Dog/car advice please?

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Shilasdair

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Hello
I don't often venture into this forum, in my normal dog-less (dog-free?) state.
But I have a step-dog who has to stay with me for unforeseen reasons.
Can you help me by recommending a grill thing to put up in the boot of my car to keep the beast at bay while I drive?
And advice - can I leave her in my car at all or will dog-lovers smash all my windows? I don't mean for days - but maybe for an hour while the farrier is there?
Dogs - so complicated - help me!
 
A crate would be the easiest and IMHO the best thing to contain the step dog in while your are travelling, and would also be fine for farrier visits etc. It’s much easier to leave a dog in a car for an hour or two in winter than in summer :). You can part cover the crate with an old horse rug or similar for warmth.

What size is the step dog?
 
A crate would be great if it will fit but if not your local halfords type place will sell something. I have no issue with leaving a dog in a car as long as it is not warm, but an empty stable will also make a great dog containing area.
 
I'm not sure I can fit a crate in my boot.
Step dog tells me she is a 'working cocker spaniel' (although I'm pretty sure she's unemployed at the moment!).
We have tried to put a harness on step dog, fastening it to the seat belt but it is like trying to keep a harness on an oiled snake. :D
 
Water should be freely available to the dog, same as with horses.
You should be able to fit a small crate in any boot, and a cocker should fit in a small crate. Remember if you have an alarm on your car, you'll need to turn off the internal sensors.
 
Can you not get a seat belt for said dog. Pets at Home sell them, but they are probably cheaper on ebay to be honest. Then the dog can lie in relative comfort on the back seat of the car. We used it on our dog to and from Isle of Wight on holiday this year.

I don't like the idea of a dog loose in the car. Not only could they literally fly through the front windscreen they can also break your neck on the way through!
 
Halfords and Argos do guards.
Depending on the car you might need to look at a cage or plastic airline box with a sloped front. You can also get collapsible material types as well.
Re water, a metal crate or a plastic airliner type one with a metal door you should be able to hook a parrot bowl to the bars or use a Road Refresher non-spill bowl.
The dog should be fine left for a period if they are used to it, mine have spent a lot of time in the car on long road trips and their heads haven't fallen off yet.
If the dog is stressy or not used to being alone in the car, you will probably need something PDQ as you could find yourself relieved of your upholstery and seatbelts.
 
The crates with sloping fronts do fit better into hatchbacks. This one fits into the boot of a Clio without having to fold the rear seats down. It comes with a non slip mat and we put extra bedding on top.
F48D8194-37DB-4DCE-A488-654BF3FD3965.jpeg

It measures 60cm x 43cm at the base, and is 51cm high.

It might be this one, there is also a larger version which measures
  • Height 54cms x Length 76cms x Width 54cms.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ellie-Bo-S...eywords=Dog+crate&qid=1576243920&sr=8-18&th=1
 
I'm fairly sure I got my dog guard from Argos but it must be 10 years old now and my memory isn't that good!! Argos do sell them though.

I've never crated my dogs in the car - they've always gone in the boot with a dog guard and I've not managed to kill one yet. The only time I changed this was with Willow and I bought her a seatbelt. She twisted it around her back leg, popped her knee out and 2K later, she was permanently in a crate for 12 weeks following surgery :( I would never recommend seatbelts.

My dogs, at one time or another, have spent hours in the car, quite happily I might add. The only time it's a problem is (obviously) in the hot weather and I wouldn't do it then.

Water should be left down all the time, unless said pooch has a hormonal problem, like addisons or cushings, in which case it would need to be limited. I'm assuming step-pooch doesn't have this and will just drink when thirsty.

Have fun with pooch :)
 
Doesn’t the dog’s usual slave have a crate or something you can borrow while you are step parenting? You don’t want to fork out much if you are only having the pooch for a week.

Having a dog (not mine) worm its way into the front footwell while I was approaching a roundabout in town was not a fun happening - it jammed up my feet so that I couldn’t use the brake pedal. I had to stop the car using the handbrake. Rude words may have been uttered about spoilt ***** pooches.
 
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