Dog Seatbelts

Dog Seatbelt Feature Comparison

I'm a firm believer that dogs should be restrained in the car, either in a well-secured crate or with a well-designed seatbelt. I'm not going to debate the merits of one over the other - it's really a personal choice. I have chosen the seatbelt. I made my choice of product carefully, and in doing so, researched quite a few restraint systems. The results of my search are presented here.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction: Please don't skip this section. It details important introductory material: why to use a car restraint, types of restraints, and the resources I used in my research.
Design Options: List of the design options and features to consider when choosing a restraint system.

Specifications: Complete description of the data I gathered on each of the restraints I found. Within three groups (Editor's Choice, Acceptable with Caveats, Not For My Dog), they are listed alphabetically by manufacturer or brand name.
NOTE: Features, Specs and Colors are taken from manufacturers publications and my observations. If I actually touched the product, I have included my Personal Impressions; if not, I've noted that too. If quotes are presented in Feedback, I have included the source. Prices quoted are retail - where I've found discount sources, I've noted them.

Usage Tips: Simple things that I've learned through experience.

Related Links: Links to articles and other information on canine car restraint.

CONCLUSIONS

Your choice of canine restraint system should be made based on safety, quality, fit and usability. I'm not going to put my personal assets on the line by making an actual recommendation. But I think you can tell by my review which ones I like the best. My dogs both use the Ruff Rider, and until recently, my good friends have all used either the Champion or the Ruff Rider.

However, I recently learned that Ruff Rider made some significant design changes to the Roadie. I have tried the new design on my dog and I don't like it at all. Among the features that VANISHED from the original version are the following:
1. Ease of application: ORIGINAL: by unclipping the belly strap, I can get the dog in without over-flexing the dog's elbows and wrists. NEW DESIGN: There is no belly strap to unclip, so you have to force the front legs through.
2. Ease of removal: ORIGINAL: one loop over the head and then the dog steps its rear-end out of it. NEW DESIGN: The belt is a single piece, not a figure 8. So the only to get out of it is the same way you get in - wrestle with the dog and hyper-flex their elbows and wrists.
3. Adjustable sizing: ORIGINAL: the original had adjustable straps on both the chest and belly, allowing a custom fit for the dog. NEW DESIGN: Unless you are very lucky, you now have to choose between slightly too small (making it very hard on the dog's joints to get on and off), or too large (risking the dog slipping out of it or injury due to shifting).

The original Roadie is now called the Geriatric model, and is still available in very limited close-out sizes from the manufacturer and some suppliers. If you have a very big dog or a very small one, you might get lucky. But be forewarned that not all suppliers have caught up with the new model naming, so caveat emptor.

There is a new product called the Pet Buckle that looked very promising. A good friend of mine, also a Roadie user, gone one for her young dog and she didn't like it. It is very easy to use, and meets all of the performance criteria I have spelled out in this article, but it tends to slip and rotate around the dog more than the Champion, and her dog was able to back out of it even when it was tight. So she switched to the Champion and is very happy now.

If cost is an issue, ANY restraint is probably better than none. If cost is no object, you may decide that a mix and match approach is the best - buy the Champion or the Pet Buckle for the harness design, but substitute the Batzi or Doggie Catcher or Versabelt as the attachment mechanism.

I started with the Champion and used it for several years. I switched to the Ruff Rider late in 2002. I still think the Champion is a great belt, and it's really a matter of personal preference. I originally decided to make the change for the following reasons:

The reverse spring snap that the Champion uses is harder for my husband to use with his arthritic hands. You can just add a carabiner to overcome this.

The Ruff Rider handle doubles as a leash for that short walk from the house to the car, especially useful if you have a dog that tends to bolt. But it's simple enough to clip a leash to the carabiner or the loops on the Champion.

You can clip two dogs together using a carabiner clip and the handles, allowing you to use one leash to walk them both as a brace. You can also do this with the Champion, but there isn't as much clearance between the dogs.

And now the disclaimer: I drive with my dog a lot, and have researched this area pretty thoroughly. But I do not claim to be an expert in the field of canine car restraints. The opinions I have presented in this document are based solely on my own critical observations and research. I did no actual testing of the products, either destructive testing or 'road' testing on the dog (for obvious reasons). Finally, and most importantly, I am not an engineer, nor am I involved in canine bio-mechanics or accident physics. I make no representations as an expert in the restraint of dogs - use these belts if you choose, but use them at your (and your dog's) own risk.

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Last updated 02/20/2008

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