@longgone It wasn’t like I threw her in a bed of a truck one day and went speeding off. That would be irresponsible. Not all dogs are suited for all things. It’s up to individual owners to know the dog. My rottie was an exceptionally well behaved listener. We progressively introduced her to everything, including truck beds.
I personally wouldn’t have a dog attached to the truck in motion so that it would have a chance should something happen. Most places I frequent are less than 5 miles away, and the speed limit is 35. When I was a kid I rode in the back of trucks in similar circumstance all the time. My parents weren’t worried I was in extreme danger, so if I’m sure the dog isn’t a jumper I feel the same way.
I guess my answer is that if I accidentally killed my dog because she lives the same lifestyle as me then yes, I would feel incredible guilt for the rest of my life. But my pets are not the kind to stay safely at home, just like I am not. I could just as easily kill myself rock climbing or wake boarding or whatever, but I’m not going to sit safely at home either. Again, if I thought my dog wasn’t completely eager and happy to go, she wouldn’t.
I have rescued several dogs on my Search and Rescue team, so there are a lot of adventurous dogs. Those of you that think the back of a pickup is dangerous would freak out to see an avalanche dog hop on a moving chairlift and ride all the way to the top unrestrained. @ragingloli, yeah, I guess you could compare that chairlift to a roller coaster. But a well trained dog can handle it.
With my dog now, for the first few years I will introduce him to things slowly and don’t push him when he’s nervous. He’ll either eventually want to go along or not. Not all dogs do. So far he hasn’t been in a truck bed, and I won’t just toss him back there one day and take off, no more than I would toss him off of my kayak to force him to swim.