So Saturday the weather was beautiful, my friend and I had talked last week about taking our pups to the dog park if it was nice out.  We went to a park that was just around the corner and when we were leaving the dog park we decided to grab pizza and a beer on a patio.

The drive was 1/4 mile, I had my 6 YO GSD mutt jump in the back of my truck, just because he loves to ride back there when the weather is nice.  My buddy also tossed his pup in the back,  I didn't make him do it, she could have ridden in the cab, which she did on the way there.  

There was 1 stop sign between the two destinations.  After I stopped at the stop sign I continued to the neighborhood pizza joint, cautiously and slowly.  We were going maybe 5 mph when my buddy's drama queen GF started screaming incoherently.  At that point the dog hadn't even jumped out, she was just standing on the side.  Being that I was driving and couldn't actively see the bed I stopped the truck, not too abruptly, we were only going 5.  And THAT'S when she jumped out.  

Long story short, the 5 month old pup is screaming in pain. Luckily we didn't run her over and she didn't get hit by any cars.  I knew of an emergency vet 5 min away so we hauled ass over there. She has a broken femur and requires surgery, which she is getting this morning.

I feel terrible.  I know it wasn't my fault, but the whole situation just sucks.  My buddy is a great guy and a wonderful friend.  He took out some aggression on me about the situation, not blaming me, just upset about the whole thing and I completely understood.  He called me back and had me come over for pizza and beers later that night, while we just pet the little one doped up on Tramidol and Fentanyl.  


BTW FUCK Village Vets in Decatur, GA(emergency first stop).  Pretentious fucking overpriced, unprofessional twats.  Everyone seemed to act like we were inconveniencing them...  The chubby cunt of a vet came in and suggested a $1000 amputation before even giving us surgery prices, citing the "fact" that we wouldn't be able to afford the $3500 surgery.  Fucking prejudiced whores, little did they know my buddy is a Grammy-nominated song writer, but because he's a black guy, let's tell him to cut his puppy's leg off.    I guaran-dam-tee she would have started with the surgery price for any white family with a dad in khakis and a polo....

Pups:


Title edited to remove profanity - T

I'd never let my dog ride in the bed. I hope the pup turns out ok.

Poor pup.

Surgeon said she should be starting to walk by next weekend and recovered in 3-4 weeks.

Just one of those things, some dogs can do it, some dogs can't.  I bet that if we hadn't stopped she would have never jumped out, but of course screaming women will cause one to press the brakes.

Damn, that sucks. Poor dog.


I remember being insulted and dismissed in the last thread about this topic because I thought (and still do) that it's irresponsible to let a dog ride in the back of the truck.


I don't even put cargo that can fly out in the back of the truck, why would I let a living creature I care about do it?

Dogs in bed w/o restraints? No go for me. YMMV.

You must have a sick brodozer if that fall broke the dog's leg.

Years ago a buddy of mine and his gf had their Dalmatian jump out of the back of their Jeep while going 65 mph down the highway.  He said he looked in the rearview, saw the dog tumble several times, then get up and start running after the Jeep.  The dog only got skinned up.

My buddies heeler was riding in the back of my truck and would stand on the wheel well with his head outside the truck bed. We are driving down the highway doing about 55-65 and when we would pass cars the dog would get excited and bite at them.

Well I was looking in the side mirror and when the next car passed the dog snapped at it and went over the side. I freaked out and watched the dog bounce down the highway. I turned around and the dog was in a pool of blood but alive so we scooped him up and took him to the vet.

Wouldn't you know it, only a few missing toes and a couple of missing/busted teeth but the dog was fine otherwise.

If I get onto major roads or will be going through major intersections, I won't put my boy in the back, but this was literally walking distance through a neighborhood.  We should have just walked  but at this point we can MMQB every decision.

Here is the route:
.4 mile, 8 minute walk with 1 stop sign

My dog is 10 and still rides in the bed.

Super lifted bro dozer

My dog jumped out when he was about his dog's age.  Doing 35 mph leaving a stop light on a major road.  I heard him tumble out and I was freaking out so bad, I slammed my truck into park and jumped out onto the road to give chase.  I still don't know what spooked him or what, but since then he has learned not to jump out...

The dog should never have been placed in the open back area.  You should not have allowed it.

They should not have allowed it.

I'm not completely understanding. You said the pup started screaming while still in the bed of the truck. Is there anyway it got hurt back there?

I don't see how a jump from a pickup bed is gonna break a leg unless it's lifted far beyond stock or the dog had bad luck/previous issue.

But, yeah, I always tied mine down when they rode back there. Had enough leash to stand and no more.

The girlfriend started screaming. Not the dog

This is why I hate driving near people with loose dogs in their truck beds. Some dogs are fine, some dogs jump. Unfortunately for the rest of us on the road, we don't know which your dog may be.

I think he said the buddy's girlfriend started screaming.

Anyway, how the hell did the pup break a leg jumping off the back of that truck?

My dog is a moron.  He would jump out doing 40 miles an hour if he saw a tennis ball 50 yards away.  He rides inside.  Usually in the passenger seat.  

Shit happens. My dog rides in my truck bed all the time, she jumped out once and learned her lesson. When the weathers shitty I put her in the cab, but if it's nice out she rides in the bed.

Our dogs (Labradors) used to jump through the passenger window to get outside, even at 45 mph. They'd tumble a bunch, chase whatever rabbit or squirrel they saw, then run back up to the house like nothing happened. The only way they'd stay in a truck bed is if someone was back there with them, holding their collars.

That's what I'm wondering. Had to be something already wrong with it's leg. My dog doesn't even wait for me to drop the tailgate to let her out half the time, just jumps out over the side when we get where we're going, but she won't jump out (anymore) if the engines running.

My friend's GF was the one that started screaming.  I think you mis-read.

I agree with you that it's not the right thing to do.

Mt ex-wife had the misfortune of hitting a dog that fell out of a truck bed. She was devastated. At least restrain the dog. What we do can affect others. She loves animals and while I seriously hate to use the term in deference to combat vets, it was traumatic for her and she is affected by it. She almost breaks down when she sees a dog in a truck bed. She gets very emotional now and she never used too. We've gone over the accident time and time again and she knows it wasn't her fault. That still doesn't take away the memories though. I completely blame the dog owner for his carelessness and stupidity.

Good question.  I was shocked to find out she was hurt, too.  It wasn't pre-broken, the dog had just been sprinting around the dog park. I think she just landed weird.

Darwin never rests... Not even for puppies.

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Poor pup. I'm glad she's gonna be okay.

Seen a few dogs crippled up or killed that way. As a teen I had one of mine jump out and a back leg had to be amputated. Always, always attach them on a short leash to a runner across the front of the bed. Put a knotted loop in the middle so the dog can't get over the side and be left hanging or dragging there.

My dogs have broken their legs, it's a real pain in the ass.  Carecredit is a big help if you have a sudden vet expense.

With puppies you have to treat them like retarded babies because they will find or create situations where they can seriously injure themselves.

I'm perplexed how a dog could break its leg jumping from that truck bed.  It's 5 feet maybe?  That doesn't seem to be unusually high.

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Lucky the Vet has not called the cops on him for animal abuse as some will.

Oh FFS. That's not abuse or anywhere close to it.

Yeah I think the police would laugh about that one...

there is a reason why already had the OPs dumb ass on my ignore list. and here I am vindicated. poor dog.

I'm sorry for the dog. I have always heard not have your dog hang its head out the car window as well as ride in the back of a truck because of the wind will cause them to go deaf.

hmmm...  Didn't know I posted enough to rustle jimmie's.

Score!

How did the friend take out aggression on you, and why?

I won't let mine in the bed of my truck, ever. I don't even like him sitting on the seat (single cab truck) with nothing on the floor, solely because he tore his meniscus a few years ago jumping from the seat to the ground when we got home. He's also got two degenerative discs in his back and can get around alright on most surfaces, but he doesn't have the ability to really brace himself if something happens in front of me that I have to slam on the brakes for. At least if I had a shelf of some type with a blanket on it that was the height of the seat, he wouldn't fall under the dash... may have to build that.

If he was on your ignore list, how'd you get here?

Agreed.  The dog was too young and apparently untrained.  Letting a dog ride in the back of a truck is not animal abuse.

Came to ask this...

He called me mid-afternoon, after I had dropped them back at the house.  He basically was just upset and saying "man, this morning everything was fine, now I have a fucked up dog, and I just don't know what to do."  

 He didn't blame me per se, he just had a tone that he was upset with me.

I explained that I was sorry and that this was part of being a dog owner.  I even paid 100 bucks of the initial exam fee to get her looked at.  


He called me back a few hours later to apologize for that phone call, and to invite me over for our initial plan of beer and pizza.

We agreed that good friend's go through shitty situations and that this won't change anything, its just one of those things that cause tension.

It just takes one awkward landing........some people will never realize this.

What the FUCK  you have a back seat!! What the FUCK were you thinking?????

Poor GSD.

You don't want a dog inside your truck don't take it with you.  

All I can say is YOU (COC violation and perma ban)

EBR666

because unfortunately the ignore list doesn't work when the ignored start a thread. you still see it, its just greyed out.

Damn, I've seen dogs do that over the years, and I cringe when I see dogs in the back of trucks, because they can so easily get a wild hair and bail.

Damn that sucks for the pup. Mine are either in the front, in a crate, or secured. Too risky in town. Good luck.

Try decaf bub.  I never said I didn't want her inside the truck.  Are you illiterate or just retarded?

How is it different than putting your two year child back there?

Neither the child nor the dog have the common sense to stay put, thus you are knowingly and willfully putting them in a life threatening situation, not to mention the welfare of other drivers whom could be injured or killed trying to avoid them if they jump/fall out or the trauma if they can't avoid them.

Because its a dog and not a child.  Are you saying my GSD needs to be in a car seat?

Did you see the route I was on?  Did anyone read the OP?  There was one stop sign in a neighborhood and my top speed was 10 mph the whole time.  We were not on an expressway or 4 lane highway.  

Humans and dogs shouldn't be riding in truck beds.

Know how I know you've never lived anywhere rural?