Dogs in the back of a pick-up truck?...your opinion.

I am laughing at that post because of a incident some years ago I feel I have to let you hear. I am not a deaf impaired interpreter but my friend is and she approached a man telling him that his dog should be in the front with him! He then signed he was deaf so she then let him have it in sign, he didn't know what to do when she did that. I just loved it because it angers me also seeing a dog in the back of a pick up.

That is awesome!!!  Good for her!!  I am sure that guy was surprised!  Even if you do not know how to sign "get your dog in the front with you"  I am sure that you can definatly find a way to communicate that!! 

It's illegal here, so I just turn them in when I see it.  If the dog is tethered, fine.  But, even so, it galls me to see two people smiling and nodding up front in the A/C, thinking it's ok for Phydeaux (usually a Husky or a GSD - the shedders rarely get inside the cloth seated trucks) to have his tongue hanging out riding in back when it's 90 out. [:@]  

Personally, I hate it.  Unfortunatly its not against the law here....I found this out b/c I tried to turn someone in and the State Trooper told me there was nothing he could do.  [:@]

Just this past Saturday I got stuck following a truck with a GSD loose in the back -- and there wasn't even a freakin' tailgate on the truck!  The dog was most definitely not in the back to keep the front of the truck clean & hairfree (it was an old rust bucket truck) or because the front was full (the guy was driving alone).  Nope, the dog was just running around the (open) back end like a loon, often stepping up and teetering on a tire and the sidewall of the truck.  I kept welllllllll back because I seriously was concerned about the wellfare of that dog and didn't want to run him over if something were to happen.
 
We went our separate ways at a stop light.  He turned left while I continued to go straight.  Imagine my surprise when it wasn't his dog that fell out the back of his truck, but instead the large piece of equipment he was carrying back there with the dog.  So apparently, this guy doesn't secure ANYTHING in his truck.....

I sign some working with children with Autism, a friend that is deaf, and a cousin. Like you said I think knowing no sign I would also get my point across. It CT it is legal to have a dog in the back as far a I know, shouldn't be but is.

What an idiot! Don't you just want to slap people like that?

That story actually gave me goosebumps!  Wow...what an Butthead  (being G-rated for the forum!)

even if it's not explicitly illegal, doesn't it violate leash laws?  the dog could just jump out whenever and IS loose and certainly isn't under the control of the owner.

I don't like it either, I always think of the safety of the dog.  What happens if you slam on your breaks, or turn a corner to quickly while the dog is on wheel well or if you#%92re in an accident?  However, I grew up on a farm and dogs in the back of pick up trucks ALL THE TIME!!  They would ride down to the fields in the truck or around the farm; they just jumped in and went where we did. [] If my grandfather was going to the bar, or the store, etc - -the dogs would get into the back of his truck.  They sat or would lie down because they were accustoming to the riding in the truck.  He use to go to the bar or store, leave the dogs in the back and they would never leave the truck!!  I wish I could trust my dogs to stay like that.  
 
Now days it#%92s just not safe, back then the roads were country, people drove slower and dogs knew how to ride no one thought anything of it.  What really get my nerves up are the two or three people by me how ride on motorcycles with there dogs.  The dogs have goggles, one rides in a sidecar the other two in front of there owners.  I see them all the time..... []
 

Xerxes loved to ride in the back...the back seat of the pickup!

Max and Georgie ride in the back of my jeep, and I got rope and made clips for them attached to the center roll bar. I never have my side windows out, because they are impossible to get back in. I usually only take out my front windows and roll the back one up. I spent a good deal of time making sure the rope wouldn't allow them to get back far enough to be able to jump out the back over the door and be stuck dangling. It still makes me nervous, and I want to buy or make some netting to put on the back. So, if you can imagine, a dog in a truck be drives me absolutely insane, but luckily, I rarely see that around here. I do however see dogs unsecured in cars, which also drives me nuts.

Maya went for a ride in the back of a pick up last weekend, in her strapped down crate of course.  There just wasn't any room in the cab.

We just bought Keisa a seatbelt for the car.  I kinda go back and forth on the issue.  For a while when she was in the back she would try to stand between the seats with her front paws on the console.  Absolutly NOT!!!!  Now we have her lay down in the back seat.  I am gonna try the belt and see how that works.  But, then I think too, I guess it would be just like your children, if you (gawd forbid) get into a serious accident and can get out...hopefully you have access to get back and get the dog's belt undone.  I guess you just pray that you do not get into and accident.  Some people drive with their dogs on their laps!  What about safety of the dog and also the safety of other drivers if you can not manuvre in an emergency situation.  Or if the airbags go off...your dog is squished or broken neck!  Jeez!  You have to think of your dogs as your children and take the same precatuions for thier safety.  Am I correct or just very overly sensative?