Well, it is only a few days now until I shall be bringing Hodi home with me. I’ve been thinking about how to do this safely for both him and me.
It is a legal requirement in the UK that dogs be secured in a vehicle so that they are not able to jump or otherwise move around and interfere with the driver, but beyond this I want him to be safe while I am driving and not at risk of being hurt.
He is only a small, although growing puppy, at the moment so I needed something which would work for his current size and will look for a long-term solution as he grows larger.
I didn’t want to shut him away in the boot of the car as I’ll have just separated him from his dam (female parent) and siblings, so don’t think it appropriate to shut him away for an hour by himself. Having decided this, I took at a look at the options for transporting a small dog; cheapest option would be to use a cardboard box (with the top cutaway and a blanket for padding, but thought this might not be the best option.
I did a little exploring and found a number of “transport boxes” on Amazon, most of which are intended for cats, but should work just as well for a small puppy.
The one I selected, does actually state it is for dogs and has hooks to connect it to the car seat belt. I shall be placing the box on the front passenger seat so that I am very nearby and can easily talk to him while driving; please note, the front passenger seat will be moved back as far as possible and the airbag on that side deactivated.
I should also be able to use this carrier for the first visits to the vet and when I first take him down to my nieces for a visit. He will soon outgrow this carrier, so I am already investigating options for transporting him safely when he is larger.