Dog Car Harnesses

Why Your Dog Needs a Car Harness

An unrestrained dog in a moving car is a risk to itself and to everyone else in the vehicle. In a sudden stop a loose dog becomes a projectile, and even at low speed a startled dog underfoot can cause an accident. A car harness spreads the force across the chest and shoulders rather than the neck, which is the reason a collar should never be clipped directly to a seatbelt.

Types of Car Restraint to Choose From

Harness and tether combinations

The tether clips to the back of a properly fitted walking harness at one end and into the seatbelt buckle at the other. This is the arrangement most owners settle on because the same harness works for the walk at the other end of the journey.

Bungee tethers

A short length of elastic in the tether absorbs some of the jolt from braking and lets the dog shift position without feeling tugged. Our bungee style seat belts sit around $47.

Seat belt clips

The simplest option at around $22 to $34. These attach to an existing harness and buckle straight in. Good for short trips and for a second car.

Reflective options

A reflective tether is easier to see if you need to open the door on a roadside at night, and doubles as a visible tether if you clip the dog outside the car for a moment.

Getting the Fit Right

A car harness should be snug enough that you can fit two fingers under the strap and no more. A harness that slides is worse than none at all, because a dog can turn inside it and end up tangled. Check the fit again as a puppy grows, which for most breeds means every few weeks through the first six months.

Trusted by RPBA Breeders

Responsible Pet Breeders Australia members fit a car restraint for collection day, when a puppy is travelling in a car for the very first time and is usually anxious about it.