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

it's illegal in NH too
A couple of weeks ago I had a Letter to the Editor regarding this subject.
I drove by a pickup with a HUGE mastiff in the bed and it wasn't tethered in any manner. AND I saw a police officer drive right on by without stopping this person.
So I wrote a letter to the editor naming the town, the color of the truck, breed of dog, etc.
I then traded my car in so I wouldn't be found ROFL

hmm... looks like i'm the only one that doesnt see a problem with a well restrained dog in the back... when i was younger we would put the dogs in the back of the truck... and i would ride back there with them.. because it was fun and the dogs loved it too.

i was aware, even then, of the dangers of a dog being loose in the back of a truck, just like being loose in a car... projectile... if thrown fromt he vehicle can causes others to wreck their cars too.... so.. in reality, the dog was safer than i was because i wasnt tied down lol
no we didnt do any long haul driving down the interstate. usually just to the river or the beach, which was maybe five miles away, give or take. and only had one stop light between here and there. so i guess i grew up not seeing much of an issue. it was and IS very common to see a dog in the back of a truck. its HOTTER if you put a top on the back of a truck, even with windows open. i rode back there with friends once with a topper, and i wont be doing that again in summer!

but yeah am with you on people that only do it because they dont want the fur in their cab, or that dont restrain their dogs, or that go on long trips with them in the back.
my mom and i rode from Florida to Tennessee with a half grown puppy. he sat in the cab with us, everyone was squashed up against each other, it was an S10 Chevy... but at one point while visiting a cousin i asked if Frank and i could ride in back.. it was his first time doing that and he had a blast, had his nose stuck in the air the whole time trying to catch every little scent... but this was a road that had a 30 mph speed limit...

i dunno, i guess i see a right and a wrong way to do things. even with a topper your dog can still get hurt, even if its restrained.. or if its in the cab, it can still get hurt.. there is just no way to prevent 100% of injuries and casualties in a car wreck.. but leaving a dog or kid unrestrained in the back is just dumb, which is why the law exists in the first place. and if you have that law in your area then you need to adhere to it. In Florida we have a law against people riding in the backs of pickups.. but dogs are allowed if they are properly restrained.
When we were moving our dogs road in the back of the Ranchero with topper on it.. but it was at night, and raining - it always rains when you're trying to move.. but that was the ONLY way i would allow it because it was the middle of July. the windows to the topper and the cab had been welded shut by the previous owner [:'(] When we got to our destination it was STILL hot in there AND humid. I would have let them ride with me in the station wagon but it was full of boxes and chairs... i wont go into circumstances of us moving, but it was stressful enough and the landlord was being a jerk about our dogs (bulldog and german shepherd) being left alone on the property [8|]

..we all survived.. never had a dog jump out of a truck, get killed in an accident while in a truck, and i never knew anyone personally that had such a problem..
most of the dogs i knew LOVED being in the back of a truck because it was associated with going swimming and eating hot dogs, and having fun with the whole family.

as a side topic, what of camper shells...
 
if one has a camper shell, should the driver still crate the dog(s)?

as a side topic, what of camper shells...

if one has a camper shell, should the driver still crate the dog(s)?

 
I would and I would secure the crate to the truck bed.
 

They make some amazingly nice dog-boxes for pickups. Like hotels on wheels. As Borat might say...."Naaaaaaace"

Generally we avoid it by taking the suv whenever there's too many people or stuff in the front for the dogs to ride.  On the property though just driving around the farm we do it all the time.  They jump out once or twice and then realize the ground is kinda far away and moving(very very slowly moving) and most are then content to stay in.  When we leave the property or are driving faster instead of just 10mph on grass someone sits in the back to hold them.  That's still only driving less a mile across town to the feed store or something. 
 
While I entirely disagree with dogs riding around in the back of the truck through town or especially down highways and gravel roads loose or even tied  it is just normal when out on the farm to call the dogs into the back and drive out to check the pastures.  I don't think despite the arguments I could ever find that as dangerous enough to warrant never doing it.  They probably get in more danger trying to run alongside the truck or wandering around between the house and our destination.  They are more likely to get torn up by a coon or possum than injured while riding in the truck across the pasture.

This is definatly a "personal opinion" topic.  I respect everyones views as I would hope that people would respect mine.  Thaks for all you thoughts!!
 
Just something that I found interesting when I googled.."dogs in pick up trucks" (or anything relating to this topic)
 

Dogs in Pick Up Truck Beds

Dogs riding in the back of pickup trucks may look like they#%92re having fun. With nose

testing the wind and ears flopping, the dogs seem to enjoy the trip. And they get to go

with their masters, after all.

Whether the dog enjoys the ride or not, he/she is in great danger riding in an open truck

bed. If you hit a bump, swerve to avoid an obstacle, or brake suddenly, the dog could

easily fly out of the truck. If the fall doesn#%92t injure or kill the dog, it is likely that another

car will. And in an attempt to avoid hitting the fallen dog, another driver may cause

ensuing accidents. Carrying dogs in pickups poses a threat to both the animal and other

motorists.

Simply tying the dog to the truck bed is not enough. Ropes and leashes become nooses

if the dog should be jolted out of the truck. And the wind whipping through the dog#%92s

ears is full of dirt, debris, and gravel that can lodge in the eyes, nose, or ears and cause

serious damage.

Take your dog along for the ride. But let him/her ride secured in the front with you. Your

dog will enjoy the trip a lot more if he/she doesn#%92t have to fight for his/her life against

gravity, momentum, and traffic to get there.
 
 
 
 

I'm pretty sure it's illegal here too, but nobody seems to enforce it.  I don't like to see dogs in the back of a pick-up whether or not they're tethered.  If  the tether is long enough to give the dog enough room to move around, sit, lay down, etc. then the dog could still fly over the side if the driver has to brake hard and wind up strangling. If it's a really short tether, then the dog is going to be pretty uncomfortable. If there's no room in the cab, leave the pooch home.
 
Joyce

I also think that when you buy a vehicle you should always take into consideration the fact that you do have a dog.  Buy a pick-up...sure!  Buy one with an extended cab.  And as for hair on the seats in the truck, I actually bought seat covers other day (same time as seatbelt) they were on sale for 25 dollars.  They are called Pet Smart.  They are a nyon, easy to clean and durable.  You can get them for bucket and bench seats.  Easy to remove if you need to. 

It depends. When I lived in town ny neighbor had a pick up truck and the dogs rode in the back. They were harnessed and hitched to the bed sort of like a double tie on a horse, but not by the face or neck. They were more secure than my dogs riding around inside unrestrained IMO. I have no problem with that. I do have a problem with dogs loose in the truck bed, or worse, hitched by a collar to a line in the truck bed.

Paula

Down here the "good ole boys" think it si very coo; top drive around with a dog in the back of a pickup, mostly ;abs and goldens.  First Gordon setter i ever saw in person was at my vets for injections in shoulder.  he had ridden in the back of the pickup his entire life and suddenly at age about 10, he jumped out of moving truck and broke shoulder, severe road rash.  Had to get injections in shoulder every month.  Never rode in the back of a pickup again.
 
My son never allowed his golden in the back, no matter how wet and muddy  after a hunt.  Always put something down on seat.  one time his truck was in shop and he was going with friend and when friend got her he told son to put Scooter in back and son said no.  Friiend said his golden had always ridden in back and no problem.  Son said no.  I loaned him my car so he could go and take his dog.
 
Couple of years ago letter to editor in our paper.  Some had seen a horrifying sight.  Pickup going down S.P.I.D. had a dog either fall or  jump out and it was on a long rope and was being drug along side the truck.  Said that was one of the most horrifying things she had ever seen.
 
Now, dogs should not ride in backs of pic-ups.

I hate it. In my hometown of nicholasville though, everyone does it. It's a really big town for farming. All the farmers have aussies--like every one of them. I always see farmers with aussies riding not just in the back unrestrained-but on toolboxes! I have also seen plenty of aussies on flat beds. They never seem to fall out-but i hate to see it.

I hate it, too. I'm always very nervous when I see it. I have to look away. If the dog is secured so that he can't get any part of himself outside the bed, then it's ok, but I still don't like it. I've seen dogs loose and running back and forth barking... Argh! A terrible accident waiting to happen.

Hair on the seats? Ha! Around here, I don't consider it a real meal unless there's dog hair in it! There's dog hair on everything.

Side Note...
 
HAHA.  I hear ya about the dog hair.  When we had our one dog euthanized they asked if I wanted a paw print.  "Definatly!"  Then they asked if I wanted a clipping of his hair, "Ah.....NO!"  If I wanted his hair I can got to any inch of my home and grab a handful!  (Which I did)[].  Sometimes I would do anything to curse at his hair all over the place again.  You definatly miss it when it is gone!!

In NZ it is not illegal and very common but I am very anti it as in a space of 2 months when I was younger I saw two dogs killed because of being on the back of a truck!! I drive a truck only a single cab but my dog always rides up front on a harness. Never have I considered putting him on the back but I have recently brought a dog box for the back which is kind of like a flash kennel. But still not keen on it cause he gets panicy with passing trucks etc.