Hello,
I’m wondering if it’s possible to carry two dogs legally and safely in an MX-5.
Does anyone carry two dogs as passengers in their MX-5? If so, how have you managed it? I have a small staffy at present but am considering adopting a lurcher and I would like to take them both out in the MX-5 if possible. My staffy travels on the front seat with a seat belt attachment clipped to her harness. The model is a 2.5.
Yes, I do just this in an NC with a small labrador and labradoodle. Harnessed but one is in the footwell, the other on the seat, plenty of dog blankets for comfort. Picture to follow
I also have a 2.5
And have previously transported a Show Cocker Spaniel and a friends Border Collie on very short journeys [a few miles] …roof up and roof down…one on the passenger seat and one in the passenger footwell …or roof up I’d trained my show cocker to lie in the space behind the seats where the mohair roof goes in when down
This was before the legislation regarding seat belts and harnesses
Is It Legal ?
Think you have to acknowledge the purpose behind any legislation…I suspect seat belt/harness regs is about dog(s) NOT INTERFERING WITH THE CAPACITY OF THE DRIVER TO DRIVE SAFELY AND REACT TO ANY SITU THAT ARISES ON THE ROAD
And dawgs are unpredictable !
So ‘Secure them Dogs’
Hope this helps
Lurcher owner here, hes’ a decent size coming in at about 27kg. His father was a Greyhound and mother some cross between lot’s of stuff.
These dogs are lanky as hell, mine simply can’t sit still in a car because their centre of gravity is so high. They also like to lean, so if they can’t lean against something for stability they are just going to really get in the way.
I know this isn’t what you asked but thought I would toss my experience in there haha.
Obviously if the Lurcher is more whippet like, you can probably get away with it 
.
2 Likes
Mostly to stop the dog becoming a missile in the event of a crash.
1 Like
A few summer’s ago I was driving down a country lane and was taken aback by an American Jeep coming the other way at speed driven by a Great Dane with it’s ears flapping in the wind.
Then I realised it was left-hand drive.
5 Likes
I used to commute around the M25, and I often shared road-space with an immaculate white SL500 driven by an attractive blonde, sometimes with top down in the jams.
The first time I noticed was one sunny morning passing her very gradually in the left lane queue, when it looked like Dilbert’s pointy-haired boss was sitting in the passenger seat, until I drew alongside and the big Alsatian looked at me with a toothy tongue-out grin.
That’s when I realised where the occasional damp spots on my windscreen came from.
I own a greyhound and was going to post something similar, but your experience is first hand which is better.
I met a couple of lurchers on a walk the other day and it’s really unlikely either of them would fit safely in an MX-5 (footwell or seat) but I know lurchers vary in size.
The only way I’d consider putting my greyhound in an MX-5 would be removing the passenger seat, putting a bed in there, and securing him against something. He’s 32kg and about 28" at the shoulder.
‘Mostly to stop the dog becoming a missile in the event of a crash’
So true because as any dog owner knows they recognize e.g. the route to the park and can go ‘ballistic’ [excited barking and fidgeting ]
Sorry…couldn’t help myself…I’ll get me coat …
Joking aside …it’s vital to secure dogs in any vehicle…if I think about what I’ve done in the past with dogs in vehicles…I count myself lucky nothing bad happened BUT I wouldn’t do this now
Thank you to everyone who answered my question. I would only ever carry my dog in a car if she was properly secured. I’m not sure whether it’s possible to carry two dogs securely, so I’ll delay my decision on whether to adopt a lurcher for the time being. Thanks all.
1 Like
Adopting a dog is a very decent thing to do 
Brainstorming here…does it have to be a lurcher 
Something smaller ?
Don’t know your circs but years ago [1990’s] we had one 18 month old show cocker but we felt guilty about leaving him ‘home alone’ as both of us were working full time and commuting from Essex to London
So we thought he needed another dawg for company and bought a 13 week old show cocker puppy
Well the 18 month old wanted to ‘kill’ the puppy [snarling and growling showing his teeth] when the puppy tried to snuggle up to him
It took 3 months of me saying ‘No’ to the 18 month old and fortunately the puppy wasn’t the ‘sharpest tool in the box’ so didn’t give up on trying to make friends
I was at the stage of thinking I must sell the puppy when suddenly the older dog got it and they started to play. He then become ‘big brother’ and very protective
Guess you’ve considered that your Staffy has to be part of the decision making process re another dawg ?
As well as ‘think smaller’ and ‘how to secure’ a second one in an NB
Best Wishes
1 Like
Thank you for your advice.
I thought about adopting a lurcher after joining a sponsored walk with the rescue organisation I adopted my staffy from and we walked alongside a beautiful little rough coated lurcher who looked like a minature deerhound. He was so calm and quiet, I thought the two dogs might be able to live together (he was awaiting adoption, having been picked up as a stray). My application for him wasn’t successful. I’ve applied for other lurchers, but unsuccessfully. Maybe rescue organisations think a staffy might be a bit rough for a lurcher, but my dog is incredibly quiet and (mostly) calm.
Anyway, I am due to take delivery of my newly restored mark 2.5 in the next few weeks, so will be taking my staffy out for trips in the new car and we’ll see how that goes. She’s not too keen on riding in a car, but I’m hoping open-topped motoring might be more to her liking.
Excellent idea!
Our old dog was 40kg of tough street-fighter bitsa stray, rescued at 18 months old. His first three nights in the house he managed to open every unlocked door and window including fan lights, amazing, but the burglar bars (essential in Africa) kept him in.
My six-year-old sister showered him with love and kindness and eventually he settled in and became the ultimate guard dog, AND family pet. He very carefully pretended not to learn anything, unless it suited him (never volunteer - as most old soldiers might say). And yet she persisted with her “dog training”, and he became her dog, not my mother’s despite my mother being the food provider.
When the inevitable time came he was feeling arthritic, with saggy middle, and grey around the muzzle, we bought a puppy (first cross boxer/mastiff!), just weaned and small enough he could walk under the old dog with a couple of inches to spare.
No problems, we could see the old dog was highly amused, while trying not to admit it. The puppy took years off him, and some of the saggy middle shrank back. And now my more responsible fourteen-year-old sister also had to feed both, simultaneously and two arms length apart, so the first one finished did not offer to help the other. It only took the old dog two days to learn he had to wake up the young one to fetch my sister to feed them.
But my best memory was his look of acute embarrassment and long suffering tolerance when the puppy tried to suckle a few times.
2 Likes
Hi again Maya
“Rescue Orgs think a Staffy might be a bit rough for a Lurcher”
Unfortunately Staffy’s have got a bad rep. Undeserved in my opinion [it’s the owner not the dawg]
Check out Cesar Millan and his work with Pitbulls
Aforementioned [late] Show Cockers [Brandy and Chutney Joe] were firm friends with a female Staffy …can’t remember her name
And my last show cocker [Bailey] ditto with rescue staffy called ‘Maddy’ who was as ‘daft as a brush’ but so passive she was almost horizontal [wish I was tech savvy enough to send you pics of them playing on Whitby beach alongside Gippy the aforementioned rescue Border Collie]
Meanwhile …Envy big time that you are due to take delivery of your newly restored Mark 2.5 [still saving me pennies in this respect]
And perhaps give your Staffy chance to adapt to this new experience before considering second dawg
Hope this makes sense
PS
2 x Dawgs in an NB
Another experience from my memories that may help your decision making…
Late hubby died under tragic circs [put away the violin …it was a long time ago]
At the time I had a Mark IV Escort with dog grill [tiny space for 2 x Show Cockers Brandy & Chutney Joe]
What did I do with part of the Life Insurance ?
Buy a Ford Mondeo Estate with loads of space for Brandy and Chutney Joe in the Boot Area
What did they do…HOWL, BARK and slide around every time I turned a corner
In other words…they got distressed being so far away from me
Had to exchange it for a Renault Clio !
Because they needed to be close to me
So along as you keep them both secure so they don’t interfere with your driving
Work in Progress Your End
‘Work in Progress Your End’
Apologies
I meant Enjoy your newly restored 2.5 and adapting your Staffy to this
[Work in Progress…Another dawg before your Staffy likes it ???}