Big Pet Owners..

[S.V.T.]

Hey all if you have a big dog that you travel with I have some questions and comments for ya..

first i have a cane corso -- which is a roman fighting/ guard/ herding dog (aka italian mastiff). he's not fully grown, but when he is he'll be around 120-130lbs. i was going to do the weather tech liner -- when i transport him (i'll obviously remove the third row seating) and the weathertech liner which i saw today on their website shows that it covers everything in the back (metal third row seat brackets) which is good so the pup doesn't get snagged and/ or injured on them.

so what do you use when transporting your big pooch?

i also would like to get a pet barrier to block the dog from the second row passenger seating. i like the weathertech one except for the fact that it appears it simply applies pressure to the top and bottom of the vehicle to hold it in place (much like a shower curtain rod) which i do not want because 1. the dog will most likely be strong enough to move the barrier's physical position. & 2. i do not want there to be unsightly dents, damage, or spots to the ceiling liner or floor carpet from the pressure of the mechanism(s) weathertech uses on their particular pet barrier.

any body have suggestions on a hardcore pet barrier that will be the best at staying in place and not damaging the interior (little to no damage preferably!).


thanks,


jake.

 

[LVYUKYUK]

Wouldn't mind seeing some pics of your pup-dog!

To the point, I have two dogs, each 70lbs, so I guess the combination of both of them equals your one! haha! Anyway, I line the rear just as you have said and have tried a couple different ideas. First I put seat covers on and that worked well enough as they both sit like humans anyway. (yeah they have it much better than some people) I then tried the seats down and put our luggage in the middle of them followed by a blanket which worked fine as well. I have seen on Doctors Foster and Smith a barrier that is simply mesh that goes between the front seats. I'm sure this could be used between the second row as well. Here is the link to the site...

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/

 

[Gambler]

I have a Great Dane (115lbs) and we have the Huskyliner mat in the back. It has a tall lip on it, which allows the placement of a water bowl in the back without having to worry about it. I don't have anything in the way of a barrier as there is no way she could get over the seat even if she wanted to. The only issue I've had is that she likes to put her head on the 2nd row seats and drools all over it. I put scotchguard on and now stick a towel over the seat when taking a long trip. No problems now.

 

[EZYESS57]

I've got an reverse brindle English Mastiff. He's 8 mo old and already wieghs 130lbs. I fold up the third row to create a barrier and lay a few towels over the top to catch all that slober. After a few trips he doesn't even try to climb over the seats. I'm not sure if anyone makes a pet tray that is going to go down with the third row folded up though.

 

[992door]

We have got a yellow lab that is about 120lbs and when we would take him to the beach we would just put a sheet over the backseat of the car and put him in there and he would sleep the whole way there.

 

[mary900]

I keep the 3rd row seats removed and have the GM cargo liner back there. I have to throw a sheet over the 2nd row seats to catch the drool from our 100lb Akita...not to mention the persistent vacuuming of hair.

 

[RyanbabZ71]

105 lb black lab here (see pics). In the Tahoe he rides in the second row. I have a mesh barrier (see photo) and he goes under it and can push it. For some reason the past few wks he wants to be up front more than in the back. In my silverado I have the type of barrier like you described that goes against the headliner. I was leary at first but I have had it up and not taken it down for a few months and there is no damage. I put some felt where the rubber meets the headliner to "soften" the connection. Lately though he has been going under the barrier. I have no idea how he fits. I am going to try and put him all the way in the back of the tahoe the next trip. We have husky floor mats.

 

[RyanbabZ71]

The mesh barrier in the photo does not connect very well. There are 3m tape stick pads you put on the interior and then a shoelace (rope, etc) connects to that with a velrco like tip. Its not very sturdy and half of mine are broke or chewed through (took a matter of seconds for him to do it). I would not spend the $49 on this again. The bar type ones work much better.

 

[S.V.T.]

yeah if anyone knows about the cane corso you need it built tough and sturdy
i'll get pics of the pup soon. i'm shooting for a weathertech liner (love all their stuff pretty much) and some kind of barrier -- not sure yet.

 

[SSport]

I have two Akita's. My female is tiny at only 55 lbs. but my male is 128 lbs. at only 2 years old. They don't stop growing until 5. The vet estimates he will be anywhere from 155 - 185 lbs.
Anyway, I travel with them everyweekend about 150 miles and honestly, I just load them up in the back and go. I don't put anything special back there. At first I was concerned about them jumping over the back seat (which has happened once) but the Cargo cover back there when it's rolled up does a pretty good job of keeping them from jumping over.

Here's my fur butt's.

 

[S.V.T.]

i love akitas, also a huge fan of huskies and malamutes.

 

[Zed 71]

We have a greater swiss mountian dog that weighs 140 lbs. Keep the third row out and the Husky liners work well. Fortunately for me, the dog is a dry mouth breed - not much slobber .

He's pretty well behaved and stays in the back. But I know what you mean. Our dog could bust down the pressure type pet barrier if he wanted to. Some friends are giving us there pet barrier which we will use when camping to keep equipment from rolling onto the dog when going offroad.

 

[melroy]

i have an 80lb boxer. all i do is flip up the third row and put down a blanket or two a she's good with that. sleeps the entire ride. i go up north every other weeknd 4 hr trip. took her on an 8hr trip once. stopped for a few pee breaks and she was good.

 

[07SuburbanLTZ]

You have one problem.

if you plan to take the 3rd row seats in and out you will have to make 4 cut-outs in the liner for the seats to lock into place.

It's really not a big deal but just letting you know it will not be one solid liner when your done

 

[quikag]

Any of you guys concerned about safety for the dogs (and you!) in an accident? We haven't put our two dogs (45lb Vizla mix and 65lb Rhodesian/Lab/Boxer mix) in my Yukon, but they fit great in my wife's Lexus RX. We have a cover over the back seat, we put on their harnesses, and use the safety belts through the back of the harnesses to secure them in.

That technique would work in our Tahoes/Yukons as well, I would imagine.

 

[LVYUKYUK]

Any of you guys concerned about safety for the dogs (and you!) in an accident? We haven't put our two dogs (45lb Vizla mix and 65lb Rhodesian/Lab/Boxer mix) in my Yukon, but they fit great in my wife's Lexus RX. We have a cover over the back seat, we put on their harnesses, and use the safety belts through the back of the harnesses to secure them in.

That technique would work in our Tahoes/Yukons as well, I would imagine.

Interesting that you say this as I just read that states may require that pets be strapped in. You sound a bit condescending in your response and I understand as most of us are very protective of our 'little ones'. But, your solution does exclude situations such as rear passengers and dogs that are over 100lbs. I can understand short trips, but to have a dog sit in a seat for 4+ hours seems a bit unrealistic. I think the original poster was asking what solutions we have for having the dogs stay in the cargo area if we have rear passengers. I have looked into the harness/seatbelt solution but I wonder just how safe they really are? I'm in/work the pet industry and the jury is out still. :confused2: Increased focus is happening now, but the true solutions have not come yet.

 

[Rich2007Z71]

We have Great Pyrenees. My wife drives a full size conversion van without the second row captains chairs. In that space are two huge dog crates. We never travel with the dogs "loose" - always crated. Even when we had our Scottish Terriers they didn't know how to act unless they were either in crates or pet carriers. I think they are more protected in those that anything else. They are sturdy in construction and don't move around if a sudden stop is made.

 

[quikag]

Interesting that you say this as I just read that states may require that pets be strapped in. You sound a bit condescending in your response and I understand as most of us are very protective of our 'little ones'. But, your solution does exclude situations such as rear passengers and dogs that are over 100lbs. I can understand short trips, but to have a dog sit in a seat for 4+ hours seems a bit unrealistic. I think the original poster was asking what solutions we have for having the dogs stay in the cargo area if we have rear passengers. I have looked into the harness/seatbelt solution but I wonder just how safe they really are? I'm in/work the pet industry and the jury is out still. :confused2: Increased focus is happening now, but the true solutions have not come yet.

I was not intending on being condescending, just curious as to the attitudes of other pet owners. Again, MOST pet owners care about their dogs as much as their kids, so I don't doubt the intentions of the others on here. Since the Yukon/Tahoe is 3 row, I bet using the harnesses and seat belts along with a rear seat cover would work in the event there are 4 passengers in the front two rows.

I also am not sure about the overall safety of harnesses. We strap them in in such a way that they can sit up or lay down on the seat, so they are pretty comfy on short and moderate trips. I would imagine trips over 3 hours, you need to stop anyway and let the dogs walk around for a few minutes to take care of business and stretch their legs.

I think securing your dogs in some way (harnesses and seat belts, cargo crates, etc.) is really important for their safety as well as your own safety. I've studied accident video and you don't want to imagine what a 50-100+ lb projectile heading towards the front windshield would look or feel like.

 

[Gambler]

I don't think there is a way to safely restrain a large dog without tranquilizing it and tying it down for the ride. I'm talking about safety to the dog not passengers. The crate idea is great for keeping passengers safe, but the dog will still die in that severe of a collision. The way I see it, we drive Tahoes and that is at least a fighting chance in that kind of collision. The only way I could see my dog actually flying into the windshield is if it was jumping high enough to bring her center of gravity over the rear seat exactly when the collision happened. Much more likely is a rollover, but I have much more serious problems at that point. Just my 2c

 

[LVYUKYUK]

I think securing your dogs in some way (harnesses and seat belts, cargo crates, etc.) is really important for their safety as well as your own safety. I've studied accident video and you don't want to imagine what a 50-100+ lb projectile heading towards the front windshield would look or feel like.

I agree more steps should be taken, or will be. I remember my drivers ed course where they showed some linebacker trying to hold a baby (fake baby) in a mild collision. He couldn't do it and the baby kept hitting the windshield. So yeah a dog would be a bit worse. Traveling on HWY 50 past Placerville I saw a truck go over the cliff. Dog and both passengers were ejected. All were fine, but scary! I drive like a little old granny in my Kon. I know that's not a solve all, but compared to my younger days? :ack: