I want to start out by saying I am not selling anything yet, I just want to gauge interest if there is a market for this. If I get a positive enough of a response I will contact the moderator to pay for ad or sponsor space.

have been looking for something to secure my dog in my JK to no avail so this is what I come up with. I recommend using it with a harness but you can attach it to a standard collar as well. The intent was to secure my dog so he could move a little forward but not enough to come all the way up front as well as a bit to the rear and side-to-side but not enough to jump out or get caught in the roll cage in case of a mishap. What is pictured snaps easily into the existing floor mount of my 2-door with the seat removed. If you have a JKU or any other type of Jeep or SUV, I will also offer a hardware kit to utilize the same removable harness with some fold-flat hardware that will added in the floor. Please let me know if you think there is a need for something like this and I will move forward with ad space and production.
Thank you for your time and consideration.

 

I hate to burst your bubble, but might also be able to save you some time. What you're talking about already exists in varying sizes by a company called Kurgo. We have two of their harnesses for our large and medium breed pups. They're great. Plus they're fully adjustable from one car to the next, come with padded chest harnesses, and I believe have been rated or certified by someone somewhere. We were required to have these for our dogs in Europe. They are available on Amazon for $20-30.

 

I appreciate the info and in fact I have the Kurgo that plugs into the female part of the seat belt that I use in my car. What I was looking for and could not find, was something that keeps the dog in the center of the vehicle to guard against possibly being crushed in a rollover. I also want to keep them off the seats (Leather). The "Y" design allows the dog to move around a bit but is still confined to the space protected by the roll bar like we are. I have seen a few people tie off the harness to the top of the roll bar which is a death sentence to the dog in the event of a rollover. In contrast I am sure we have all seen the rollover video's where the dog runs out of the back of the Jeep nearly being crushed. I don't plan on rolling my rig but I would like the peace of mind of knowing that he is just as protected as the other family members in the Jeep if something were to happen.

Thanks again for info!

 

That's a legit concern. Our Kurgo has a strap that's looped to adjust the length, but you could use it as the lateral line as well to keep you dog centered. Personally, if there's that much risk of a rollover, the wife and dogs are waiting off to the side until the obstacle is cleared. In the mean time, we plan to do a cargo net back and pet divider. Good luck with your endeavor!

 

Thank you Wildschwein. If nothing comes out of it at least I can use my prototype

 

I would definitely recommend using it with a harness and NOT a collar. If you happened to be in an accident on the highway with the dog attached to the inside of the Jeep by it's collar, you'd better hope the collar breaks...

With my JKU, if I know I'm taking my dogs somewhere I actually fold the back seat down and put a large wire crate in the back held down with ratchet straps. The dog can still move around and see out, I can see the dog in the rear view mirror, and if I were in a wreck the crate wouldn't go anywhere and would (hopefully) limit the risk of the dog being hurt. Luckily I've never had a chance to actually test this theory.

 

I actually like the idea because it is Jeep specific and sport specific. By that I mean that you have considered safety in a rollover. With the type of wheeling I do, a rollover is imminent. I have a new dog who is fast on her way to being my trail buddy. She absolutely loves the Jeep. Had her out this weekend with the top off and she loves it too much. I literally said, I wonder if there is a product that will harness the dog in the Jeep so she doesn't fall out.

With that said, I think you'd need to complete some level of testing. For instance, break strength. There could be quite a bit of force on the straps in a rollover, especially if something else caught them. While their head couldn't be outside the Jeep, there has to be a point where a dog is large enough that it's back end could end up outside the Jeep.

 

Adding to my comment above, in your picture it looks like the dogs back end could easily end up outside of the Jeep. They have no way to hang on like a person could, so I wonder if they are safer that way or free to make a run for it?

What would be cool is an upgraded version that does strap them in completely. Maybe just when going over an obstacle and then you can easily release part of it so the dog has more freedom again.

 

I think the answer is to remove the dog when taking on obstacles that place them in danger. The dog doesn't get the choice of accepting risk and regardless of how they're secured, they are placed at high risk in a rollover.

 

True. I'll weld a loop onto my bumper so I can hook the dog to that when there is high risk.