Bike nut

Today as I was stopped at a stoplight a car pulled up next to me to make a right turn. When I looked in the car I saw that the driver had a dog on his lap. Why do people do this? I am waiting for the day when I see someone driving a stickshift with a dog on their lap, and cellphone on their ear, shoving food in their mouth while driving with their knees. Then if they run someone over they will just say, "Oh, I didn't see them officer," and get off scott free.

lilHinault

You stop laughing at the dog right now! The dog is fed better than anyone in the 3rd world. The Good American driving would rather see 1000 Iraqui children die than have anything happen to that dog..... they can't stand to be seperated from their Poochums, so they take him/her/it everywhere. They can't stand to be seperated from Krispy Kreme too lol

Crazy Cyclist

I see this a lot, people driving with their dogs in the vehicle, and I think it should be against the law, if there was ever an accident, it is good- bye pooch. If people can't be away from their pets for more than one hour or more, than maybe they should consider staying home with them.

N_C

You're obviously not a dog owner. If you were you would understand. My wife & I take our 60 pound Samoyed almost everywhere with us. If my wife is not with me she is in the front, but never on my lap she is too big & would not allow it anyway. if my wife is with me she is in the back. Either way she is strapped in a seat belt at all times except when we stop to get out of our vehicle. We found a dog harness for her that you can run a vehicle seat belt through to keep your dog safe while riding in a vehicle. All it is is a standard type harness with a big loop on the top to put a seat belt through. When we stop we take the seat belt off so she can roam around the vehicle if she wants to. The only time we do not take her with is is when we go to work, of course & if it is to hot & humid outside. Otherwise she is with us all the time & we always have water for her & her leash if she has to get out & potty. If I see anyone sticking their hands in the window to pet her I tell them they do so at their own peril. She has never bitten anyone but there is a first time for everything.

Longhorn

I had all four of my dogs in my Mustang convertible Friday. It was time for annual check-ups at the vet! The two big dogs, Sparky and Buddy, sat in the back seat. The medium-sized dog, Paco, sat in the passenger seat and the dachshund, Brutus, sat on the floor on the passenger side. They seemed to enjoy having the top down -- and the AC vents pointed in their direction!

Of course, I never left my neighborhood -- the vet's office is at the entrance of my rural subdivision. I would have walked them if it hadn't been 100 degrees!

Crazy Cyclist

N_C, I am not a dog owner, but even if I was I wouldn't take my dog everywhere.

AverageCommuter

Well my wife doesn't take our dogs everywhere, but they do go quite a few places. She is a trainer and board member with the local dog obedience club. The dogs go to classes, one goes to agility events, the other goes to rally obedience events and is also a therapy dog at one of the local nursing homes. Fortunately the club is moving to a facility that borders the rails to trails path. She's not comfortable riding on streets and will now be able to ride with the dogs to class.

konageezer

Now that is one fine-looking pack of mutts. It's my theory that all dogs secretly wish they were named "Sparky," so I wouldn't be surprised if the other three were just a tad jealous. Maybe an extra kibble could even things out.

Longhorn

Thanks! And you're right -- all but the dachshund are mutts and all were rescued. Two were dumped, one was a "parking lot adoption" and we took in Brutus because his owners were afraid he would kill their ferret (since that's basically what dachshunds were bred to do.) Each of our four kids is responsible for bringing us one of these dogs -- what empty nest?

Sparky actually lived up to his name! When he was four months old, he managed to find a live wire to chew on (we were remodeling and it was stuck in the wall but he managed to fish it out.) Fortunately, one of our daughters (the one who brought him to us) was working in our home office when the other dogs alerted her that something was wrong. When she found him, she grabbed him and pulled him off (I don't know if it's because they were standing on wood floors but she wasn't shocked.) She called the vet and they told her to bring him right over. However, her battery was dead! (The irony in this tale abounds!) So she called the vet back and since they're just a few blocks away, two of them came to the house and picked him up. He was okay but they kept him overnight to make sure his lungs were okay.

I sometimes think that shock had an "Incredible Hulk" effect on him. He's well over 100 pounds now.

farrellcollie

My dog is better trained and behaved than 90% of the children I encounter on a daily basis. I take her a lot of places with me. She rides in the back of my station wagon or has a dog harness on in the back seat. I do not let her ride in the front seat with me because if I was ever in an accident she probably would be killed by airbag.

konageezer

See, where I'm from, that's a GOOD quality in a dog. You have to seriously wonder about somebody's priorities when they'd give up a perfectly good pooch for a rodent. But, all's well as ends better, as the Gaffer used to say, and Brutus ended up with you. I wonder how happy "former owner" is with his vermine.

Note to all ferret-fondlers. I'm not dissing ferrets per se. I'm just saying no rodent could ever be as good as a dog. Especially a dog like this. Look at his face. Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy? Is he a good boy? Yes, he is. Yes he is a good boy. (presents kibble)

Bigmark

I have 3 dogs, one loves to ride with us, so we got something like this Dog seat belt

Safe for her, safe for us. Some kids I see in cars should have them.

wabbit

Speaking of kids, how about people and kids in the car? Once, I saw a car stopped at a light- the little girl was standing in the car with her head sticking out of the sun roof! Duhh... what morons. They probably have a dog but leave it at home because it's too dangerous to ride in the car.

jbonus

Those people driving with their dogs on their laps are the same people you see in stores(!) with their dogs in their purses or in their arms. Whatever happened to store managers with a pair of b*lls?

oboeguy

Funny, but I don't necessarily have a problem with it. A dog doesn't have to be any more distracting than say a child in the back seat. And I generally am not fond of dogs!

A friend of mine does this, and it doesn't bother me to be in the car when he's driving. Plus, he rides and it doesn't bug him.

Meh.

Frantic Ferret

My friend drives an Australian Ford Falcon, so the steering wheel is on the right side of the car. He's gotten quite a few double-takes as he pulls up at a stoplight and the driver of the car next him sees a dog sitting in what they assume is the driver's seat. It's also quite ammusing at drive-throughs.

As far as animals on bikes, my grandfather had a pet crow that used to ride on his handlebars. The bird would fold back it's wings and lean forward when they were moving. Talk about a cool hood ornament.