Dog in the Truck Bed

[Spur]

Hi,
I have a four person family and a lab. I can't fit my lab inside the truck. I'm looking to hear from people that travel with their dogs in the truck bed and do it safely. If you don't travel with dogs in the bed please do not respond. I love my dogs every bit as much as you do so I'm not looking for a lecture as to how unsafe you think it is. I only want to hear from real people that can advise me on how to do it safely and comfortably. Thank in advance.

[Spur]

dadmomh wrote:
Oh, my! That is QUITE a crate. And a big ditto on the $$. You might check both Petsmart and Petco online. I got a great deal on one of the wire type for home use because it was a discontinued design/color/whatever. Seems like it was free shipping, but not sure. As it turned out, after bringing the 2 little labby girls into the family, we needed another wire one and found the same exact one still online for an even better price. Who cares what color it is as long as it's sturdy and nice when the price is right. Suggest if they have 1 size larger that it says you need based on weight, etc, go with that....gives them a bit more turn-around room.

Yeah, the open wire ones are great for the house. My dogs love theirs. Not secure enough for the road however.

[Spur]

All great suggestions, thank you. I won't be responding to each person going forward 🙂
I'm thinking about a soft shell cap for the bed as well. Ideally, I'd like one that has removable windows for air flow but I'm having trouble finding one that will fit the Ram Ecodiesel that I'm going to purchase.

[dadmomh]

Oh, my! That is QUITE a crate. And a big ditto on the $$. You might check both Petsmart and Petco online. I got a great deal on one of the wire type for home use because it was a discontinued design/color/whatever. Seems like it was free shipping, but not sure. As it turned out, after bringing the 2 little labby girls into the family, we needed another wire one and found the same exact one still online for an even better price. Who cares what color it is as long as it's sturdy and nice when the price is right. Suggest if they have 1 size larger that it says you need based on weight, etc, go with that....gives them a bit more turn-around room.

[Spur]

danager wrote:
Our lab goes in her kennel, strapped down in the bed of the pickup (one over the top, one around the sides). I put it front to back and push it up against the front bulk head. In the past, I have covered the kennel if it was raining. She has her large pillow in there, sometime a chew toy as well. She gets a potty brake when the kids do. She seems pretty stress free when we arrive.

I will use a similar strategy, thank you.

[Spur]

Francesca Knowles wrote:

Spur wrote:
How about putting him in my Travel Trailer in a crate? Again, I'm thinking the TT would be hotter than the truck bed would be since there isn't any air moving.

You're exactly right- the trailer would be a worse environment for the dog than the back of the truck. Not just due to ventilation, but because most TT's are designed for good tracking, not passenger comfort. The dog will get his very teeth rattled out of his skull in a trailer! He'd be perfectly fine confined to a cage/kennel in the back of the PU. Just make sure it's properly secured.

And don't let all the Dog Nazis posting here make you feel guilty! Some of them are the same folks that think it's perfectly O.K. to haul children runnin' around in the back of those crackerboxes commonly referred to as "Class A and/or C Rv's". Go figure! 😉

Haha Amen, thanks.

[Spur]

dadmomh wrote:
No, we don't travel with our dogs in the bed of the truck, but gotta add my .02 anyway. After 9 years in veterinary clinic work and 27 rescue dogs over our 50+ years, think I've got some input. Glad to hear you plan to crate/kennel your dog....this means you don't get my other unsolicited advice. Suggest you look into the airline type crate. Ventiliation is good. The wire type are fine for home use, but you stand the chance to debris blowing around and getting into the eyes. Most have a water container attached to the door - suggest you add a few ice cubes. You can secure it into the bed of the truck pretty easily. Is your dog used to being in a kennel?? If not, suggest you start slowly at home with some treats and a positive approach. Start with just a short time and work up. Don't recall you mentioning how long a trip you'd need him/her in the crate, but if it's more than a couple of hours, a stop for walk/piddles/other would be good.

Ideally, your pooch could ride in the truck, but if that's not possible, this is workable. If the weather is terribly hot, please come up with Plan B, even if that means leaving him home with someone caring for him or boarding, which I do know is pricey.

Re putting the dog/crate in the TT, not a great idea. It gets hot and stuffy and you cannot keep as close an eye on him as the crate in the bed of the truck.

I know you specifically didn't want input from those of us who don't travel this way with our dogs, but guess you haven't been around long enough to know that when you hit a hot subject, you'll get responses anyway. Hope you're not offended, but primary concern is the health and safety of your dog. I think you can do this safely with a good crate and common sense. Extra tummy rubs to the pooch and happy camping.

I think I will go with the airline style crate and secure it to the truck bed. I have to stop every three hours for the wife and kids anyway so he'll get plenty of breaks. I appreciate your comments, thanks.

[Spur]

downtheroad wrote:
If you want the best, strongest, safest, and if you want to ease your conscience.....consider a Zinger

Link HERE

Fantastic crate! I bit expensive though. I think I'm going to go with the airline style crate. I saved the link though because I may end up buying it anyway. Thanks.

[TennesseeBob]

You could put him on top of the vehicle like Mitt Romney does :E

[wmoses]

danager wrote:
Our lab goes in her kennel, strapped down in the bed of the pickup (one over the top, one around the sides). I put it front to back and push it up against the front bulk head. In the past, I have covered the kennel if it was raining. She has her large pillow in there, sometime a chew toy as well. She gets a potty brake when the kids do. She seems pretty stress free when we arrive.

Best approach hands down for pets who can't travel inside the cab.

[johntank]

dadmomh wrote:
Don't recall you mentioning how long a trip you'd need him/her in the crate, but if it's more than a couple of hours, a stop for walk/piddles/other would be good.

I have to agree a stop every two not more than three hours will make for a more enjoyable trip for all, I travel with a Yorkie and my stops are around two hours +/- apart and he is a good traveler.

[swanny297]

I hunt GSPs (German Shorthair Pointers), they ride in the back.

Kennel

And I use these Covers

[Francesca_Knowl]

Spur wrote:
How about putting him in my Travel Trailer in a crate? Again, I'm thinking the TT would be hotter than the truck bed would be since there isn't any air moving.

You're exactly right- the trailer would be a worse environment for the dog than the back of the truck. Not just due to ventilation, but because most TT's are designed for good tracking, not passenger comfort. The dog will get his very teeth rattled out of his skull in a trailer! He'd be perfectly fine confined to a cage/kennel in the back of the PU. Just make sure it's properly secured.

And don't let all the Dog Nazis posting here make you feel guilty! Some of them are the same folks that think it's perfectly O.K. to haul children runnin' around in the back of those crackerboxes commonly referred to as "Class A and/or C Rv's". Go figure! 😉

[gmw_photos]

Put the wife in the bed of the truck and let the dog ride shotgun ??

....just kidding ... !!!!!!

When I was a kid, a family we knew had a truck with a "full cap" on the bed, and a pass-thru rear window in the truck. There was rubber like seal that filled the gap. Us kids and the dogs rode in the bed of the truck on camping trips. So much fun.....

[dadmomh]

Wyo, have to respectfully disagree on all parts of your response. The SPCA does excellent work. It would appear to me that if you had been anywhere in eyesight, you would have known that a complaint had been called in, they responded and found things unacceptable. Possibly illegal, depending on where this occurred. Maybe things are different in WY, but I've seen the results of dogs being ejected from trucks after a sudden stop, defensive swerve, whatever and it's not good. I'm sorry you feel that your dog was treated badly, but you should have been where you could at the very least keep an eye on him and you would have avoided this. Sorry about the expensive bill, but consider it a lesson learned and avoid it in the future. Hope your dog is fully recovered and getting lots of tummy rubs.

[dadmomh]

No, we don't travel with our dogs in the bed of the truck, but gotta add my .02 anyway. After 9 years in veterinary clinic work and 27 rescue dogs over our 50+ years, think I've got some input. Glad to hear you plan to crate/kennel your dog....this means you don't get my other unsolicited advice. Suggest you look into the airline type crate. Ventiliation is good. The wire type are fine for home use, but you stand the chance to debris blowing around and getting into the eyes. Most have a water container attached to the door - suggest you add a few ice cubes. You can secure it into the bed of the truck pretty easily. Is your dog used to being in a kennel?? If not, suggest you start slowly at home with some treats and a positive approach. Start with just a short time and work up. Don't recall you mentioning how long a trip you'd need him/her in the crate, but if it's more than a couple of hours, a stop for walk/piddles/other would be good.

Ideally, your pooch could ride in the truck, but if that's not possible, this is workable. If the weather is terribly hot, please come up with Plan B, even if that means leaving him home with someone caring for him or boarding, which I do know is pricey.

Re putting the dog/crate in the TT, not a great idea. It gets hot and stuffy and you cannot keep as close an eye on him as the crate in the bed of the truck.

I know you specifically didn't want input from those of us who don't travel this way with our dogs, but guess you haven't been around long enough to know that when you hit a hot subject, you'll get responses anyway. Hope you're not offended, but primary concern is the health and safety of your dog. I think you can do this safely with a good crate and common sense. Extra tummy rubs to the pooch and happy camping.