What's the best/easiest way to do this safely? Is it legal to have them walking freely in the back? I realize this isn't safe but I live close to a park and would be fairly safe and convenient. With all the animal rights/cruelty laws, it's hard to keep up.

And what about for highways? Do any of you do this? I haven't, mostly because I'm not sure what one of my dogs might do. He's a little too curious. lol

 

The first couple of options that I can think of would either get a cap for the bed, or get a dog box that bolts to the bed. A lot of guys that I know who hunt have these dog boxes and it seems to work good for them. Try a google search and see what you find.

 

A few years ago we were moving and my dad was driving his truck full of stuff and on the trailer were our dogs in their cages. We have the normal at home hard plastic kennels with the metal gate. Well one of our huskies managed to break the cage and jump out onto I-50 while my dad was traveling at 65 miles per hour. She was fortunate enough to not get hit by a car and she lived with no broken bones. However, she landed in the sitting position and slid down the freeway like that and her butt hole and all the pads on her feet were ground down really badly. Point of the story, make sure to get a strong cage or re-inforce your current one.

 

I put a I bolt in the center of the top of the bed just under the window.
I can Leash him to it.
Keep the leash short enough that he can't jump over the side edges of the bed.

 

I had thought of the same thing, but worry about having the dog leashed if an accident were to happen. Mine is still in his puppy stages and to scared to jump in the cab though. So I think it will be a while before I convince him to jump into the bed. He's about 80 lbs so I don't want to be picking him up everytime I want him in or out of the bed either. Oh well, he seems content in the floorboard for now.

 

I believe it is legal as long as the leash is short enuf to keep the dog from jumping over the side. So if the leash only allowed his nose to hit the bed railing, you should be ok.

 

Dont do it in Wyoming. Im pretty sure thats a no no here. I think you can get ticketed for it. Personally I wouldnt do it with my dog, but if you are comfortable with it go ahead and put him in the back, as long as you keep the the truck rubberside down you should be alright if you tie him down.

 

Sounds to me like a "GREAT" reason to buy a new Quad Cab

 

Round these parts, trained huntin dogs are in the back of trucks with hard caps on the bed and in boxes. Those pooches are worth too much to take a chance.

Specially bird dogs.

 

All that comes to mind is National Lampoons Vacation