Transporting Dogs

ohgreys · 06-08-2006, 11:35 AM

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.

AlphaTeam · 06-08-2006, 11:40 AM

They make a bumper protector. It is a clear sticker sort of thing. (To describe it simply) It looks "ok", I'm not a fan of the line (edge) in it.
But I use an old sheet to cover my back seat up.

Florida Prius · 06-08-2006, 11:57 AM

We got the bumper protector as well. Although we can hardly tell it's there. We like it and it seems to be doing it's job....

DocVijay · 06-08-2006, 12:30 PM

I have two very large dogs (only one fits comfortably WITH the seats down) and so far the bumper has not suffered any damage from their claws. For the inside I just lay a large blanket on the floor. Does a good enough job of soaking up any drool. I always clean the sides and such as soon as I get home, so that is not an issue either.

The key is to not let the drool dry and sit too long before cleaning.

Miss_Taz · 06-08-2006, 12:51 PM

Hi, OHGREYS!

I just adopted my first grey this week! She's a beauty!

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...

chezypuffs · 06-08-2006, 01:38 PM

I have one grey named Oreo & a mutt named Georgie that fit pretty comfortably in the back. When I had RJ, 85lb male grey, I used to put him & Oreo in the back of a New Beetle with the seats down.

Three greys might be a bit of a squeeze in a Prius. Mainly depends on temperment. Oreo is a drama queen & won't let any dogs touch her when she's laying down, if your greys like to cuddle each other then it might work. I use this to help protect my seats:
http://www.petedge.com/shopping/product/de...uctID=3050&AS=1
When I fold the seats down I still use the cover to help keep drool off the front seat head rest and to keep the hair from getting on the floor in the back seat. I let them in through the rear doors so I don't have to worry about the bumper.

nmrickie · 06-08-2006, 01:45 PM

I used an old blanket to cover the back seat for our dog on a recent trip. Unfortuately, during the trip the blanket shifted and exposed part of the seat. Naturally, our dog chose this spot upon which to barf. The good news is the seats cleaned up VERY well and there is no sign (or odor) of the mishap.

Florida Prius · 06-08-2006, 01:53 PM

Miss Taz - Nice hound!!

Brian K · 06-10-2006, 12:00 AM

I built a cargo floor protector for the Prius.

At the time our puppy, a Cane Corso, would get carsick with the attendant mess. Not a problem in the old Saturn, just clean it, hey it's 10+ years old!

Anyway, what I built was a length of replacement auto carpet backed by vinyl home "entry runner". A trip to Home Depot got me a can of Scotch 33 adhesive to bind the 2 together. When it isn't being used it's rolled up and under the cargo floor. The vinyl runner keeps "stuff" from soaking through, but from experience they always find the worst spot to puke in.

Dang, after reading these posts I realize I should have made it a bit longer to cover the bumper, it could always be pushed in and the hatch closed on it.

Now, he's grown out of the problem, but every once in a while we still use the floor protector that I built.

hawkjm73 · 06-10-2006, 12:50 AM

I heartily recommend the bumper protector as linked to by Miss_Taz. It is actually made for the matrix, but fits a prius very well. It has a lip that goes all the way over the edge. Mine has quite a few gouges in it now that would have been in my expensive bumper plastic. Most of that is more likely from cargo then dogs, though. A prior dog, a 60lb pit, routinly placed his feet on the bumper while getting in. I suspect greyhounds would do likewise. As far as space, my 130lb Great Dane lies confortably on the back seat. He is a rather complacent rider, though, and stays still for the duration. I would expect greyhounds to want to move around more. Wet Okole seat covers are fantstic for the seats, but I think I would just drop in a big blanket for a long trip, or for the rear section behind the seats.

06-10-2006, 12:50 AM	#10
hawkjm73 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Phoenix, Arizona Posts: 246 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I heartily recommend the bumper protector as linked to by Miss_Taz. It is actually made for the matrix, but fits a prius very well. It has a lip that goes all the way over the edge. Mine has quite a few gouges in it now that would have been in my expensive bumper plastic. Most of that is more likely from cargo then dogs, though. A prior dog, a 60lb pit, routinly placed his feet on the bumper while getting in. I suspect greyhounds would do likewise. As far as space, my 130lb Great Dane lies confortably on the back seat. He is a rather complacent rider, though, and stays still for the duration. I would expect greyhounds to want to move around more. Wet Okole seat covers are fantstic for the seats, but I think I would just drop in a big blanket for a long trip, or for the rear section behind the seats. __________________ Jenny 2005 - Seaside Pearl mods - Coastal hitch, trailer wiring, bug deflector, Can-View, rear-view camera, mudflaps, Goodyear Confortreds Carputer - in development, needs touch-screen fine tuning and permanent wiring -Sony Vaio 900MHz laptop -MFD display and touch-screen input AZ Hov plate - on order

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06-08-2006, 11:35 AM	#1
ohgreys Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 123 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	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.

06-08-2006, 11:40 AM	#2
AlphaTeam Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Earth Posts: 631 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #7 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	They make a bumper protector. It is a clear sticker sort of thing. (To describe it simply) It looks "ok", I'm not a fan of the line (edge) in it. But I use an old sheet to cover my back seat up.

06-08-2006, 11:57 AM	#3
Florida Prius Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Lake City, FL Posts: 190 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #7 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	We got the bumper protector as well. Although we can hardly tell it's there. We like it and it seems to be doing it's job....

06-08-2006, 12:30 PM	#4
DocVijay Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 1,455 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 1	I have two very large dogs (only one fits comfortably WITH the seats down) and so far the bumper has not suffered any damage from their claws. For the inside I just lay a large blanket on the floor. Does a good enough job of soaking up any drool. I always clean the sides and such as soon as I get home, so that is not an issue either. The key is to not let the drool dry and sit too long before cleaning.

06-08-2006, 12:51 PM	#5
Miss_Taz Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 142 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Hi, OHGREYS! I just adopted my first grey this week! She's a beauty! 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...

06-08-2006, 01:38 PM	#6
chezypuffs Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Ruther Glen, VA Posts: 40 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I have one grey named Oreo & a mutt named Georgie that fit pretty comfortably in the back. When I had RJ, 85lb male grey, I used to put him & Oreo in the back of a New Beetle with the seats down. Three greys might be a bit of a squeeze in a Prius. Mainly depends on temperment. Oreo is a drama queen & won't let any dogs touch her when she's laying down, if your greys like to cuddle each other then it might work. I use this to help protect my seats: http://www.petedge.com/shopping/product/de...uctID=3050&AS=1 When I fold the seats down I still use the cover to help keep drool off the front seat head rest and to keep the hair from getting on the floor in the back seat. I let them in through the rear doors so I don't have to worry about the bumper.

06-08-2006, 01:45 PM	#7
nmrickie Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: New Mexico Posts: 162 My Car: 2008 Prius Package: #6 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I used an old blanket to cover the back seat for our dog on a recent trip. Unfortuately, during the trip the blanket shifted and exposed part of the seat. Naturally, our dog chose this spot upon which to barf. The good news is the seats cleaned up VERY well and there is no sign (or odor) of the mishap.

06-08-2006, 01:53 PM	#8
Florida Prius Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Lake City, FL Posts: 190 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #7 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Miss Taz - Nice hound!!

06-10-2006, 12:00 AM	#9
Brian K Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 152 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I built a cargo floor protector for the Prius. At the time our puppy, a Cane Corso, would get carsick with the attendant mess. Not a problem in the old Saturn, just clean it, hey it's 10+ years old! Anyway, what I built was a length of replacement auto carpet backed by vinyl home "entry runner". A trip to Home Depot got me a can of Scotch 33 adhesive to bind the 2 together. When it isn't being used it's rolled up and under the cargo floor. The vinyl runner keeps "stuff" from soaking through, but from experience they always find the worst spot to puke in. Dang, after reading these posts I realize I should have made it a bit longer to cover the bumper, it could always be pushed in and the hatch closed on it. Now, he's grown out of the problem, but every once in a while we still use the floor protector that I built.