Need to modify hatch...and need suggestions?

Leaving four windows down a bit should give your dog enough air. Adding some visors would keep the rain out. If you left the back seats down, or took out the floor in the trunk area, your dog would have more room. I'm not sure why the hatch needs to be left open, too, but you might be able to use some temporary fencing (that orange plastic web stuff) to fabricate a barrier.

 

I made a cage out of 1" PVC pipe for my truck. You might be able to make something similar to fit the back of the Prius. PVC is easy to cut with PVC cutter (Home Depot, $13.00) and glue together. Look at all the fittings and you might be able to find something that will also unscrew for partial disassembly.

 

I'm thinking a spider (horizontal) net only mounted vertically.

You'd have to buy both a vertical cargo net and a horizontal cargo net. Use the black plastic loop holders from the vertical net installed high to hold the spider net in a vertical position across the back open hatch.

Buy the vertical cargo net only don't install the loops where they belong. Instead, install them higher up. You'll have to see how high the spider net will stretch. Then use the horizontal net across the back hatch area, using the two lower loops on the floor of the cargo area and the two upper loops where you installed them. If your dog is well trained not to try to paw through the net, which I'm sure he is, this might do it for you.

 

Personally, I think any human approaching a car with a large dog of any breed in it would be deterred by the dog alone. I mean, you don't know what kind of training that dog has. I'd be thinking....anyone leaving their car completely open with just the dog in it is pretty sure no one is going to successfully manage to mess with anything on the interior and get off scott free.

I'm taking the same logic as keeping houses safe from break ins.

The #1 deterrent is noisy neighbors who will call the police. But the #2 deterrent is a dog of any kind. Burglars and thieves do NOT like dogs.

If the net doesn't work, there's very little financial investment in the experiment and minimal damage to the Prius. The loops can stay in their new location no harm done.

You know, you can also leave the Prius running with the air conditioner on.

 

I vote for leaving the car running with the AC on. Due to the design of the Prius, the ICE will run only when the traction battery needs charging. You won't be burning much gas. Just make sure you leave the car in Park and not in Neutral!!!

 

I have a 36"x24"x26" collapsible wire crate. With the hatch up, it fits perfectly in the back and I leave the monster in there all day at agility trials. A big Shepherd wouldn't be comfortable IN a crate that size, but you could use one as your barrier.

If there's no shady spot to park, I just put a sunscreen on the windshield and one on the sunny side of the crate, but a lot of people set up a tent over their vehicles. I think they're called EZ-ups?