Dog in the Truck Bed

greende wrote:
Showed and raced sled dogs for 30 years and never had issues with dogs riding in back of truck.

I think we can all say this - but like many things, the attitudes have changed.

My mom used to leave us in the car unattended as kids. It was just what was done and no one thought anything about it. We grew up just fine. But that same mom wouldn't dream of leaving her grandkids in the car unattended. Not because the risk is different, but because the attitudes toward taking that risk have changed - it's no longer "acceptable".

With a camper shell, I personally would be OK with my dogs in the truck bed (did it for years before getting the SUV); with no camper shell, I would only put my dogs in the truck bed if they were crated and the crate secured. I may trust my driving, but I don't trust all those other people on the road not to do something stupid that puts my dogs in danger. I watched a dog who was tied to the truck bed jumping up on the lock box, hanging over the edge of the truck, etc. - all it would take is someone cutting in front of that truck and forcing it to stop short to throw the dog and snap its neck when the rope went taut. I can argue the odds of it happening, but in the end, if it happened to MY dog, I would never forgive myself - so the risk is not acceptable for me.