Transporting Dogs

Salsawonder · 06-10-2006, 01:58 AM

Just got to make sure that you get the sheet tucked back in as it gets into the latch very easily. Sammie is not at all bothered by the sheet on the back getting in, problem is she is in way too much of a hurry to get out and drags her nails before I can get the sheet repositioned!!

She has to have the window so our seats are frequently folded down for dog days.

ohgreys · 06-10-2006, 11:42 AM

Thank you for all of the replies. I will look at that bumper coating. I'll probably start with a sheet for the interior and move to something heavier if they seem too messy back there. The carpet/runner combo is a great idea.

Miss Taz your hound is lovely. My hope is that ours will sit or lie down more in a smaller vehicle than they do in the truck.

MarinJohn · 06-10-2006, 11:57 AM

I bought one of those industrial carpet runners you see at the entrance to office buildings at my local hardware store. They cut it to length so I had it cut to around 7 feet. I hold it in place by making holes in it at one end and run the rear seat head rests through it and have enough left over at the hatch back entrance to allow it to fold out onto the bumper when dogs enter and exit. I also almost always leave the back seats folded down. I did, however slit the runner in such a manner that either seat can be folded up leaving the remaining seat down and covered. works great.

BoosPrius · 06-10-2006, 11:35 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ohgreys @ Jun 10 2006, 10:42 AM) [snapback]269178[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Thank you for all of the replies. I will look at that bumper coating. I'll probably start with a sheet for the interior and move to something heavier if they seem too messy back there. The carpet/runner combo is a great idea.

Miss Taz your hound is lovely. My hope is that ours will sit or lie down more in a smaller vehicle than they do in the truck.
[/b]

I have 2 English Bulldogs and a Lhasa. For the bumper, I went to my dealer and ordered a Corolla bumper protector, which fits a Prius perfectly. It looks exactly like the one shown in the eBay photo posted in the message up above.

For the cargo area of my Prius, I went to www.autoanything.com and bot a Weathertec cargo tray. I absolutely love it. That web site also sells several other brands besides Weathertec, including some that cover the entire cargo area when the rear seats are folded down (the Weathertec does not extend forward all the way to the back of the front seats . . . thus, the reverse side of the rear seats is not covered; for that, I just toss in an old quilt).

If your two greyhounds get along well, I think the cargo area, with the rear seats folded down, is more than enough area for both. I live near New Orleans, and had to evacuate for Hurricane Katrina. Had a Mazda Tribute SUV then, and easily fit all three dogs, two cats, and some personal belongings. The need for a large cargo area is one of the reasons I bot the Prius. To my naked eye, its cargo space looks more spacious than my Tribute did.

Gary

Gary

furkidsnprius · 06-10-2006, 11:58 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ohgreys @ Jun 8 2006, 11:35 AM) [snapback]267938[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Our Prius should be here in 2 weeks and one thing I have been thinking about is how to protect the bumper and interior when we transport our dogs. We have 4 greyhounds and I am guessing that I will be able to fit 2 in the back with the seats down, though I will certainly experiment to see if I can fit another back there! (Four greyhounds in a Prius might make a good avatar

)

I am a bit worried about them scratching the bumper as they jump in through the back--they might be tempted to place their front paws on the bumper while jumping. Any suggestions as to what I can lay over it while getting them in? Also, I might just buy a cheap sheet or blanket to cover the interior while they're in there but I would be interested in knowing if there exists any sort of throw that is made to fit the Prius.
[/b]

Personally I would think you might consider worrying more about what could happen if an accident occurred. If the dogs are loose in the car they can be tossed out windows, smashed into the front windshield, crash into you as you are trying to steer, and be seriously injured just by being suddenly slid into the back of the front seats. The only safe way to transport a dog is in a crate, period. You can glue carpet to the floor of the crate so the dog is more comfortable. Another consideration is emergency personnel, if you are injured to the point of unconsciousness the people trying to help you may have difficulty doing so if your dog is protecting you, or so scared it would rather bite than allow anyone near it. If your dog is crated it is more likely to survive the accident unharmed and be easily transported to a veterinarian or kennel for safe keeping until someone can take it home. A very sad statistic is that the average lifespan of a pet dog is now 7 years due to car accidents, the majority of which the dog was inside the car at the time of the accident. PLEASE consider a crate when transporting your pet, the next best thing is to have a barrier so your pet doesn't get flung through the windshield or out a window and you are able to concentrate on your driving during a crisis. The seat belts and seat carriers do help but not as much. A short piece of carpet runner will protect your bumper while the dogs get in and out.

Godiva · 06-11-2006, 12:22 AM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Miss_Taz @ Jun 8 2006, 11:51 AM) [snapback]267998[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

I have been contemplating buying this bumper protector off ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/REAR-BUMPER-PROTECTOR-...1QQcmdZViewItem

I think it is more heavy duty than the clearcoat kind -- or at least it looks that way to me!
It wasn't really with the dogs in mind, but just anything that even I might scrape over the bumper while loading/unloading...
[/b]

I have this on my Prius and I like it a lot. I have a black Prius and you hardly notice it.

I have a 55 lb Labrador Terrier and I put GT covers on the front seat and he has a padded harness he wears when he rides. We call it his "seatbelt" and I put the seatbelt through the back and he sits there like a passenger. I also have two bumperstickers. "Dog is my Co-Pilot" and "Dogs Bless America". They make a lot more sense when he's riding with me.

Someone got a long cargo mat at Pepboys they say fits the entire cargo area when the seats are down. As for how many will fit, I'd wait until I had the Prius and see how many will go inside with the seats down. If they lay down and huddle it might be all of them. You might have one that insists on riding shotgun. If you do, I encourage a halter and they be buckled in. Yes, I worry about the airbags but I worry about my dog getting thrown around the car more.

ilusnforc · 08-25-2006, 03:24 PM

At first I was worried about the rear bumper getting scratched but my Afghan Hound is very careful of where he lands and goes right in without touching any paint, although I do have the "rear bumper applique" which is the clear adhesive. I would suggest the plastic alternative for the corolla or matrix if you are concerned. I've also seen a "Trunk Apron" for the Honda Civic that I think clips onto the cargo hooks. I considered getting it when I had an Insight, but the back end was too high for a dog to jump:

I recently installed the vertical and horizontal cargo nets and I like to keep the retractable cover over the cargo area (it's a pain to hide it under the floor then dig it back out every time), so I no longer use the rear hatch for the dog entry/exit. Now he uses the rear passenger doors (I have seen a scratch around the bottom of the door jamb area where it curves by the tire) with the rear seats folded down to protect the leather because I don't have nice covers for the seats and I throw a few towels over it to keep the seat backs clean and to pad the child seat anchors, plus he gets a little more room to lay down. I would like to find a better way to secure him, I do realize how dangerous it can be for a dog riding loose in a car. I have a friend with an Afghan and an Infinity G35 sedan, she put blankets over the back seat and a padded wire crate for the dog (with a bunch of bungees to secure it). Recently, she has just been using parts from a wire dog pen bungeed to the headrest posts of the front seats like a wall to keep the dog in the back seat. A little less secure but more comfortable for the dog and still protects the driver keeping the dog secured in the back seat area.

Godiva · 08-25-2006, 05:53 PM

I've seen that apron attached to a cargo floor area protector in some catalogs. It looks like it would fit the entire cargo area with the rear seats down.

It' from A.J. Prindle. I love A.J. Prindle. They have the most amazing, practical stuff.

Cargo area protector with bumper flap.

If the rear seats are down, it's possible all four greyhounds could fit in the back. It's surprisingly large back there with the hatch and back seats down. Besides, you don't want them running around back there.

08-25-2006, 03:24 PM	#17
ilusnforc Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 300 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #8 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	At first I was worried about the rear bumper getting scratched but my Afghan Hound is very careful of where he lands and goes right in without touching any paint, although I do have the "rear bumper applique" which is the clear adhesive. I would suggest the plastic alternative for the corolla or matrix if you are concerned. I've also seen a "Trunk Apron" for the Honda Civic that I think clips onto the cargo hooks. I considered getting it when I had an Insight, but the back end was too high for a dog to jump: I recently installed the vertical and horizontal cargo nets and I like to keep the retractable cover over the cargo area (it's a pain to hide it under the floor then dig it back out every time), so I no longer use the rear hatch for the dog entry/exit. Now he uses the rear passenger doors (I have seen a scratch around the bottom of the door jamb area where it curves by the tire) with the rear seats folded down to protect the leather because I don't have nice covers for the seats and I throw a few towels over it to keep the seat backs clean and to pad the child seat anchors, plus he gets a little more room to lay down. I would like to find a better way to secure him, I do realize how dangerous it can be for a dog riding loose in a car. I have a friend with an Afghan and an Infinity G35 sedan, she put blankets over the back seat and a padded wire crate for the dog (with a bunch of bungees to secure it). Recently, she has just been using parts from a wire dog pen bungeed to the headrest posts of the front seats like a wall to keep the dog in the back seat. A little less secure but more comfortable for the dog and still protects the driver keeping the dog secured in the back seat area. __________________ 2006 Magnetic Grey Pkg. #8, OEM EV Button, 5.1 Nav DVD, All Weather Floor Mats, Cargo Nets, Window Tint.

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06-10-2006, 01:58 AM	#11
Salsawonder Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: La Mesa California Posts: 1,296 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #5 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Just got to make sure that you get the sheet tucked back in as it gets into the latch very easily. Sammie is not at all bothered by the sheet on the back getting in, problem is she is in way too much of a hurry to get out and drags her nails before I can get the sheet repositioned!! She has to have the window so our seats are frequently folded down for dog days.

06-10-2006, 11:42 AM	#12
ohgreys Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 123 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Thank you for all of the replies. I will look at that bumper coating. I'll probably start with a sheet for the interior and move to something heavier if they seem too messy back there. The carpet/runner combo is a great idea. Miss Taz your hound is lovely. My hope is that ours will sit or lie down more in a smaller vehicle than they do in the truck.

06-10-2006, 11:57 AM	#13
MarinJohn Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 2,303 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 1	I bought one of those industrial carpet runners you see at the entrance to office buildings at my local hardware store. They cut it to length so I had it cut to around 7 feet. I hold it in place by making holes in it at one end and run the rear seat head rests through it and have enough left over at the hatch back entrance to allow it to fold out onto the bumper when dogs enter and exit. I also almost always leave the back seats folded down. I did, however slit the runner in such a manner that either seat can be folded up leaving the remaining seat down and covered. works great.

08-25-2006, 05:53 PM	#18
Godiva AmeriKan Citizen Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 9,945 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #1 Nominated 3 Times in 2 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 6	I've seen that apron attached to a cargo floor area protector in some catalogs. It looks like it would fit the entire cargo area with the rear seats down. It' from A.J. Prindle. I love A.J. Prindle. They have the most amazing, practical stuff. Cargo area protector with bumper flap. If the rear seats are down, it's possible all four greyhounds could fit in the back. It's surprisingly large back there with the hatch and back seats down. Besides, you don't want them running around back there.