This was brought up a while ago and the other posters had great suggestions. On their advice, I purchased 4 car harnesses to strap the dogs in and lower by rope. These are stored in the bedroom, not the ones we regularly use which are stored downstairs. I also have a rope ladder for us people, a pillowcase for the iguana, and separate carry cages for the ferret and parrot.

The only problem with the stretcher is that it needs to be held horizontal, which is difficult even for walking, not to mention lowering to the ground.

My next house will be one story, partly for that reason. The other being that 90# dogs have a tendency to get arthritis and going up and down steps is difficult when they are old. I have an old Rottie with back problems, so this preys on my mind a lot.

I did a search and didn't find the thread mentioned. I have the Roadie Ruff Rider Car harnesses and have extras of those (my babies wanted the padded ones :-) ). Do you think those would work? What kind of rope did you get? I am thinking some sort of towing rope with loops that I could attach it to the harness with a carabiner?

http://www2.northerntool.com/product/669123.htm

Here is a link that might be useful: Roadie Ruff Rider harness

My concern with the Roadie is that it appears to be loose fitting. Hanging in mid-air your dog's weight would pull him right out of the harness.
Here are two sites that may have what you're needing. I'm not sure there is a strap on the Ruff Wear to attach a rope but you could have a leather/shoe shop attach something.
Think thru how you'd support the dogs weight once he's mid air. I don't think the average person can hang on to a struggling 90# dog hanging from a rope!

One site:
http://www.rayallen.com/ramCart/cartFrame.htm

Here is a link that might be useful: vest

personally i would either use a good snug fitting harness or a slide. the hardest part IF there is a fire will be rounding up the dogs. they will likely be very scared and probably try to hide from the fire.

just like with kids, you should make regular practice runs with the dogs so they are LESS afraid if the time comes to actually use the fire escape. imagine trying to fight a 90 pound dog into a harness while choking on smoke 2 feet off the floor. it ain't going to be easy.

heck, just putting a harness on my lab can be a chore, and that is just to go for a walk! we fianlly gave up and just hook to his collar, he no longer tries to pull away anyway.

When we moved into our house many years ago, I insisted that the builder build a balcony on each side of the 2nd floor. Then he attached a heavy ladder to the floor of the balcony. We did regular fire drill talks. We made the kids say that they would close their door, stand on the balcony, close the window, throw down the ladder, and wait for help.

If you don't own your place, you wouldn't want to make such an investment. Are you sure you want to remain on the 2nd floor with 2 big dogs? I also have 2 big dogs, and would be afraid that in their fear, I couldn't handle them. Mine aren't too smart, and would hide also.

This may be a terrible idea, but I recall in the past seeing slides in nursing homes. I don't think I am much help, sorry. Actually many places have the slings, and that would help the fire department.

Sammy

We do own the house and all the bedrooms are upstairs. Assuming the deck below was not on fire, the distance from window to deck floor is 11'. If the deck was on fire and we had to go out the other window it would be about a 18' drop. They are used to wearing harnesses and I would hope they would cooperate, but you never know. The Roadies are a bit loose. Tomorrow I will check and see how loose they are while wearing. My thought is we would have to tie/clip/attach the rope to the harness before hand, and have them ready to go, then put the harness on if there was a fire, if we are both home, I climb out first to help catch the dog, and DH lowers the dogs down to me (assuming there is time, which I would hope there is). Of course if I am home by myself, I don't think I would be able to hold them by the rope. Its almost like I need a piece of hardware bolted to the wall stud that can crank the rope/dog down. I have no idea if such a thing exists.

Any other ideas?

Thanks for the links...

this one might work

http://www.rayallen.com/ramCart/cartFrame.htm

or maybe this one?

http://www.rescuetech1.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1166

Use this to mount under the window into the stud to then attach the rope with a carabiner?

http://www.rescuetech1.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=544

You know, this is an awfully good question. My bedroom is on the second floor too, and I would have five dogs to rescue all by myself. Having a way to lower the dogs to the ground quickly could save human life as well as dog life, and people do perish in fires trying to save their pets. How about us all putting in a call to our fire department to ask them for their ideas?

First of all, I don't think that preparing for emergencies means you are mentally ill or have OCD.

Second of all, even on a good day with no fire I can't figure out our freaken ruff rider harness!! I don't think I could do so under pressure.

Third of all, you may look into having a residential sprinkler system installed. No one has ever died in a fire where sprinklers were installed. And unlike with commercial buildings it is more affordable, adds value and will qualify you for a discount on your home owners policy.

Otherwise I'd look into a cargo net, install a pully and some rope and start lifting weights.

The FD official ploicy is "dont worry about your pets". I suppose we could call and ask about a disabled person and get an answer.

Anyone have any info on sprinklers? I don't think that is caught on here, but that is an excellent idea.

PS - We have been using the ruffriders for four years everyday. I can put them on my dogs in the dark. It took me forever how to figure it out. Now I need to teach it to the 14 yo dog sitter so she can take them for walks (they do not do well on leashes).

So, I just googled for my state and residental fire sprinkler systems and found a company that does retrofits. For New construction, they state 1.0 per sqft and retrofits 1.50-2.50 per sqft. I sent them an email for more info. In the meantime, I am going to get a rope, a way to conect it to the mounting bracket and harness. Given the choice of leaving my pets in a fire or clipping a rope to the harness and tossing them out the window, I'll toss them and hope for the best. Hopefully, I never have to do this...but just in case.

I just received an email back from www.rocknrescue.com

They stated their rescue dog harness can be attached to a 7/16" rope and carabiner. I also noticed it has straps so you can carry a dog on your back.

I think I will order one of these, a rope, the carabiner and the mounting bracket. Then if its workable, I'll order a second one, so there is one for both doggies. I figure its better than nothing and worth a try.

Here is a link that might be useful: rescue dog harness

I was considering this harness for one of my dogs a while back and it looks quite good. It's a bit pricey, but it's designed to be able to lift the dog up - even has a handle for this purpose. Doesn't look like it would be that comfy on their tummy (like any other harness), but in case of emergency it might work really well. You'd just have to set up a rope and pulley system with a carabiner or something.

Here is a link that might be useful: Web Master Harness

Have ya'll seen those life vests for dogs? They have a handle on them just for carrying,I don't know how well they would work on big dogs but they are designed for people to carry their dogs.

I was gonna say the backpacks that my dogs use have a handle and fit snugly enough that you can lift them by the handle but OP's dog is 90 lbs and I don't think that would hold that well for a 90# dog.

And yeah I have a feeling if the firefighters where there trying to get me to jump out a window and I said "First the dogs then me", they'd have a big problem with that and say to forget about the dogs.

I will likely put in sprinklers in the basement which is my home office and is what I believe would be the most likely source for an electrical fire. Since the walls and ceilings are already exposed it shouldn't be too bad.

Statisitcally, its the kitchen and garage where most fires start. My neighbors started, however, in a closet on the upper floor.

ummmm - these all sound like great ideas. But I question the realities of harnassing and lifting a 90 pounnd dog, and then trying to get the dog out of a window without it putting up a huge fight. I think you would be injured in the process. I have a public safety background and know that although a good idea - you will not have the time to find the harness, harness up your dog, tie a rope to it safely and then lower it safely from the window. If you really want to find out the best way to rescue your pets from anywhere in your home - contact your local fire department and ask them to come to your home to help you figure out the best possible and safest escape routes from anywhere inside your home. It is what the fire department is there for....good luck, Happy Holidays

I agree with mazer. A member of my dog club just lost 7 of her 11 dogs in a night time house fire one week ago. One of the dogs woke them up, but they barely made it out of the house themselves. The firefighters did the best they could to get the 4 dogs out, but the 7 that were in crates in the back didn't have a chance. Fires are FAST, and if you're sleeping when the fire starts, you just won't have time for anything other that getting your own butts out of the house. Plus, my dog hides in the closet when he's scared. He's only 70 pounds and I know what it's like to try to get him into the shower for a bath. The best thing to do is to have practice fire drills with your dogs. Maybe even a special command for "get out of the house fast!"

I hear what you are saying, but I want to atleast have the option. I will have all this ready to go with my escape ladder, right under the window in my bedroom. The rope will already be knotted to carabiners on each end. So, it would just be clipping it to the harness, once its on the dog. Obviously, we will have to practice this with the dogs, with the alarm going off, just like you do fire drills with the human members of the family. Hopefully, I never have to find out if it will work in a real life fire. I will say, in other emergencies, which are not as urgent, but when the tornado warning sirens go off, I tell them "let's go" and they follow me to the basement. It takes us 11 seconds total from the second floor to the basement(yes, I have timed it). Granted there is no smoke. But, its happened at 3am in the past, when we were sound asleep.

Hi,
I have survived a house fire.....believe me, there is a lot less time to escape than you think you'll have.
But as a dog owner I understand your concerns..the harness/rope/pulley thing would take too long. What might work is something called a High Rise Escape Tube. I remember seeing a story about these several years ago. You could, possibly, have one modified to fit a two story house. Basically, they are flexible tubes/chutes (some are mesh and some are nylon... you would want the nylon type as your dogs nails would probably get caught in the mesh) that are snug so that a person (and presumably a dog as well) is cushioned and protected within the chute/tube while safely sliding down to safety. Some of them require a fixture attached to the house that this tube chute attaches to... but they are also available to attach universally. I think if you could get one modified to fit, you could teach your dogs how to slide down it with enough practice runs...you would need someone to go first so that they are there at the bottom with leashes in hand, so your dogs do not run away, in a panic, when they reach safety. I really do think this would be the fastest and easiest way. Try Googling high rise escape tubes and you'll see what I mean.

Good luck!

Silly

Every housefire I hear of where a death occurs (human or animal) is accompanied by a statement that the smoke detectors weren't maintained (batteries dead or disconnected), or the sprinkler system was disabled. I have 12 working smoke detectors, and a flat roofed sunroom outside of my bedroom window. But this is a good reminder to put spare collars and leashes in the bedroom, thank you!

AMEN CYNTHIA

We do have the smoke alarms and I am looking into the sprinkler system. Thanks for the tip on checking out the high rise escape. I had never heard of them.

Hi all! So this question has been on my mind for several years! New Years Day 2010, I lost my beloved dog and a few months later my hubby talked me into getting another one, then a few months later, I talked him into getting him a friend. Now we have two! One is only 60lbs but the other is a 90lb Great Pyreness and last night I sat up from 2:30am on thinking and worring about this again! So, has anyone had any further updates or ideas since this posted a few years back?
I do have extra collars with tags in the bedroom but that is it. I too was looking at a soft harness type of thing to try and lower them to the ground but honestly, how does one try to get a 90lb scared dog up and out the window regardless of what device you use to lower them? Seriously, if anyone has any other suggestions, please let me know.
Thanks!

OK, folks, you guys have big dogs and that makes it more difficult, but I have been doing a lot of thinking about how to get my two terriers out of our second-floor bedroom lately so this might be helpful.

I hasten to say that I have not as yet tested this.

In the bedroom, we keep a round, wire, open-top laundry bin with a removable laundry bag inside. This weekend I am going to securely, and permanently, attach 15 feet of rope or nylon webbing to the laundry bag so it will always be ready.

Also, I'll put their spare harnesses and leashes inside the bag so when they get outside, we can harness them up.

In case of fire, my plan is to plop the two dogs inside the laundry bag (still in the laundry bin), pull the laundry bag drawstring and tie it shut. Now you have two dogs you can control and they can breathe. I will then lift the bag out of the laundry bin and lower them out the window (or have my husband do it - he's stronger). This should be able to be done quickly, much more quickly than trying to harness up dogs.

I have an X-It ladder for us humans, and X-It also offers a dog evacuation bag with a 30-foot strap for lowering, but I think I like my way better. (I think their website is www.escapeladder.com.)

So you essentially plop the dogs in, tie the bag shut up and lower them to the ground. Lickedy split. If there are two of you, one person can do that while the other deploys the escape ladder. And then get out yourself.

You could probably do the same with a soft dog carrier which might have a little more cushion.

If you have seriously big dog, and you guys sound like you do, that's hard. But for a small to mid-sized dog, I think this should work.

And check your fire alarms. That's the most important thing.

Previously, I was not a fan of home alarm systems - until my 3 cats died in a house fire at my house, while I was at work.

The fire was discovered when someone driving by saw smoke coming out the windows.

An alarm system would have alerted the fire department sooner and perhaps my kitties would have had a chance of earlier rescue and survival.

i have no affiliation with any alarm system.

I'm considering having a platform/balcony and a big metal slide (like the kind you used to see on playgrounds) attached to the side of my house just outside my 2nd story bedroom window. I could just place my pets on the slide and off they would go all the way down to the ground, and then I would do the same. Thoughts? Anyone know where I can buy an old metal slide?

You can find used slides by googling on burglar entry.

I live way out in the middle of nowhere. I have had pets die in a fire before. Getting them out of the house is WAY more of a concern for me than burglars, but I like your smartass sense of humor. Very sharp!

Speaking of smartasses? lol

I would recommend using slides similar to the emergency slides used by airplanes that quickly expand with air for everyone to slide down quickly. The pets could be quickly pushed down these slides with preferably one person already be waiting at the bottom to help catch all other people and pets sliding down after them. This should be available to attach to a window or door or balcony easily.

Old thread but still relevant. Whatever you decide, you need to do a few fire drills so you are familiar with all the motions. And your pet may not cooperate. And your power may be out so it will be pitch black, plus smoky and hard to breathe. I blindfolded my kid and had him practice climbing down out of his loft bed and opening the window a bunch of times in case he ever had to do it for real.