Chris has just bought me a new car, slight problem in that I don't drive!!, and we're trying to decide whether to buy a dog guard to keep the puppy away from the kids or a travelling crate. We're borrowing a crate for bringing puppy home in but I'm unsure which would be better in the long-run.

Any advice / opinions much appreciated.

Fiona

The cars a long-wheel base Frontera and the puppy's a Toller, in case you'd forgotten!!! :D

Fiona i have been meaning to ask what breed is a toller. mari

as you cant drive ,i think a cage would be best as the dog will get thrown around quite a bit if its loose behind a dog guard,and for the humans crash helmets and padding is probably a good idea, at least until you've passed your test.

LOL @ dizzy. I didn't think you'd ever seen me driving!!

Fiona

Toller is short for Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever (spelt wrong I think!)
Bec

I think I read in the Jan. issue of Dogs Today about a woman who was in a car accident with her dogs safely in the back with a guard. Unfortunately, the guard broke and the guard and dogs were flung to the front of the car. The woman felt that a crate or a dog seatbelt/harness would be far more reliable.

If your car is large enough go for a cage. as loose in the hatch is to much room for them to be thrown about.
Also its useful at destinations.

That's spelt right Bec. There are some lovely pictures on John Norris' site.

Fiona

I always travel my dogs in cages.

They are much safer, far less space to be thrown about in in the case of an accident.

I lost a dear friend in an accident 4 years ago, and all her dogs were with her, their cages were bashed about but all of the dogs were uninjured.

Another friend had a serious accident 2 years ago, her collies were behind a dog guard and ended up in the footwell of the back seat.

So my advice is a cage.

The other advantage to a cage is that in hot weather you can drape a damp towel over the top of the cage and it helps to keep them cool.

Daz

I'd go for a cage everytime, much safer.

Joan
Take the rough with the smooth

Me too, especialy with a puppy. He will feel safe in his own space, especially if the cage is his "den" in the home too. If possible it should be "bungee clipped" to the car somehow, so it cant move about. Also in sunny weather you can easily cover the cage to keep the puppy cooler, and you can attach a portable fan in very hot weather, if you dont have air-conditioning. Apart from the "safer during an accident" advantage, when you open the hatchback, the dog is still contained and cannot slip out and away. It also means you can put other things in the back too, without it getting demolished! I would go for a cage every time. If you really want to treat yourself you can have a cage built in to the car, so that the cage takes up some of the space and you still have room for other things. The advantage of these, I imagine, is that they cant slide about -tip over. I haven't ever had one myself , so I dont know of any disadvantages there might be.

>> "bungee clipped" to the car somehow, so it cant move about.

In an accident or if you have to do an emergency stop, a cage secured by a bungee clip etc will still fly forward.
Do not think that it will stop the cage moving ...basically it won't.

The only 'safe' form of car cage is one actually built to the specifications of your car. They are not cheap, but they are built to last and are safe for all concerned.

Fiona, I would recommend investing in a proper car cage. Apart from the obvious safety advantages, you have mentioned in the past that you intend to work your dog. Assuming that you will eventually attend GWT's etc during the summer months, you will be able to leave your dog in the carcage safely even if it is a hot day, as a cage will allow you to leave your vehicle open when parked. Don't forget a padlock though :-)

You have a young family,so if you didn't want a full size cage, Guardsman will advise and make a cage to any specification and make of vehicle. Or do what we do, dog one side of devider, child in the other side :D

Leigh

Thanks for the link Leigh.

Fiona

Your welcome.
Sometimes you can pick up second-hand cages for sale in the dog papers, but they go quick :-)

Leigh

Fiona

I would recommend a crate too. As well as all the reasons already listed for safety etc it's also far more versatile in that it has a use beyind the car wheras a guard doesn't. My crates are invaluable. They not only keep the dogs safe on any joutney but when we then stay over somewhere etc, they have their bed too. A guard would be a waste of time imho.

Pam n the boys

i got myself one of the new rattleproof cages, its a double cage with a removable partition, and it really is rattleproof, i forget its in, before that i always used a rear dog guard -tail gate guard ,and a moveable partition.these where great but didnt stop any would be dog theves popping the side windows out and theyd have accsses to the dogs,,so now im fully and quietly caged out, they are fairly light so could be lifted out in an emergency,whereas the fitted guards would have to all be unscrewed,

I would agree a cage is the best idea but I have always been paranoid about drivers coming up the back of me, i have had this 3 times, and once actually at a red light, and wonder just how much protection a cage gives when a car does this, as the dog is the first thing hit?

I realise of course that you never know and a car can be hit anywhere at any angle!

Because of the above, we have got a safety harness for our girl, smitten by the advert "Give your dog the protection you give yourself".

By the way please don't mind me suggesting you lift your pup in and outof your 4X4 because otherwise her joints can be damaged, as they are just that bit higher :)

Lindsay

Hi Lindsay,

I don't mind you suggesting that at all. We'd already thought of this. In fact when we were looking at the frontera I 'borrowed' a passing spaniel to make sure I could lift it into the boot. Thankfully I could, so there won't be any problems with the puppy.

One quick question though - is this something that we'll need to do for the entire life of the dog to protect her joints?

Thanks,

Fiona

some firms make ramps for that very reason, my husband has a 4x4, and 2 working springers, hes off shooting, beating etc or just helping most weekends, his eldest spaniel cant now get in or out of the trooper, he's 10 and finds it too much, the other who's only 3 just springs into it, so the eldest is lifted in evertime they use it,

We have 4 wheel drive and my husband recently managed to spin the jeep on the motorway ( snowing) taking pup to new home, we hit crash barrier quite strongly ( to say the least !!) smashing back of car , pup was in crate which fits quite snuggly between wheel arches, she slept through it !!, I did nt ! - we returned home for joyous reunion of pups with husbands dented pride and my dented jeep. Would recommend crate anytime

cheers Lorraine

What a lucky escape. It just goes to show how important it is that puppies/babies/children are strapped in and secured properly.

I was at school with a girl who 2yrs ago was killed in a car crash that also killed her 18mth old daughter and their Weimerana (sp?). The dog and child weren't secured and when she crashed into the back of the car in front the dog and child were thrown off the back seat and into the footwell. Unfortunately the dog was killed in the impact and landed on top of the child suffocating her.

Fiona

HOw absolutely awful. It's one of the things that it's so easy to neglect, or to think "i'll just be quick" or similar.

Re the 4X4, my cousin has always had black Labs and her previous boy had severe shoulder problens and arthritis by the age of 9, she is certain it was caused by the continual pounding of his joints as he leapt out of the vehicle. She now has a new Lab, as Barney died sadly, and says she will always use a ramp for him.

I think a lot depends on the body weight of the dog and also its build, but personally I would lift or use a ramp with the Frontera.

Fiona, you seem to think of everything, even borrowing a spaniel to see if you could manage to lift it :)

Lindsay

Yes I can see why Lorraine - do you happen to know if firms make crates to actually withstand impact at all? (Guess i could always ring a few to find out!)

Lindsay

Lindsay, we were lucky in that the crate we have just happens to fit well in the back of our jeep, have no idea about if they are stressed for impacts to be honest. Ramps are a brilliant idea though, I recently had to take our bitch to the vets for a section halfwway through whelping and felt terrible manhandling her onto the back seat !!. Had never thought about it before as she was an Akita and they can jump mega high from stand still.

regards Lorraine

Apologies if this has already been mentioned and I missed it :rolleyes:

When buying a cage fitted for the car I think an emergency exit door should always be included. My cage has 3 doors, 2 at the front for the dogs to get in and out, I have a divider down the middle which is useful if I only need to get one dog out at a time and the divider can easily be taken out. I also have a door to the rear of the cage, the part which rests against the back of the back seats (I have an estate car), that way if someone goes into the back of me and does enough damage to the boot in that it won't open I can still quickly and easily get the dogs out via another door as my back seats fold forward.

Thankfully (and touch wood) I've never had to put this to the test but I would hope the idea works.

Good Idea. I hadn't thought of that.

Thanks,

Fiona