Must turn off the airbag on that side. The speed and impact of one deploying could seriously injure even a bigger dog.

Next Step

I’ll keep working on getting Lilly buckled in, and then I’ll have Tom drive her up and down our road to see if she settles down once she realizes that Rotten Harness means Fun Rides.

He is a mechanically minded genius, so I’ll him look at the setup and comment. It’s entirely possible that I’m NOT buckling her in right, even though I’ve watched the video demo on the site.

If I’m brave, I might even ask him to try stopping short to see if the seat belt locks and if the harness keeps her in place.

I’m not sure I’m that brave, though.

Your Picks

So, what do you use … if you’re a seat belt harness kind of person?

Susan … which one was Allie wearing when you had your accident?

About the Author Roxanne Hawn

Trained as a traditional journalist and based in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, USA, I'm a full-time freelance writer for magazines, websites, and private clients. My areas of specialty include everything in the lifestyles arena, including health and home, personal finance and other consumer interests, relationships and trends, people and business profiles ... and, of course, all things pet related.

I don't just love dogs. I need them in my life. Seriously.

  1. I have the kurgo product for my dogs(65lb and 110lb) and am quite impressed with it. It is super easy to put on and the weight bearing areas have metal parts so is sturdy without being bulky. My Riley also hates any type of harness and tolerates this design the best. http://www.kurgo.com/products/tfsh.html

    I would never be able to get the ruff rider on him without him freaking out. I also liked the idea of the pet buckle brand but found it way to bulky and it slid around on the dog a lot.

    I have also owned this one http://www.petsafetybelt.com/ which I really liked for a while and was very comfy for the dog but the fabric on the chest area frayed away from the webbing and resulted in some holes.

    I did try to purchase one of the champion brand based on some great reviews but their customer service is awful (as lots of people have found) and I finally cancelled the order after waiting six weeks with no response.

    In my truck I have pulled the back seat forward and then installed short leashes with super strong clips on the metal clips behind the seat (for baby seats etc). I then ran the leash over the top of the seat which helps prevent the dog from being tangled as it does when lower down. Leash then attaches to the clip on the harness. Works well to allow a wee bit of side/side freedom for the dogs but still stops forward motion. Had to slam on the brakes the other day and both dogs were totally solid.

    In my mom’s minivan we clipped the leash to the same metal clip that is actually part of the seat and then ran in up behind the seat and over the top through the headrest to attach to the dog.

    Good luck, as you can see by my lengthy comment this has been a big shopping/learning experience for me.

  2. Huh, I have never heard that before about normal harnesses. could be true! But I guess I’m not too worried. My dogs are small, and Vito’s comfort flex has both a thick sturdy snap and a velcro closure over it. It also has pretty thick straps and is designed to allow the dog freedom of movement without irritating them. I can see Chuck’s harness not being as sturdy, but it does have 2 D rings that the seatbelt clips through.

  3. What Betsy said. Allie ducks her head and lifts her feet to help me put the Roadie on her, and does the same when I take it off.

  4. We have a seatbelt system at this moment. But our dogs are that large (90 p) that I am afraid they would crash into the side or the front seat before their harness would function. Maybe for this size a crating solution is better?

    1. For me, yes, crating is the best option. That’s what we do with Lilly or Ginko when they ride solo in my little car or my old 4runner. Just all of a sudden Tom wants her to ride with him the truck.

  5. I use this one: http://www.champk-9.com/CCSS.htm

    Very easy on and off, never been in an accident with it so I don’t know how it performs but it looks pretty darn sturdy. Not sure if the Ruff Rider has changed its design but the one I tried years ago gave me fits.

    Here’s a link to a study on dogs/crashes/restraints: http://wachusett.pssweb.net/Test%20report%20pets%20in%20cars-1.pdf

    My dogs lie on the floor behind the front seats and are tethered to a hold down on the floor where the rear seats should be (we took them out).

  6. I love, love, love my Roadie. It has several openings in the top strap so you can decide which one to use. The one closest to the dog is the safest. Once the dog gets used to putting it on and taking it off it’s easier. Pitsch will lift his feet to put it on and duck his head to take it off.

  7. Yes, I’m using the Ruffrider Roadie. There an opening in the top strap that you slip the shoulder strap of the seat belt through and attach to the seat belt buckle.

  8. In reply to Laura, Lance, and Vito – I think the problem with regular walking harnesses is that the belt and buckles aren’t meant to restrain against the impact of a car accident – meaning they’re not strong enough. Also the walking harnesses have thin straps, which can cut/dig into the your dog, whereas the seat belt harnesses are wider and help dissipate the force of the impact.

  9. Serendipity: Rod Burkert of GoPetFriendly.com is guest posting on my site today about car safety and he votes for the Guardian Gear system for his medium and larger dogs.

  10. All my dogs are seatbelted in the car! Lance wears the Easy Rider from petsmart, it’s ok but not my favorite as I have to lift both legs to get it on.

    But Chuck and Vito just wear normal harnesses with an attachment. The attachment is just a 6in (I think) leash tab with a loop for the seatbelt to weave through. I love this way so much more since the attachment always stays in the car and I can get a really comfortable harness. My favorite harness of all time is the Comfort Flex from Clean Run. Extremely easy to get on an off, no lifting of any legs, and it’s a sport harness so it doesn’t restrict any movement of the dog.

    1. Thanks, Laura, for the ideas. The ONE argument I’ve heard against using regular harnesses in a car safety setting is that they are not designed to be used that way … I guess in terms of body mechanics, etc. Now, that could totally be marketing SPIN to scare me into buying a special harness (we don’t use harnesses otherwise).

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