Hi everyone,

I am about to replace my little hatchback with something else and considering a small van. One reason for this is to be able to carry my dog around with ease. However, I don't want him to have access to the whole back of the van (I want to be able to have other stuff in there as well), so thinking about cage options.
If I get a large crate to put in the back:

1) I am concerned about is possible moving around/slipping if I drive around corners etc. Do you think putting it on some matting would be enough, or should I strap it in somehow?

2) I would think a metal cage in the back would rattle a lot and get on both mine and my dogs nerves, so does anyone have any tips on reducing the noise?

Thanks in advance for any tips/advice/recommendations etc.

Several companies offer custom built, any size, no-rattle cages but you can do some sound prevention yourself with thick cord or rubber along some of the joints and corners.  Just be careful if your dog is likely to chew but if you use cord or thick string you can apply something that tastes foul. 

Plastic or rubber matting is a good idea on the base of the boot and will help prevent sliding but remember that this also applies to you sliding the cage in and out for cleaning.  Our rubber mat from Hatchbag even prevents me from sliding luggage in and out easily!  Most cars and vans have anchor points for tie down straps so do look at the positioning of these before choosing your vehicle or deciding the measurement of your crate.  Get ratchet straps for maximum tension and be prepared to re tighten them periodically.

Whilst matting is a good idea no way would it hold a crate around bends or - heaven forbid - an accident, it must be extremely secure and it should also be a very sturdy crate - most buy over the counter aren't strong enough to withstand crashes :-(

A built in crate made out of mesh would be much more secure - if you only want one though it is difficult - not impossible - to fit, ask your local fabricator they usually have someone who likes different tasks, you don't need to go to a 'dog crate' specialist.... you can often get them galvanised (coated in zinc to prevent rust) or powder coated or both :-)

Only have a normal crate in my van and it doesn't move at all though of course wd. depend on size of your dog.

it depends if the op is willing to risk the life of her dog - seen too many injured in 'flying crates' during accidents, or the crate flying open and the dog being run over to risk it myself, with mine :-(

We have 4 fitted cages in our van which we got second hand off agility net and they are fab. We saved ourselves over a £1000 by doing that. When dog number 5 arrived we needed another cage so I bought a metal crate the same size as the fitted cages and some metal brackets from B and Q and have screwed it into the floor of the van so it doesn't move at all. It is in the middle section behind the seats.

I only find that my cages rattle when there are no dogs in them, if the dogs are in there, there is no noise at all.

We've always had Guardsman, they must be anchored down, either fixed to the floor or secured, we find that cargo straps are the best.

I have a barnesbrooke custom cage in my hatchback its brilliant would recommend you talk to him . Mine cost around £300.

I found a company called The Dog Pod sorry I haven't got a link, but if you google it should come up. They were talked about on a Gundog Forum and all comments were good, they will do any size and prices start from £250. I think Croft also do a range of extra strong cages in lots of sizes, but they would need to be secured in the van, but if you can find a size that will fit, probably a lot cheeper than a pupose built cage.

I have a dog-pod cage in the car, they are made by Hamster baskets, They are VERY light weight compared to most, I have a Berlingo and it fits VERY snugly behind the back seat so can't move around and very little room for it even to flex or twist plus weight of 45Kg (yes he is on a diet - it crept on when I wasn't looking ) GSD it ain't gonna move and the tail-gate shuts tight against it.
If there is any space around them I would say not to bother, They are heavy-guage wire coated in plastic not the metal rods like the better ones.
Chris

Thanks for all the tips. I was trying to avoid a custom built thing, mainly because of cost, but also I don't really want it to be a permanent thing i.e. want to be able to take it out.

Will see if any local fabricators have any ideas.

> I was trying to avoid a custom built thing, mainly because of cost, but also I don't really want it to be a permanent thing

Don't forget to check on eBay or Gumtree etc.  Plenty of people need to sell their custom made crates when they change their car so you can often get great deal, particularly if you can be a bit flexible about precise measurements.

Might be worth looking at something like Lintran too if you are considering 2nd hand - they are expensive when new but get great reviews and are often used by the Landrover gundog types and they are so easy to clean!

The hamster baskets pods are foldable and removable.

If you are not wanting to go to the extent of custom made cages then basically you have to consider ... what happens to cage (with dog in) should you be involved in an accident and vehicle rolls on roof, a number of times? Any caging must be very secure, for sideways movement and if, heavens forbid, your vehicle ends up travelling on its roof :-O

Unless they've significantly improved I always found the Hamster basket crates too flimsy for my liking, plus they used to open upwards and you had to hold the door up and try and clip a lead on the dogs.... they may have improved though.

Just because you have bespoke doesn't mean you can't have it so it can come in and out - you just have to pay more as it'll be fiddling and the fitting may be tricky - unless it's a car with existing points to attach it to, I had a Barjo tailgate in a volvo which was in and out in seconds... but if you explain what you want, any fabricator should be able to put it together, but may be pricey...

I follow this company on twitter and they get so many good reviews, http://www.transk9.com/

My Barnesbrooke is removable you unclip and fold and out it comes however that doesnt get round the £300 price if that isnt what you want to spend