transporting dog in estate car

[ErnesttheBavarian]

We will shortly be swapping cars and getting an estate. Up till now, we've had a small car and dog has been alone in boot, and pretty contained and comfortable.

Now our boot will be huge. Don't want her getting into the shopping, or flying bags landing on her. SO, does she stay in boot, with some sort of boot divider? Or do we get a crate of some sort, or does she move to back seat?

If we get her a crate, how do I know which size? I did actually measure him according to a website instructions. I either measured her wrong, or the website is over-generous, but she'd need a crate big enough for a bloody elephant. She's like a small labrador btw, about 27 kilos., my measurement attempts have her at 55 cm shoulder height.?

Thanks

[wheresthel1ght]

Legally they need to be secured so if you move her to the back seat you will need a harness that secures her to the seat belt. I would take her to a good pet shop and talk to them about crates. They do need to be much bigger than the dog, I have a small Patterdale who is about jrt size and she has a medium cage for the car. They need to have room to turn or move so they can be comfortable.

[Crumbs1]

Interested in this as my estate car arrives end of November. Our beast currently sits on rear seat but that hasn’t done my current car much good.
I was thinking he’d have the boot space with dog guard and I’d use back seat for shopping. Are boot dividers a thing?

[Misslemon01]

This is probably not the most ‘by the rules’ response, but we used to just have one person driving and one in the back with the dog (collie). If there’s only one of you in the car, then you probably need a crate unless pooch is very well behaved (our collie wasn’t!)

[ErnesttheBavarian]

Dare I say it, I think she is very well behaved. She is good in the car. Don't know if boot dividers are a thing, but if I were designing a car with a huge boot, I would make them!

[Misslemon01]

It’s a thing! Just googled it and it’s called dog gate or cargo divider. Looks like a metal mesh rack. It seems kind of pricey, wonder if you could just make one or find a standard mesh and attach to car boot...

[CornflakeHomunculus]

These crates are absolutely excellent and the ‘single’ sizes only take up half of a large boot.

They’re quite expensive but they’re properly crash tested and also last really well. We’ve had one for over seven years and it’s still as good as new.

[niknac1]

Have a look at Barjo they do tailgates etc for many cars. the one we had many years ago is still doing a brilliant job.

[willdoitinaminute]

Savic dog crates are decent product. We have one that fits our boot space with plenty of room for the dog (small lab 26kg). It’s great for keeping the weekly shop tidy.

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

I wouldn’t fit a crate into my boot. I’ve got a lab and a Freelander and he just about fits into the boot as it is. If I had to get a crate big enough for him I wouldn’t fit it in the boot. Freelander’s have very small boots.

[FairfaxAikman]

TransK9 boxes are pricey but last a lifetime and are crash tested. Next best are Lintran. I know people with a double one who use the second side for shopping.
Failing that and far cheaper is a Barjo dog guard and tailgate guard. They come page to measure for the male of Car, can have a divider and have the benefit of keeping the dog on the car while you load/unload (or even leave the boot open for air while parked - I use a VentLock to secure the car with the boot in an open position)

[SwimmingInTheBlueLagoon]

Can I just correct a point - dogs do not legally have to be secured. It is in the highway code, which is just best practice. You are not breaking the law if a well behaved dog is sat still but unrestrained in the car. If however you were to crash your car (or drive dangerously) because a dog was unrestrained in the vehicle then you can be prosecuted under dangerous driving and driving without due care and attention.

Obviously there are safety aspects to have the dog loose - in that a dog can become a projectile "object" thrown around the car, endangering other people in the car. Also an unrestrained dog is at much higher risk of being thrown through a window/getting loose onto road in the event of crash.

So basically they can legally be loose in a car, if well behaved, but there are safety risks to dogs and humans if they are not.

[wheresthel1ght]

Considering the fine for not securing the dog is potentially £2500 I think it is safe to say you need to do it.

[WeAllHaveWings]

Look for dog guards and dividers. Or keep dog in boot and put shopping on back seat.

[SwimmingInTheBlueLagoon]

Where there is no law stating the dog has to be secured. There was a thread about this not long ago. There is no law that means you will be fined if a well behaved dog is sat still but unsecured.

[ErnesttheBavarian]

I dont want to get one of those metal creates. NB they take up so much boot space and are pretty big permanent craters. I like the divider idea, v And failing that, I suppose a soft crate? Like I say right now she lies happily in the boot, but when we have an estate, she won't be able to have the boot to herself, plus I'd be concerned at her rattling around a bit in all that space.

We're not in UK and will probably never drive with or dog there, but thanks for pointing out that fine what. It doesn't apply to me, but tbh I hadn't thought too look up the different regulations in different countries ( we would be driving with her to other countries) so it was indirectly b as useful tip

[ErnesttheBavarian]

where's not what sorry.

[EggysMom]

How well-behaved is the dog? If you were to get a standard plastic dog bed (the ones that look like a shallow bath with raised sides) and put that in the boot, would your dog stay in it? Then the raised sides would act as a divider from the shopping bags etc.

[Jenny70]

Do you have a seat belt in the back? We use a harness and car restraint in the back, but our car has 2 seats in the back that fold into the floor.

We did have a travel crate for a while, but it wasn't secured, and it may have done a barrel roll when I took the corner too fast - she wasn't keen to get back in after that, poor pup. Very happy in back on harness.

Have also seen people use harness and dog bed, so dog snuggles into that, but is still restrained.

[FairfaxAikman]

Ernest the boxes are removable.**