I wanted to take the doors off cause it was so nice out, but wife wanted the rears left on since we had the dog with us. It was her dog Maggie, a Cairn Terrier (aka Toto from wiz of oz) .

Maggie loves to put her nose out like all dogs, so we put the windows in the back down. We've done this thousands of times. We stop on this dirt road because a cicada flew in and freaked out the wife. I start driving again after it flew out, and next thing I knew, Kristen was like Maggie's gone!!! I was like, no she's not, she's probably behind my seat. 1) Kristen likes to prank me all the time 2) Maggie doesn't even like to jump down to the ground when she's on the floor boards, or even from Kristen's car.

Well, she must have thought we stopped to get out and she was so excited because we were in a new place in the woods of WV, she just jumped out!!!!

I look back out behind me, and I see her running after us. I was LMAO. Wife was freaking out. Mags is ok, she didn't hurt anything, but I just measured the jeep and it's 54" from the ground to the base of the window in the rear door.

I guess from now on, we'll have to not put the windows all the way down. Has this happened to anyone else?

 

That is really funny but I'm glad your dog is ok. I have two large dogs (boxer/lab and a pure bread boxer) I've probably driven over 3000 miles (city and highway) with them in the back and the hard top off and they have never jumped out. They love being in the jeep so much with the top off they would never think about jumping out, until we get to the camp site and the wife and I get out

 

This is mine and she would def try to jump out but she is only 4months. I put her in the back on a leash and she is good. I leave my rear doors on all the time and the top and front doors off and people ask me why. I have little ones too that like to throw things out while moving so their doors stay on.

 

My cousin was driving his TJ topless and his large dog jumped out the back at 40 mph. Luckily the dog just had lots of scrapes. No stitches or broken bones

 

ok, this makes me feel a little better.

It's just so odd and out of character. But, we were out in the woods and I think all the smells got her going. right before she had been running back from one door to the other.

I was thinking of one of those harnesses for her. I would be afraid of using the leash, in case she would jump out and then hang herself or break her neck.

 

Wow!! You are wise to consider the harness... I would hate to think what may happen if the 'Magster' were to jump out while you were rolling slowly. She may have ended up under your rear wheel...

Good luck!!

 

I always worry about this too. I keep the rear doors on and keep the windows halfway up. I also got a cheap 4 dollar bungy cargo net I put over the back.

 

My former beagle Daisy jumped out of the passenger window while rolling down the street, no injuries, she was just excited!

Second time was with my brother's Shepard/Ibizan Hound Guinness, cruising through a park at 25mph. He saw two women riding horses and out the passenger window he went. The ladies ended up yelling at me, I was just as shocked as they were! No injuries, just some spooked horses.

Harnesses are a great idea for dogs. I put a Safari Straps net up to prevent anything from happening again. You can kinda see it in these old pictures:

 

I took my back seat out and secured a think wire around the seat latches then lol the wire on my dogs harness. I don't have to worry at all about my dog but I still look back every once in a while to check on him

 

I have a leash tied in the middle of my roll bar, lets my dog go just far enough on either side to get her nose in the wind. Makes us both enjoy the ride better.