Transporting your dog
 

I have recently acquired a Hungarian Vizsla pup, who is growing quickly. I was planning to change the family chariot or take a company car, and was leaning toward estates to fit a dog crate into the back. My wife reminded me that my next door neighbour used to train field / gun dogs, and he used a trailer to transport his dogs. I can't ask him about that as he passed away a few years ago!

I am deliberating over the estate / trailer situation, and trying to weigh up the pros and cons of each as it could be quite a costly exercise to make the wrong choice.

Anyone transport their dogs by trailer (like a kennel on wheels) and any considerations that may not be immediately apparent. Guess the down side is the wife couldn't take him out on her own, there is not a chance she would be able to reverse a car with a trailer attached, although I imagine they are fairly light and manoeuvrable by hand. I do like the idea of the dog getting absolutely filthy in woodland or on the beach, and not having to worry about the state or smell of the car interior, a decent trailer should be easy enough hosed out?

In a trailer if someone runs in the back of you the dogs probably going to be dead, in the back of the car maybe not. Until this ive never heard of anyone putting a dog in a trailer.

I don't like the idea of a trailer and I bet the dog won't either :rolleyes:

For the first couple of trips I would take someone with you and ask them to hold dog gently on a blanket and get him used to car travel. Then I would say in a cage in back of an estate. If he likes the car travel thing then maybe he would just go to sleep on back seat although at risk if you stop suddenly.

David

the only place for a large dog is in the back of an estate with a secure steel mesh panel across the top of the rear seats. Allow for the worst, head on crash, were does he go? and it's not only him that would be badly injured or dead. Sorry if that seems over the top but where dogs are concerned you really have to think through the worst happening.
We have Chihuahua's which ride in travel box's seatbelted on the rear seats.
Trev

I would never put my dog in a trailer!

I bought such a guard for my Peugeot 405 Estate but my Volvo 940 Estate had a neat drop down one fitted as standard. At least doggies could peer over and seen you in front - I used to chat to them ;)

David

We carried our Malamute in the back of our Honda CR-V fitted with a dog guard.
We now have a Hyundai i30 estate car ideal because now she is getting older she can't jump so high. We have a dark tint as well to help keep the sun out.

Sun can be a nuisance.... :hjtwofing

I've never heard of anyone putting their dog in a trailer either and i find the idea absurd personally. Estate or 4x4 for the dogs to go in the back. The dirt and smell from being out in the woods or at the beach is part and parcel of having dogs so line the boot interior appropriately to protect the inside of the car as well as carrying towels when taking them out so can be cleaned off before they get back in the car.

Souns like a good reason to buy a forester sti, seriously though just get a fold down crate or 2, one for the house and one for the car.

Dogs like it when they have their own space... they know where they stand and are easier to deal with when they have somewhere that's their own place to be, when people come round or you've had enough of them a simple "Bed" command solves all issues, you don't have to lock them in, I never do and it doesn't take long before they just go there on their own, they're pretty smart and soon come to know when the TV goes off or you get ready to go out, that's where they need to be.

Main point with dogs is... don't do anything with them that you probably won't want them doing when they are big and older... like sitting on your lap on the couch or in the car on your bed, upstairs, following you everywhere, being under your feet... because that's all they'll remember and want it all the time and play up to get it, as well as being confused as to why you won't let them do that anymore... like they've done something wrong.

A dog that knows it's place is a happy dog.