To Leah in S. Hadley:
Central Mass is a fun place! Once it snows, you’ll be able to go skiing on Mt. Tom. You can go to concerts in N. Hampton (and don’t forget to have pizza at Mimmo’s). You want water? Take a canoe ride down the CT River, all the way to Long Island Sound. Really want adventure? You can go Skydiving right up the road.
Now, for the MORONIC geochemist with the dog. ARE YOU NUTS!!! PUT THE DOG IN THE CAB!!!
About the geochemist: OK, this idiot is smart enough to get some kind of degree in chemistry, yet stupid enough to let her dog ride ON TOP OF THE TRUCK? My late father would call that a “lack of common sense”. Driving at highway speeds, the dog is going to get her eyes pelted with bugs, gravel, sand, etc. I would be surprised if the dog doesn’t already need cataract surgery. Point #2: So, when you use the brakes, the dog gets her neck almost snapped via the “leash” you tied her to the took box with. Point #3: too bad she didn’t drive through my state. She would have gotten a ticket for having the dog in the bed of the truck, and another one for animal cruelty.
It just amazes me that somebody who IS TEACHING OUR KIDS doesn’t have the sense not to abuse this poor dog. Did she say where she was going to teach? I am up for arranging a protest march to demand her immediate firing. And she called up why? to ask about how to keep the dog on the roof? “glue upside down golf tees to the roof?” Better suggestion: She needs an IQ test herself, right before the lobotomy.
If any listeners see this dolt driving with that dog on the roof, get the license number and call the Humane Society, or better yet, the cops.
p.s: If I were the judge in her animal abuse criminal prosecution, I would sentence her to a cross-country drive on the roof of her truck, with a collar around her neck and a leash connected to the trailer hitch. And I would drive.
I can’t believe there is only one comment on this topic.
Why didn’t the guys blast her for animal cruelty?
She clearly isn’t using a harness, which means she has the dog tied by the neck to her tool box. To say nothing of that dog’s eyes at this point.
Her dog is probably up on the roof of that cab plotting her escape from this STUPID owner. If that dog could only have held a “HELP ME” sign, perhaps she would not have made it all the way across the country without being stopped.
And where are the police, by the way?
What charges should have been filed?
Reckless endangerment? Certainly animal cruelty.
If she had had to swerve suddenly that dog would have flown off the roof sideways snapping his neck and possibly hitting another car.
If she had to stop suddenly, he would have been thrust forward and snapped his neck that way, restrained by the throat.
Somebody stop this moron.
She shouldn’t be entrusted with a carnival gold fish!
She did mention that she checked the restraints with the Humane Society before starting the trip.
…She can vote and breed too. Scary.
The answer is way too simple. One or two pad eyes in the center of the bed would give a tiedown point so that a leash of appropriate length would allow the dog to move within the bed, but not an inch beyond. I’d say a harness instead of a collar is appropriate, but it wasn’t clear she wasn’t using one.
The answer is way too simple. One or two pad eyes in the center of the bed would give a tiedown point so that a leash of appropriate length would allow the dog to move within the bed, but not an inch beyond. I’d say a harness instead of a collar is appropriate, but it wasn’t clear she wasn’t using one.
I?m appalled that you guys were laughing with this dingbat and I?m surprised that the human society approved of her action. I found that this call was the least funny thing I?ve ever heard on your show.
Dear Tom and Ray,
I have been listening to you for lo! these many years and have never been tempted to do anything more than listen. Today I was horrified. The whiny freshman was just the beginning. If I wanted to listen to whiny freshmen, I could visit my local college campus.
But the poor dog! That chemistry professor is guilty of animal cruelty and I hope they catch her and throw the book at her. At one time my husband and I owned both a Suburu Brat and an 84-pound female boxer. If the three of us were going somewhere together, the dog rode in the cab and one of us rode in the open back which happened to have fresh air-conditioned seats with belts.
I have always believed there is nothing more dangerous that the sight of live creatures loose in the back of a pickup truck. It is only a matter of time before that poor dog is horribly killed. You were right to tell her to let the dog ride in the cab with her. Later we had a 104 pound Ridgeback who always rode in the front seat of our sedan if only one of us was in the car.
Listening to that idiot laugh about the danger that poor dog was exposed to makes me understand why the whiny freshman was unhappy with college life.
A pox upon her! and you two deserve a slap for failing to reprimand her more severely.
It amazes me how some people can be so book smart and get degrees in geochemistry, and yet have no COMMON SENSE! Hopefully, she will never have children, because she is not responsible enough to take care of the well-being of her canine friend!
Did she think that she could go on a national talk show and not have millions of caring, intelligent dog owners respond to her idiotic actions? She should have this dog taken away from her and placed in a home where it will be assured a safe life. There are not many things that upset me, but an exception is when I hear about the way trusting animals are treated by their thoughtless owners!
Someone in Atlanta has hired a real bone head. The guys should have demanded that she IMMEDIATELY give the dog to a responsible party. Truly scary, and shame on everyone that saw this idiot’s dog on her truck and did not call the police.
Dear Tom & Ray,
Listening to your program this morning, I heard a caller concerned about her dog riding on top of her truck cab. I was quite entertained until she said she did not want to restrict her dog?s mobility. That statement floored me as that is the purpose of a harness or seat belt when traveling at a speeds often in excess of 70 miles per hour. After reading your listeners comments, I echo their reactions.
Anyway, as I designed a Pick Up Truck Dog Harness about 10 years ago but ran out of money to complete the initial patent application and a purchase agreement fell through by a national pet store due to their buyer having another project at the time, production was never pursued. I do however have the design copyrighted and have been wondering how to offer it to the public. After hearing your caller, I thought I would offer the design plans to your listeners for their review. I am in no way looking for any money out of this endeavor as I originally designed the harness to benefit my dog, not my pocket book.
I have scans that I will send to anyone that wants them. This can be best described as a 4 point harness holding the dog in place with 360 degree mobility for the dog (WITHIN the 8? tie at the dog?s chest) There are 2 modes of hook up in the truck. One has a ?buckle? from a calf harness and may be hard to find (animal/farm supply) but the original design was simply tied from rope. This can be done for very little cost. This harness also hooks up to a Dog Body Harness NOT a neck collar !!! Any inquiries can be sent to me personally and I will be happy to answer them, Free (NO $$$).
Sincerely,
Rick Sabral, Phoenix, AZ
ricksabral@msn.com
Just a note that in Arizona, by law, you do not have to have your dog tied down until it is dead and then it is considered cargo and has to be tied down???
If, in your state, it is unlawful to have a dog in the back of your truck, please don?t consider my harness an alternative to observing the law.
Eye pads heck.Put a camper shell on the truck.
Hi:
Like a couple of posters here, I have listened to the show for years, but never joined in the discussions, forums, etc. But I have to say the call from the…(well most appropriate names have already been posted here, and what I would call her is not nice for a nice forum such as this!)…woman who let her dog ride on top of the truck, pretty much had my blood pressure through the roof!
Unbelievably stupid behavior…obviously education has nothing to do with common sense! If she was so opposed to letting the dog ride in the cab, and could not afford a camper shell…how about a sturdy plastic crate (like on planes) securely anchored in the bed…a pretty safe option. I’d also like to know what Humane Society told her her get-up was OK…or perhaps she was just to dense to listen to what they had to say anyway.
I do have to say that I was a bit dissapointed in our intrepid hosts that they didn’t come down harder on this ditzy chick, especially after the basically thoughtful reply to the depressed college freshman (Geez she will be even more depressed now, hearing that universities are hiring people like the geochemist idiot woman!)
Thanks for the opportunity to vent…I’m glad to see the sense of outrage here on the forum. I hope this woman gets turned in by someone in Atlanta, and the dog can find a home with an intelligent and caring owner!
I had a short cab pickup truck and a German Shepard that loved to go on rides and to the beach, the front seat was not a really great option, but as I had the rear slider window I put the dog in the bed on a leash secured through the slider window to a headrest with enough slack to go side to side but not overboard, we would go to the beach for run and fetch stuff. I felt she was safe in back and did not get dog hair and sand in the front seat, but it was all in town driving not highway trips.
Dear Tom and Ray
I love your show and I always end up being totally entertained and learning something new. However, today was the first time I was totally appalled by one of your guests - the woman who let’s her dog ride on top of her truck while tethered by a leash. She seems oblivious to the fact that she is endangering this animal. In fact, I suspect that if the proper authorities knew about her behavior she could be fined and have her dog taken away from her, which is what I feel should happen. Anyone who chooses to be an animal owner has the responsibility to provide basic care and safety.
I tuned in after the converstaion with her started but I believe her name was Hope. So, Hope, if you are reading this - your treatment of your dog is not funny, or entertaining, or cute - it’s abusive and thoughtless and I hope the proper authorities in your area hear about this incident and take action against you.
Okay, lay off the questioner. We’re all idiots at some time according to Scott Adams of Dilbert fame.
Get a cap for your truck. It will give you better traction, you won’t wake up in the middle of a rainy night wondering what you’ve left in the back, and your dog can ride and sleep in confort.
Letting the dog ride in the cab is not a no brainer, as dogs must be restrained in the cab as well.
And yes, the restraint should actually restrain the dog, not arrest just suddenly arrest its trajectory during a collision or sudden stop.
Just be thankful that the caller knew something was wrong. Let ye who is without sin cast the first stone.
I have to join in this growing choir, guys. At first it does sound amusing to see a dog on the roof of a pick-up. In fact since I am a native of the more redneck environs of this wonderful country, I have often giggled at a dog asleep on top of a low rent Chevy lawn ornament.
This being said, THERE IS NO safe way to have a dog on top of a moving vehicle (moving at any speed). I am so very confused at the laughter, maybe it was the absurdity. This was a sad situation and I hope that you just were flabbergasted and weren’t sure how to handle her very odd lack of common sense/situation.
A solution: there are Travel Kennel Boxes that we use when we travel with our animals. I sincerely hope this woman gets one before this poor animal is hurt. This is an example; I have no idea about the quality of this product: http://www.dog-training.com/portaken.htm
BTW, I felt that she was very rude to the fact that Tom has experience in collegiate education. What was up with that?
Enjoy your time in college B is Ok A is OK but b is OK C = complete D= done. No one has ever not given me a job due to grades. I did much better in grad school. Ok in undergrad when I returned at age 38.
Now about the dog get her in the cab or a kennel box in the back. Her eyes are too important and in an accident it would be terrible for her. Just like children the dog needs to be restrained inside the truck.
There is also no safe way to transport an unrestrained dog inside the vehicle.
Using extremely rough math simply for the sake of making the situation easier to understand . . . here’s how an unrestrained pet inside the vehicle would play out…
Crash @ 30 MPH
Dog = 20 pounds before the crash
Dog weight times speed = 20 X 30 = 600
That’s 600 pounds of force that the dog would crash into the driver with in a mere fraction of a second.
The SPCA “approved” pet restraint system was not adequate because SPCA workers are not trained to make such judgment calls. However, CPSTs who study crash dynamics, etc. are. There are only 2 pet restrain systems that we suggest using.
http://www.immioutdoors.com/petbuckle/ > made by the makers of LATCH & emergency vehicle restraint systems
http://www.ruffrider.com/ > the only harness that is actually crash tested in a way that most resembles NHTSA’s guidelines.
The fact is that there are no safety requirements for pet harnesses. There is no set of regulations to ensure that pet harnesses will prevent the dog from becoming a deadly projectile during a crash. Every other company either does no testing to this effect whatsoever or their version of testing is to basically hand toss it against a wall.
The dog didn’t belong on the roof, but IMNSHO these guys acknowledged that & made every effort at their disposal to think up a safe alternative. It didn’t seem possible within their brief conversation, but any good CPST would have immediately known of at least 1 of these pet restraint systems.