Dog up on tool box in truck bed?

Norcalkyle

New member
I have always driven around with my dogs up on my toolbox in my truck bed. They are tied down to an anchor on the tool box, but have some range to go side to side and lay down.

Anyway, I got read the riot act yesterday by some person that thought I cared about their opinion. Normally I wouldn't care, but the person was adamant that I was breaking a law. I looked it up, and fortunately California hasn't banned this yet.

Anyone else have the dogs on the box? Or is it something that people don't do for fear of dog safety? I never really considered it to be dangerous really.
 
I would never allow a dog to ride in a truck box, tied or not. My dogs are too valuable to risk injury or death because they weren't crated.

Bad things can happen to a dog in a crate if there is a wreck, but bad things will happen to a dog when that is loose when a driver tries to avoid a wreck.

In Canada you can be written up for 'unsafe load' and it carries a serious fine. A lot of times a dog in a box is ignored, but if they act on a complaint the cops will write a ticket.

I know there are those who allow the dog to ride in the box and never have a problem. Same with seat belts and safety seats for kids. We rode in the pickup box as kids and some of us survived. Every year in Alberta, there is a truck load of teens that crashes, resulting in death.

It's not about being right or wrong. We each need to decide if there is a better/safer way to do something and whether your dog or kid is worth the effort.

For the record I have attended more than one case where a dog was thrown from a truck or through the window.
 
I watch cow dogs run back and forth on the top of tool boxes and on flat beds. I don't know how they do it but they do. It's your dog. If you wanna strap it to the roof do it.
 
Originally Posted By: NorcalkyleI have always driven around with my dogs up on my toolbox in my truck bed. They are tied down to an anchor on the tool box, but have some range to go side to side and lay down.

Anyway, I got read the riot act yesterday by some person that thought I cared about their opinion. Normally I wouldn't care, but the person was adamant that I was breaking a law. I looked it up, and fortunately California hasn't banned this yet.

Anyone else have the dogs on the box? Or is it something that people don't do for fear of dog safety? I never really considered it to be dangerous really.

I would never let my dog ride on the tool box on my truck. There's just too much that could go wrong.

My wife rides up there occasionally, but we had a long talk about the safety issue and she's aware of the risks.
 
Interesting points guys. I understand the idea about being in an accident and obviously that can be a concern. I don't know if a loose crate in the bed is better or worse than a dog riding with a lead tied to the truck or not. I don't have the option of having an in-bed box because of my needs for my truck during the work week.
 
Originally Posted By: RedfrogI would never allow a dog to ride in a truck box, tied or not. My dogs are too valuable to risk injury or death because they weren't crated.

Bad things can happen to a dog in a crate if there is a wreck, but bad things will happen to a dog when that is loose when a driver tries to avoid a wreck.

In Canada you can be written up for 'unsafe load' and it carries a serious fine. A lot of times a dog in a box is ignored, but if they act on a complaint the cops will write a ticket.

I know there are those who allow the dog to ride in the box and never have a problem. Same with seat belts and safety seats for kids. We rode in the pickup box as kids and some of us survived. Every year in Alberta, there is a truck load of teens that crashes, resulting in death.

It's not about being right or wrong. We each need to decide if there is a better/safer way to do something and whether your dog or kid is worth the effort.

For the record I have attended more than one case where a dog was thrown from a truck or through the window.



+1 - What he said!
 
mine ride in a box on the road and on the box if we are in a pasture in my work truck, both my personal pickups are flat beds with cake feeders and they just ride on the flat bed, I have had one come off before but it was my fault, I think going down a road a box is better but tyed on the tool box would be just about as good if you ask me
 
My pickup has a canopy. I use the plastic portable crates for the dogs, the same ones I use to ship on airlines. They are secured in the truck. A friend had a crate with a dog in it flip out of his truck on a gravel road on a curve. Dog was shook up but none the worse for wear.Crate was actually still useable with a little twisting.

I used to hunt bears with a beagle. He had no idea he was a beagle. He thought he was a pitbull mastiff cross.LOl.

He sat on a mat on the hood of my pickup as I drove the abandoned logging roads at walking speed. When he got the scent of a bear that had crossed the road, he would stand up. I'd stop and he would bail off the hood in full bay and hot on the trail. He treed most of the bears he went after, but occassionally one would not tree. When that happened he came sneaking back for reinforcements.Once he saw us , he was all teeth and guts again.
grin.gif
 
I bet my dogs would love to ride on the hood on the days they are following the truck down the road because they don't deserve to ride in it.
 
I have worked on several dogs that came out of trucks. Some slipped or jumped when excited about passing a dog/deer/cycler, one that got lifted as a semi passed on the interstate and the owner watched in the rear view, and one that came off the back of a truck on a sharp curve. That one landed about 6 feet in front of my truck as I was going the other way at 35. He didn't take much work, just drug him out of the road and called the number on the collar so the owner could come back and get his dog if he wanted to bury him at home. Told me I was crazy, his dog couldn't have been run over because it was in the truck with him. Then he stopped and looked in the bed.
If you tie them, don't give enough slack to get over the side and hang themselves. Dirt roads and pastures are low risk for a loose dog, paved roads warrant some kind of precautions.
 
I used to let them do whatever they wanted too, esp. after tour working out West and seeing all the loose cattle dogs doing the toolbox dance. After some mild injuries, thankfully, I've come to realize that a tied- or bolted-down crate with a decent pad is the safest thing for you, the dog and all the others on the road. I got too much time & $S tied up in my dog to risk that anymore. And, dang it, I like him!!! There, I said it............
 
Our hog dogs ride on top of the box sometimes, but only in the fields and on back roads. There are attachment points though and they are clipped on because if they wind one they will be off and gone.
 
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