We know to secure our dogs when they’re in a car, right? Right?  Anyone who’s ever been in a collision with an unsecured dog can testify that the dog becomes a projectile that hits the dashboard, or worse, goes through the windshield.

Many of us put our dogs in crates when hitting the road, but there are times when a crate isn’t always practical in every circumstance.  We’re writing about what’s been described as the best dog car harness many of us have never heard of, but more than 4 million of these harnesses have been sold: It’s the Roadie by Rough Rider.

The harness was invented by Carl Goldberg after a serious scare he had when he encountered a car driving down the wrong side of the road on a steep mountain road in Colorado. Though he was driving only at 15 mph, his 125 Labrador Retriever was thrown from the back seat and through the windshield after Goldberg hit the brakes hard. This dog survived, but Goldberg never wanted him to ride in the car again without a safety device.

After searching (and not finding) a product he thought was good enough for his dog, he invented one. Working with a veterinary orthopedic surgeon, Goldberg designed a now patented safety harness that is orthopedically and ergonomically suited specifically for dogs. The design was so revolutionary, he was granted a broad-based patent in 1996, and two more after that. The design was so effective, that in 1999, Tufts University of Veterinary Medicine described it as, “without a doubt, the best harness we’ve ever seen.”

We don’t own stock in the company, nor have we been paid to mention it. Heck, we don’t even own one, but when we come across something that may protect a dog, we’ll mention it. If anyone actually owns one of these, we welcome your input. Read more about the harness that’s priced under $100 here.  Below is a fitting-and-installation video put out by the company: