Car journeys

A loose dog in a car is a distraction first and a projectile second, and the distraction is the everyday risk: far more journeys are ruined by a dog climbing into the footwell than by a collision.

A tether that clips into the seat belt socket fixes the distraction. It is not crash protection, whatever the listing says. Almost none of these are crash-tested and the forces in a real collision are well beyond what a clip and a strap will hold, so for genuine crash safety the honest answer is a certified crash-tested harness or a secured crate.

Two rules apply to everything on this page. Always attach a tether to a harness, never to a collar, because a sudden stop against a collar is a neck injury. And never put a dog in a seat with an active airbag.

A hammock cover solves a different problem: it stops a dog falling into the footwell and keeps the seats clean. Travelling With a Dog also covers sickness and long journeys.