Recommendation for dog guard for the car.

hardpressed

I have a lovely whippet cross rescue dog who hates the car. I've tried her with a harness attached to the seatbelt but she's not happy. She managed to get herself out of the harness and jumped through into the front. I wonder if a dog guard would be best so she could be loose in the back of the car, I'd put her beanbag bed in there so she'd have something familiar to lay on. Any recommendations for the best type, mesh or bars? I don't want to spend too much if it's not going to work. Any suggestions welcome.

Katiehound

Mutter mutter... just typed in a longish reply, pressed a key and the whole lot vanished into thin air! Try again.

I used to have a mesh dog guard that was made by the car manufacturer- it worked perfectly but was not cheap. The bar dog guards are adjustable but if you have a wriggler it is possible that the dog might get through the gaps.

I would suggest a crate- the collapsible variety are the cheapest, often they can be anchored to the floor of the boot. With one of these you could build up confidence by using it in the house first. I would be asking around to see if anyone has one they can lend you

My old boy (now deceased) only wore a harness once on the trip from the rescue kennels, got thoroughly tangled and in his panic gave me a nasty bite when I tried to free him so I wouldn't recommend for a nervous dog. He used to pace with the dog guard but couldn't get to me . Eventually he would lie down.

You need to build your journeys gradually to a really exciting destination that way your dog will look forward to the trip (unless of course she is travel sick.) If you are able to have the car off the road and the boot open then encourage her to jump in, sit for a moment and reward her and build the time up but don't actually go anywhere.
Good luck

krlyr

If it's not an absolutely brand new car, you could try hunting eBay, Gumtree etc. for the custom guards for your make and model - they're such good quality that they tend to outlive the cars, and people sell them on cheaper when they change cars. Some of the manufacturers have seconds, or cheaper ones from cancelled orders, too.

Mine were made by MMG guards for my car. They're good quality, but I did have issues with the company/customer service, so not sure I'd exactly recommend - but the guards do work well. Barjo is another big name, as well as Guardsman. Just look up your car make and model on eBay, e.g. "Ford Focus car guard", and look for the custom made style.

We had a generic adjustable type for our previous dog and it was useless, she kept pushing the adjustable ends in and squeezing through the gap it created to get to us. There are different kinds on the market though, and some may work better than others.

krlyr

I also like that the custom guard companies make the tailgate guards - these are the ones that go just behind the boot. I've heard a couple of cases of the boot flying open mid-driving and it makes me super paranoid when I'm driving the dogs in any other car than my own! You could tether your dog to the seat guard as a precaution, though (it's just awkward with two dogs as they tangle each other up)

takethatfan1978

I would always prefer a crate rather than a guard if at all possible.

When I got my Labrador last year she was in a crate in the boot although it didn't last long. When she outgrew that I had thought about changing my car but had a few weeks to wait which wasn't ideal.

I bought a dog guard from eBay as it was the only one I could get that would fit the shape of my car (Megane coupe)as Renault didn't do one, it was a bit of a pain looking. The one I got attached to the headrests with metal clamps, it was solid and didn't rattle and was also easy to remove if needed. Once I changed my car I got a transk9 crate which was the best option for me and I know my dog is safer.

I have never liked having a dog in the boot as I do like boot space left for shopping etc and I always worry incase car is ever hit. A colleague had a bump and it was just lucky her wee dog was created on the back seat.

Anyway this is the guard, the buyer has them as a buy it now but also on auction and I won it for about £20. I then resold it 3 months later for the same price

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/UNIVERSAL-MESH-CAR-DOG-GUARD-PUPPY-HATCHBACK-ESTATE-CARS-CAGE-CRATE-CARRIER-/311308247760?nav=SEARCH

I tried the halfords mesh one(around £50) and it was rubbish, not very stable and rattled like mad when driving!

takethatfan1978

Another option was a barjo tail gate guard however it would been a 9 hour drive down and back again to get my car measured. Then another trip for fitting so I didn't go down that route. I like the fact my dog is contained safely and the crate can easily be removed if needed.

I have found when looking on eBay as it took me ages to look that if you buy a generic one that the seller is advertising for a certain make or ford,Renault then they appear to charge a lot more for it. They will also sell the exact same one but it won't say 'for a ford' etc.

The first crate I bought for my Megane coupe I paid £50 for, the eBay seller asked for a photo of it for their site. I provided the photo and they now have it advertised as for a Megane coupe for £80. It's mad!