tucker
WAY NORTHERN MINNESOTA!
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pattyl
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Posts:304
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| 05/27/2008 9:32 AM |
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One more little car tip learned the hard way. Always take your key when you leave the vehicle.
I stopped to talk to a friend in a parking lot one day. She had her toddler with so I left Spot in the car. I was standing about 5 ft from the car when I heard the door locks click. My keys, purse, cellphone, and dog were locked in the car. Luckily, my friend took me home to get a spare key. I had a house key buried in the front flowerbed. Big fun! |
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laurenmarie
MI
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Posts:185
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| 05/27/2008 2:40 PM |
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once again...another SAAB story. (haha..get it?? LOL) but seriously...the key for the ignition in a SAAB is the middle between the seats (at least it was....) Kaiser use to have this thing about being on my lap to and from the campground (until i got pregnant and it was physically impossible). So one day we were on the freeway on our way home with kaiser on my lap and he moved his back leg, hit the key and shut the car off!
needless to say kaiser had to sit in the backseat with gus for the rest of that trip...LOL. |
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BEANS
Washington state
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Posts:1119
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| 05/27/2008 2:55 PM |
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Lauren that is hilarious >>> ( SAAB STORY )<<<<
After reading Spot's post about shifting out of gear...I didn't feel so PARANOID ..BEAN's favorite position in the Beanmobile, is right next to me ( one butt cheek on my leg, and one on the seat )
BUT she rests her head on the dash...I'm always afraid she'll fall asleep and knock the shifter out of gear......I've been trying to keep her chin off the dash...BUT now I'm making it the new BEANMOBILE RULE.....
Renee' |
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Renee'
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jdavis
Richwood, Tx
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Posts:88
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| 05/27/2008 3:00 PM |
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Really, I think the only way to keep the car hair free is to keep the hair car free... but that will never happen!
-J |
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carlower1
Kansas
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Posts:1253
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| 05/27/2008 4:24 PM |
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LOL J
I had to read that a couple of times... but you are right..keeping the hair car free is just not an option |
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jdavis
Richwood, Tx
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Posts:88
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| 05/28/2008 7:13 AM |
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So are those car covers at petsmart that fit the backseat effective? I'm going to get one anyway I think. I just picked up a new Civic yesterday  so this is a perfectly timed column! I did purchase the 'auto armor' product from the dealer for them to apply inside and out. I work in a chemical plant so extra protection is always worth it. Anyway, they said if I have any stains that won't just wipe off or come off with a little water to bring it in and they would clean it. Sounds like a deal to me!
-James |
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pixie bee
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Posts:4448
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| 05/28/2008 7:18 AM |
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I am very surprized to read that no one puts their dogs in a kennel or seatbelt setup while traveling. Have you not heard of what happens to loose dogs during accidents? You would keep your child safe, why not your dog?
And it's the best way to keep the car hair free,well almost hair free.
Francine |
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"Time with my dogs clears my mind, renews my faith, and lets me see the world as it is. My only regret loving dogs as I do, is the misery of their early departure." Robert G. Wehle
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jdavis
Richwood, Tx
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Posts:88
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| 05/28/2008 7:28 AM |
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Pixie,
While you bring up that subject, I do have a few questions for you (and everyone  ). I had a truck before and the kennels rode in the bed with the pups in them and it was never an issue. Now, as I just bought the new car, I was going to put them into seatbelts as I don't want them going all over the place and getting into mischief. All my pups have harnesses to begin with.. While not specifically designed as a restraining device to be used in a car, they do make attachments for those harnesses to be affixed to the seatbelts. Are the regular harnesses good enough if attached properly? I just don't want to have to spend another 30-75 (for 3) on the seatbelt harnesses that are going to be very narrow in use. What do you think? What does everyone else think?
-James |
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carlower1
Kansas
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Posts:1253
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| 05/28/2008 7:45 AM |
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I have a seatbelt/harness for Wachter and the ladies... Especially Wachter. It looks like a normal harness except there is a loop on the back of it that hooks through the seatbelt. The couple of times I have driven without him in a seatbelt he has knocked my car into neutral. But I still have doghair all over my car. He can still reach the back window (I have a small car with a hatchback) and when I have him hooked in the middle seatbelt, he can get it to slide all around. so he has a little more movement.
When Wachter escapes the only way to really catch him anymore is to "go bye bye" which means open the car door, honk the horn and have him go barrelling in. Once in the car he has to inspect every seat front and back while you are trying to get the harness on him. Plus when we get out of the car, we unhook him which results in him bouncing through the whole car like a jumping bean. Needless to say that after this process is done, not only is the car covered in doghair but so are we. |
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carlower1
Kansas
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Posts:1253
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| 05/28/2008 7:52 AM |
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| P.S. I got the harnesses at Petsmart for about $15 for Wachter's and around $10 each for the smaller ladies |
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pixie bee
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Posts:4448
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| 05/28/2008 8:16 AM |
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The belt that carlower1 gets at Petsmart sounds good. I would not trust the car seatbelt only.
And don't forget, with the hot weather coming dogs get hot real fast in cars, so don't leave them alone with closed windows or in the sun.
Francine |
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"Time with my dogs clears my mind, renews my faith, and lets me see the world as it is. My only regret loving dogs as I do, is the misery of their early departure." Robert G. Wehle
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jdavis
Richwood, Tx
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Posts:88
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| 05/28/2008 8:33 AM |
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What? No baking pups? OK, I guess I'll take them with me when I get out! This is more what I was talking about.... http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2751292
It attaches to the harness and the seatbelt. I just don't know what order to put them in yet... probably the pup in the middle so both the old dogs can be annoyed by him right?!?!?!?
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Bedberg
Duluth, MN
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Posts:312
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| 05/28/2008 10:31 AM |
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Posted By pixie bee on 05/28/2008 7:18 AM
I am very surprized to read that no one puts their dogs in a kennel or seatbelt setup while traveling. Have you not heard of what happens to loose dogs during accidents? You would keep your child safe, why not your dog?
And it's the best way to keep the car hair free,well almost hair free.
Francine
Tory is in a seatbelt, he is too much of a whiner otherwise, but Jackson is in a kennel, and he loves it. I actually was looking to buy a new car and test drove the pontiac vibe. 1st thing I checked was to make sure his kennel would fit
I was surprised too that more of us GSP lovers aren't keeping our dogs safer. I think there was already a thread on this topic a while back. |
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Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.
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everbell
Kanata, ON
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Posts:3162
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| 05/28/2008 12:06 PM |
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Bedberg -- we have a Matrix (the Toyota version of the Vibe) and Bo's crate fits right in. He loves riding in his crate. Hops right in  |
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Joce and Rich
Bogart and Shiraz (GSPs)
Roxane (RIP: 1995-2009) and Tiger Lily (Cats)
The Everbell Adventures |
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carlower1
Kansas
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Posts:1253
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| 05/28/2008 2:18 PM |
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J Davis,
This is the harness I was talking about.. the belt you are showing requires you to purchase the harness separately. This comes as a single unit
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2751798 |
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see'n'spots
north central Florida
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Posts:334
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| 05/28/2008 3:13 PM |
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Another GSP fan w/"another SAAB story"!
laurenmarie wrote: "another SAAB story....the key for the ignition in a SAAB is the middle between the seats.... one day we were on the freeway on our way home with kaiser on my lap and he moved his back leg, hit the key and shut the car off!"
SAAB's long tradition of having the ignition key down between the seats had another insidious fault. The keyhole was actually at the bottom of what is essentially a funnel on the classic 900 models from '79-'94 & most 99s before them! This design was infamous for directing anything falling there straight into the lock cylinder! Believe me, its no picinic to replace these locks when they finally jam up, most commonly a key is broken off trying.
Thieves revealed a vulnerability that serves as an emergency tip. Despite the design's attempt at security, its not that strong. Once jammed by grit & fluids that entered by way of the 'funnel' you're dead in the water, shift locked in reverse. Car thieves merely stick a big straight blade screw driver in the key slot & break the locking tabs using brute force! I've had a SAAB for years that had it's lock 'sheared' that way & it still works w/any key or screw driver! The point is to protect the lock from dirt getting in. |
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jdavis
Richwood, Tx
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Posts:88
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| 05/28/2008 3:30 PM |
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Carlower,
I did see that one, and I do like it. My question is can you use the one I showed with a regular harness. I have all my pups in harnesses already as it's easier to control them imo when we are walking. They were rescues so I didn't know what to expect out of them at first so I got harnesses. I liked them so much that all 3 of them have them now. I think you can just loop it through the hole already in their current harness and it should be safe for them. It just attaches them to the seatbelt using their harness already in place. I guess I just didn't want to buy another complete harness just for car rides. 
-J |
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BEANS
Washington state
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Posts:1119
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| 05/28/2008 4:21 PM |
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I'm one of the BAD dog moms.....I admit it and know the risks....
I like Bean WITH ME, I usually drive ONE HANDED as well !!!!! while in the BEANMOBILE, cuz I have one arm around my little sweetie.......
I even leave my coffe cup at home Bcuz...I can't drive one handed, and snug my pupster, while I scarf my caffiene
I have no excuse & I hope I make up for my lack of self control, in other ways and pray that Bean won't suffer from my selfishness.
BAD BAD BAD....Renee' |
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Renee'
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sjgz314
Chicago, Illinois
SH
Posts:45
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| 05/28/2008 4:47 PM |
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We had a seat cover that worked for a while until the elastic bands holding it up to the headrests stretched out. But dog hair still got all over the carpet and sides of the seats somehow. Come to think of it, there's dog hair on every non-leather surface in the car, even places that the dog never touched. I think it just spreads itself around.
I use a harness that clicks into the seatbelt. I do it as much to allow me to concentrate on the road as I do to keep the dog from flying around in an accident. I know it's probably not as safe as a crate, but we just don't have room for a crate in the car and the crate we do have is so big, I can't carry it around. |
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-Susie |
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