Dog Trailer

AlanD

Hi all,

anyone here own dogs and have kids? We've a dog but no kids and the dog normally travels in style all harnessed up, connected to the safety belt in the back.

But now there's a kid on the way and the dog is going to have to travel with us another way. It's a medium size dog (boxer), so we can't have her in the back seat along with the baby. I'm looking for solutions.

We drive a Peugeot 607 so don't have an estate and don't have a hatchback. I'm thinking that a dog trailer is the only way to go, but perhaps there's another option I'm missing.

Your advice would be greatly appreciated.....

Litcagral

AlanD wrote:

Hi all,

anyone here own dogs and have kids? We've a dog but no kids and the dog normally travels in style all harnessed up, connected to the safety belt in the back.

But now there's a kid on the way and the dog is going to have to travel with us another way. It's a medium size dog (boxer), so we can't have her in the back seat along with the baby. I'm looking for solutions.

We drive a Peugeot 607 so don't have an estate and don't have a hatchback. I'm thinking that a dog trailer is the only way to go, but perhaps there's another option I'm missing.

Your advice would be greatly appreciated.....

You can get a dog box which attaches to a tow bar and is much neater than a trailer. There are usually ads for them in greyhound magazines etc.

AlanD

Litcagral wrote:

You can get a dog box which attaches to a tow bar and is much neater than a trailer. There are usually ads for them in greyhound magazines etc.

I knew I saw one of these before but because I couldn't find them anywhere on the net I thought I may have imagined it.

So is this a box that just sits on the tow bar? That would be ideal. Is dog box the right name for it? I probably couldn't find it cos I didn't know the name.

Litcagral

AlanD wrote:

I knew I saw one of these before but because I couldn't find them anywhere on the net I thought I may have imagined it.

So is this a box that just sits on the tow bar? That would be ideal. Is dog box the right name for it? I probably couldn't find it cos I didn't know the name.

Yes it definitely attaches some way to a tow-bar - probably like a bicycle rack. There must be loads of people out there with one as I see them quite regularly. I've definitely seen ads for them - maybe in Farmer's Journal. I would suggest reposting on Pets forum if there is one.

HotRodDub

Hi,
Would you not think of keeping the dog on the backseat along with the kid? If its a case of not trusting him/her then you should get rid of the dog, if its a case of not wanting the dog too close to the kid, I think children are wrapped up in cotton wool too much these days - in my day.....etc etc!!!

I'm in the same situation as you with a kid on the way too, I have A4 saloon, but I think will all the stuff that will go along with the kid I personally think an Avant is the way to go - I'm on about all the gear required for a weekend away, visiting parents for the weekend etc, etc.

Plus it gives me an excuse to change the car!!

AlanD

Yes for yourself, an A4 Avant could be the way to go. Unfortunately, I've just changed the car so we're stuck with the saloon for a while.

We shouldn't have any trust issues with the dog and the baby once the dog is accustomed to the baby. She's very gentle with everything once she knows what it is. With new people, she goes absolutely crazy and bendy. The excitement tends to be too much for her. But she calms down.

Off topic I know.

Anyway, I found a dog box made in New Zealand......didn't like it too much. I'll repost in Pets to see what people do in cases like this. The situation isn't unique so I just need to figure out what all the solutions are before I decide whether to leave the dog in the car, buy a trailer, a dog box or whatever.

Any other car users got dogs?

HotRodDub

Where are you based? I have seen lots of dog boxes around the country.

Maybe get a number of this website http://www.ispca.ie/ or go down to the local dog track and ask someone who arrives with a dog box, maybe someone can build you one.

junkyard

I wouldn't be a big fan of dog trailers to be honest having seen a crash a few years ago involving one and the poor dog had no chance. I'd go with the estate car myself which I have for my dogs, but you could consider a division between the child's seat and the dog if its an issue until you get an estate car.

AlanD

yes I don't think a trailer is an ideal solution either, but it's used a lot so I'm sure dogs get accustomed to travelling in a trailer. If it's done right.

I don't know what sort of a divider will work for between the child and the dog.

The dog might not bother with the child either. But once I'm armed with the right info, I can make an informed decision.

Thanks for your advice.

ds20prefecture

You can get a cage you can strap into the back seat, and you put the dog in that. It's bulky & ugly though, and I can't imagine the dog will like it.

You could put the child in the front in a rear facing seat for the first 6 months, and have your partner sit in the rear with the dog (or drive). Make sure you can disable the passenger airbag first though. This is probably the best solution for your car/situation. Most people I know prefer the child in the front where they can see it anyway.

After 6 months, the dog should be fine in the back with the child if they're used to each other, but never leave them together alone. It's not a question of trust (she'll guard the child like it's her own), more a question of slobbery affection.

We have a fat-ass lab, but we also have a fat-ass Škoda estate to put her in.

toffeapple

if your seats fold down..fold one side down stick a cage/grill in the gap between the boot and the baby on the other side....dog trailers are lethal if an accident occurs and Dogs hate them...especially boxers which are moody b*stards at the best of times...after he goes in to once you'll have to drag him into the next time..the boot on the 607 is big... plenty of room for him.

thelurcher

HotRodDub: Stone mad to suggest leaving the dog with the child in the back :eek:
You don't understand dogs at all if you trust them 100%
Working dogs at least know their place in general but a pet is a different story.

The dog will be safe and comfortable in the boot - probably not in summer though. I use a trailer - take it handy - always check the lights are working and you'll have no hassel.

Mr Magnolia

thelurcher wrote:

HotRodDub:
The dog will be safe and comfortable in the boot - probably not in summer though. I use a trailer - take it handy - always check the lights are working and you'll have no hassel.

I always had a dog growing up, but I wouldn't trust one in the back seat of a car with my child (when I have one) something could happen while your driving to freak the dog out, you never know...
When he gets used to the boot he'll be fine, give him a treat, and when it's warm put him in the dog-box.

AlanD

some good suggestions there!

we do have a cage which we used to toilet train the dog but it's far too big for one half of the back seat of the car. I must look in to getting a smaller one that might fit, but then the boxer really isn't a small dog and she does take up much of the back seat when she's strapped in there.

I'm not keen on the boot idea, but I'll think about it.

As for trusting the dog with a kid? I would certainly after a few months, but not at the beginning. But then I don't know how this dog will act with a new born in the house taking all the attention. Boxers are very gentle with kids once they are accustomed to them, but a baby could be a different story.

A dog box on the tow bar or a trailer sounds like the best solution all round. I understand the points about a crash, but a crash is going to be a bad thing anyway. If a dog box or a trailer was made to be a good experience for the moody boxer, then it might not work out too badly.

Odd topic for the motors section I know, but I'm thinking of it from a car point of view.

ds20prefecture

I think the best thing would be to change the car.

How old is the 607? Is there much value in it? An estate is much more practical in your circumstances. An MPV less so, because of the generally small boot space. I beg of you not to buy an SUV.

A 406 HDi estate is a good car, if you like Peugeots. The Octavia is good value, and has a great boot, but poor rear legroom and is very dull.

If you've one on the way, go for a car with ISOFIX seats too.

AlanD

no a car change isn't an option at all. I've only recently bought the 607. Changed from a 406. So it'll be 2/3 years before the car gets changed and then alright I'll look at estates.

junkyard

Theres no way a dog should be put in the boot of a car. In the first place its cruel, secondly it will probably put the dog off traveling altogether and its very stressful for the dog. If you love your dog buy an estate.

peasant

A properly made and designed dog trailer COULD be a solution, albeit not a very safe or comfortable one (think suspension or rather lack thereof) for the dog ...but they aint cheap ..not at all (and usually designed for more than one dog).

A dog box on the towbar is a total no-no. In case of even a fender fender the dog will be mush (sorry to be so drastic) and even in "normal operation" your dog will be half dead from all the exhaust fumes and dirt and muck that get blown around in the wake of the travelling car ...bordering on cruelty, that ...

The child on front seat solution sounds best to me ...alternatively a custom made doggy crate to fit on one of the folded down rear seats.

ds20prefecture

junkyard wrote:

If you love your dog buy an estate.

I think I'll get a 1000 of these printed up as bumper stickers!

junkyard

Put me down for 10 ds, no pun intended.:)

damo605

What about your dog in front passenger seat and baby in back with mother? Easier for her to keep an eye on the baby and your dog will love the view and won't critise your driving
p.s. 607 is a beautiful car, I plan on having one someday!

AlanD

damo605 wrote:

What about your dog in front passenger seat and baby in back with mother? Easier for her to keep an eye on the baby and your dog will love the view and won't critise your driving
p.s. 607 is a beautiful car, I plan on having one someday!

I've actually had the dog in the front passenger seat before and it really didn't work out. Boxers are different dogs really. They'd be more interested in getting a rub than looking out the window. So she'd be more of a hazzard when she tries to get on my lap than being a better solution. Plus, when she's harnessed and clipped in to the seat belt she wouldn't be restrained enough not to bother me or my wife while driving.

I agree too with the comment made about the dog boxes. I've seen a few designs on the net and all look like they would be horrible places to be.

The boot is a no no.

A trailer is the best option so far, but given the expense I may not be able to afford one.

I could be dropping her to the kennel yet when we head away cos I'd say after a short while she wouldn't bother the baby at all in the back seat. If she does, SSIA may have to buy a new trailer for us.

Thanks for all your good comments.

thelurcher

junkyard wrote:

Theres no way a dog should be put in the boot of a car. In the first place its cruel, secondly it will probably put the dog off traveling altogether and its very stressful for the dog. If you love your dog buy an estate.

Not true - why is it cruel?
Comfortable carpeted warm place - with more room than the back seats to stretch out and no foot well to fall into every time you barke - it's heaven for a dog - and 'stress' free.

I have a lab at home and if anyone opens a boot she's straight in regardless - I've never had a car with a boot in the 11 years I've had her so not sure what makes her do it?

The back seat would be stress to me if I was a dog - strapped in a harness, stuck in the one position - and then being roared at everytime I try and chew the nose of the new baby.

ds20prefecture

thelurcher wrote:

Not true - why is it cruel?

my €0.02 - Dogs are probably the most social creature on land. Putting a dog in the boot alone is like telling them to sit in the corner of the room and not look at you. They believe they are being punished/excluded from the pack.

Thankfully dogs don't do resentment or grudges, but I'd much rather a happy dog around a child than a dog that doesn't know why it's suddenly excluded.

Of course, for short journeys its fine, particularly if the dog is conditioned to it.

AlanD - out of interest, what's wrong with the baby in the front & dog in the back?

MadsL

what's wrong with the baby in the front & dog in the back?

Think what will happen in a 40-50mph crash with an unrestrained large dog suddenly going 40mph into the back seats towards the windscreen. *shudder*

Could easily serious damage the child or the driver, not to mention the poor dog.

MadsL

opps, missed the harness bit. Well done. v wise.

AlanD

ds20prefecture wrote:

AlanD - out of interest, what's wrong with the baby in the front & dog in the back?

Oh yeah, forgot about that one! Definitely it's an option and totally cost free.

I think it could work cos a trailer means fitting a tow bar too so the cost could be prohibitive.

To answer another post above, our dog, when she's harnessed up in the back so she doesn't kill us in a crash, can actually move around enough to be happy. She can move to look out either window, but normally within 5 mins, she's sprawled across the seat asleep.

ds20prefecture

Sort of Off topic - can you disable the front passenger airbag on a 607? It's 3 hours work in a Škoda dealership on the Mk1 Octavia

Note: You must disable the airbag before putting a childseat in the front, or the seat (and therefore the child) will bear the full brunt of the airbag's explosion in an impact.

AlanD

relevant all the same....

yes you can disable it with the turn of a key. Simple process.

It's a requirement now to be able to turn it off simply to gain any sort of merit with EuroNCAP. The 607 is a good 4 stars thankfully.