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

I think it's an accident waiting to happen. As far as a camper shell on the back of the truck.....unless it's air conditioned I would never put a dog, crated or not, in a situation like that - it's like putting them in the oven. Would you put you little kid in the back of a truck like that even WITH restraints?? I think not. It just comes down to common sense.

ORIGINAL: paulaedwina

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

 thats exactly what i mean. no leashes around the neck...
yeah, wrap the seatbelt around your neck and see if YOU get an open casket funeral after a car wreck.
camper shells are .. okay... but like i said before.. it can be just as hot, if not hotter if you're waiting at a stop light.. even with windows open..
 i have also had a couple of dogs that didnt like riding in anything, especially a truck. we had a little shepherd mix that would vomit once the car started rolling (she christened two new cars at different times that way. one with leather seats and the other with upholstery... the new car smell soon turned to yuck..)
like i said before, i always sat in the back with them, they were properly restrained, and if there was an accident i was in more danger than the dogs were....

i wonder, and i dont know if studies have been done or not.. but they have seat belts for dogs, they even have seat belts for dogs that ride in the backs of trucks, but i wonder what the rate of survival really is? people wear seat belts and die all the time in car wrecks.. i think it depends on the severity of the accident for all parties, including the dogs. hitting a pot hole will not throw the dog out of the truck if he is harnessed in. rolling the truck down the side of a mountain... well... EVERYONE is screwed...

i do like dog boxes though.. i am in the process of talking my husband into getting one.... when i mention it he starts talking with a thick redneck accent with his tongue in his cheek to simulate chewing tobacco..... so i guess we all get to stick with the station wagon....

When we bought our truck we bought a cap for it, (extended cab tho) and also a series of fans were installed to keep the back cool.  we also had a special fan installed to pull the AC from the cab to the back.  We even had crates designed for them.  Spent a TON of money and they have NEVER ridden in the back of that truck, other than the back seat.  I'm not not comfortable with it.

It's against the law to do that here in RI.  It's the only state in the country that has such a law. 

It's against the law to do what I said, or have them in the back of a pick up untethered?
 
I meant to add earlier....my cars we can't use seat covers...not the official ones anyway, because of the side curtain airbags.  I use heavy throws to somewhat minimize the flying fur.

In my state its totally legal unfortunately. Here in this state you can legally shoot your dog if you want to. I have not only seen dogs in the back of pickups running loose but also dogs up standing on top the tool boxes running from one end to the other. It makes you wonder how long those dogs live being able to do that.

It's against the law to do that here in RI. It's the only state in the country that has such a law.

 
RI is not the only state in the country that requires dogs to be restrained in the back of a truck. There are others.
 
Btw,  Could you provide the link to the law.  I can find the law in other states statutes but not RI.
 

It's illegal in places to shoot your own dog?  While I'm not exactly disagreeing with that it seems quite odd.  Generally shooting an animal to put it down is considered a humane way.  Actually some would argue it's far more humane to properly shoot an animal in the brain than to have it chemically euthanized.  Add in the fact most places see animals as property to the point you can request them put down whenever you want for even dumb reasons and it just seems odd for it to be illegal to put down your own animal by gun.  Then again here it's legal to shoot just about anything on your own property even if it isn't yours.  They just say it's on the basis of bothering the livestock or being a threat to their family.  Actually the main reason I leash my akita.  Technically she can't get into any trouble if she travels too far since all properties around us for a mile are just farm fields and she always returns to me but if she wanders off our property line even for a moment there are people more than willing to shoot her for it.

When I was a teen we lived in a small town in the Texas Panhandle.  Every week I saw a man drive his pick up around with the tailgate DOWN so his German Shepherd could ferociously bark and "protect" his truck while a pack of dogs chased it.  There were no leash laws then and dogs went wherever they wanted.  He drove slow enough so the pack was just out of reach of the tailgate.  I was afraid the German Shepherd would fall off in his fury.  Evidently he did, as one day his dog had a full cast on a front leg and this guy was STILL driving slowly around as a pack ran after his truck!  I was astounded then that an adult could be so stupid.  His dog looked like he'd fall off any moment with that cast on and I was almost afraid to watch, but somehow he managed to stay on that tailgate. Unbelievably dumb!

I really never have understood why they are made to ride back there. Get a Suburban if you can't fit the dog inside or leave him at home.  They depend on us for protection.

When I was growing up we always had our dogs in the back of the pick-up but only for short trips to neighbors, if we ever took any dogs to town it would be in the front seat.
I saw was a german shepard in the back of a truck when the owner stopped at a red light the dog jumped out of the back to go take a pee as the dog was coming back to jump back in the man drove away leaving his dog [:@].  My friend and I called him over so he wouldn't get hit by any cars.  I couldnt believe the guy didnt even notice.  Things could have turned out way worse.  It ended up the mans wife found out what happened and I guess she had a talking to him and I never saw the dog in the back of the truck again.lol

Well, when I had a pickup, Nara (rip) used to always ride in the back.  She was secured with harness and bolted bar.  She had a big bowl of water and a comfy place to lay down.  The only reason I wouldn't do it with the dog I have NOW is because I don't have a pickup, and he is beyond reason ridiculous trying to stay with family.  He'd jump out of the truck if it killed him for the sake of not being seperated.  I was never even aware until I read this thread anyone was so against it.  I understand the concern, but I don't share it if every attempt at safety has been made.  Also, in my old pickup with no a/c, you bet it was easier breathing in the back than the in the cab!

On another note, I always loved riding in the bed of a truck when someone else was driving.

ORIGINAL: timsdat

It's against the law to do that here in RI. It's the only state in the country that has such a law.

RI is not the only state in the country that requires dogs to be restrained in the back of a truck. There are others.

Btw,  Could you provide the link to the law.  I can find the law in other states statutes but not RI.

 
I got this information from the Volunteer Coordinator of the shelter I belong to.  That is what she said to all of us at the Volunteer Orientation.  Mabye other states have followed our legislation since then?  That often happens when new laws are passed.  I just checked, and there are only eight other states with such laws, so it would not surprise me.  Here is a link: [linkhttp://dog-care.suite101.com/article.cfm/dogs_riding_in_pickup_beds]Dogs Riding in Pickup Beds[/link]. This info is on several other sites as well.  Just search "illegal dogs pick-up".

I have the farm group in my area too.  Aussies, BCs and, of course, Labs running amok in the back.

NO WAY will I ever let my animal be loose in ANY vehicle.  There is only one place my animals ride--IN CRATES. I have no problem with the dog in the back of trucks IN CRATES that are tied down.  Loose? NEVER EVER.

I don't think it's even illegal for a person to ride in the back of a pick-up here.  Heck, my stepbrothers and I rode nearly all the way to St. Louis from northwest Indiana in the capped bed of a pick-up when I was little. 

Actually, time I've seen this recently was in the TSC parking lot last summer.  There was a *huge* male chocolate lab in the back of a parked truck taking his job of guarding said truck *very* seriously.  Even with all the people walking around he never jumped out.