When Oppie came into our lives, I knew we needed to upgrade our car travel safety. I probably spent a good two weeks looking at different options for him. Generally speaking, the most recommended option was using a big hard carrier for safety. But that didn’t seem as convenient for a pleasant ride. I know, I know. It is a safe option, but I didn’t want to have to try and get him in a carrier every time we jumped in the car. So, I also considered some of the dog beds that could be strapped in with your dog buckled in. I can see plenty of reasons to use either one. But I decided on a third option which was a backseat extender otherwise known as a hard hammock (11 – Backseat Extender for Dogs)
It turned the backseat into a large carrier, but with easy access to get in and out. No more falling off the seat or having insecure footing. Oppie could jump in and expect a solid floor landing. The best part was that it protected the backseats. I could easily clean up the dog hair and wipe it down. Removing it was as easy as lifting it off the headrests and folding it up. But there were some extra perks that I have to mention like being able to put items behind the front row seats UNDER the hammock safely without Oppie having access to them. This particular hammock hooks to the front headrests and to the back headrests which seems to make it more sturdy and protects the entire seats.
We made some additional adjustments because the hammock by itself was not as safe as I would like (though, it was significantly better than having a dog untethered in the back seat.) I previously had some straps meant to hook over the headrests but now there are some much better/safer options. I bought two of these dog seat belts that I attach to his vest (12 – Dog Seatbelt). You can either use the carseat buckle or you can clip them in using the child carseat mounts (we use the mounts). These have a slight bungee to give a little if you slam on your brakes. But otherwise, they can keep your dog(s) a little safer on the road. I have debated on cutting a slit in the hammock to use the seatbelt buckle, but for now the child carseat mount seems a perfect solution. I did have to teach him not to try and jump down as soon as I opened the door. Luckily, we moved his seatbelt to the center so that it restricts him from even trying to jump out until we unhook it and put a leash on.
The last adjustment that we made was to get a long bathmat to lay on top of the hammock (13 – Long Bathmat for car). I noticed the first few times that we used
it, he was sliding around because the hammock is slippery. The bathmat has a rubber backing which keeps it flat and his footing is much better. I’m sure he appreciates that it is nice and comfortable too! Because I recently bought an SUV, the bathmat seems to make it easier for him to jump up on the seat. I also like that I can pull it up and throw it in the washing machine when it needs a good cleaning. Another convenience is that the hammock has a fold in the middle. If we do need a passenger to sit in the back with him, we can fold it under and use only half of it. I noticed some other options which combined the hard hammock with some attractive soft material. But after commuting with him, I particularly like my own setup which enables me to pull pieces out to clean.
Obviously, this fits our needs for our larger dog and it is a personal preference.
