Dog Cars- Informal Survey
There have been two discussion threads about vehicles on the Forums recently.
There is actually a website that reviews vehicles for their "dog-friendly" attributes. Here is the link:
http://www.dogcars.com/
Thought I would start an informal survey of forum members about vehicles:
1) What do you use to transport the dog(s)?
2) How "dog-friendly" is it? (You can use the "paw rating" if you like. 1-least, 5-best)
3) Would you get it again?
4) Would you recommend it (or the next years model) ?
________
I'll start:
1) 2002 Subaru Forester (currently transport for one Shiba)
2) 5 Paws; Sukoski's crate is in back seat; rest of area available for hauling stuff; easy for her to get in and out of; optional uses: hauling small pieces of furniture, plants, and gardening items
3) Holding on to it
4) Have driven the new 2009/2010. Am really tempted to get it, but am trying to be frugal and not have car payments. Go drive the 2009/2010 Forester if you're interested in a new vehicle
Additional note: After riding in my Forester, my sister bought a used 2000 Forester. Her large GSD/Rhodesian Ridgeback "Amy" loves this car. Jumps right in and settles in the backseat.
There is actually a website that reviews vehicles for their "dog-friendly" attributes. Here is the link:
http://www.dogcars.com/
Thought I would start an informal survey of forum members about vehicles:
1) What do you use to transport the dog(s)?
2) How "dog-friendly" is it? (You can use the "paw rating" if you like. 1-least, 5-best)
3) Would you get it again?
4) Would you recommend it (or the next years model) ?
________
I'll start:
1) 2002 Subaru Forester (currently transport for one Shiba)
2) 5 Paws; Sukoski's crate is in back seat; rest of area available for hauling stuff; easy for her to get in and out of; optional uses: hauling small pieces of furniture, plants, and gardening items
3) Holding on to it
4) Have driven the new 2009/2010. Am really tempted to get it, but am trying to be frugal and not have car payments. Go drive the 2009/2010 Forester if you're interested in a new vehicle
Additional note: After riding in my Forester, my sister bought a used 2000 Forester. Her large GSD/Rhodesian Ridgeback "Amy" loves this car. Jumps right in and settles in the backseat.
Comments
So yes, I'd absolutely get another Subaru.
Oh, I should add the reason I got it in the first place had less to do with dogs and more to do with all wheel drive (good in the snow) and reliability of Subarus, but they are great dog cars!
2009 Forester 2.5XT
2002 WRX
2002 Dodge Ram 1500 with aluminum dog carriers in bed.
I really like the Forester but we will be trading it in soon for a Tribbecca (7 seater) so we'll see how that does. I use the dodge primarily for transporting the hunting dogs but I have fit 4 dogs confortably in the back of a forester. The WRX is two dogs max but no more dog transporting since I put STI rear seats into it.
I recently traded it in for a 2010 F150 super crew (4 door) with a 5.5' bed. I've put a Leer cap on the back, but don't plan to ride the dogs back there unless the weather is perfect for it. It's a bit less dog friendly because it's so high off the ground. It's tough for my little guys to get in and out of it. I have to life them both ways. Bigger dogs would probably do fine. It's also a much less firm ride, so it has taken them a few trips to get their "sea legs." All is good now though. As far as dog hauling goes, I don't think you could get a more spacious vehicle unless you want with a minivan or large SUV with the back seats down. The back of the truck has a flat load floor and the seats fold up so you can fit a large-sized wire crate on the floor without a problem. The one issue I did have with it was that it was actually a little too big. Lucy likes to sit in the "copilot" seat, where her front paws are on the center console in the front. The gap between the center console and the back seat in the truck was too large for her, so I built a "dog platform" for her (pics below). Would I buy it again? It's too early to tell. I've only got 1800 miles on her, so we'll see. I know a lot of guys get 250k out of the 5.4L motor I've got, so I have lofty aspirations for this truck.
Flat load floor:
Seat to console gap:
Custom platform:
Happy pups:
Currently, I have a 2006 Honda Civic EX. However, I am in the process of selling it and buying a new dog hauler.*
2) How "dog-friendly" is it? (You can use the "paw rating" if you like. 1-least, 5-best)
I would probably say it is somewhat dog friendly... Therefore, giving it a 3 out of 5 paws.
Pros:
GREAT gas mileage... I average about 40 mpg on the highway, sometimes more.
Fairly comfortable for both me and the pups. And the co-pilot seat (as Dave put it) is a great reach for both pups.
Cons:
Small car = no room for extras with two dogs. I can not put crates in the back seat for both pups. However, they will fit in the trunk for taking with us. It is hard to fit things for both me and the dogs when we go on a longer than 2-day trip.
Hard to keep clean. The seats in this car are almost velvety in their texture which collects Shiba fur like a magnet! Vacuuming is a must for this car.
3) Would you get it again?
Me, no. But for someone who wants something small (and only has one dog) with great gas mileage and reliability, go for it!!!
4) Would you recommend it (or the next years model)?
See above. For someone who has one dog (probably a smaller breed, ie. >40lbs), it is a great car. You can not beat Honda's for reliability and gas mileage. And for just a car, I have loved it. But with both dogs and my extra curricular activities, I need something bigger, with higher ground clearance, AND AWD/4WD.
*And that leads into... What will my next car be... I have narrowed it down to 3 choices.
The new (2010) Subaru Outback
Nissan XTerra - Off Road Edition
Nissan Frontier - Pro-4X
Test driving starts later this month, and the purchase will take place in April, I hope. As soon as I start test driving, I will update you guys on how I think each vehicle will handle my two pups and the abuse we will put it through.
It gets me to the dogs' favorite reservoir in a foot of snow when the parking spot isnt plowed.
It gets me through hayfields when needed.
Reactive dogs need to walk in remote areas no one else dares to drive to.
It holds four dogs comfortably
holds a lot of hay.
all that and it still gets almost 30mpg on the way to my sister's in Pennsylvania, can easily fit my goalie bag and sticks, sit three teammates on the tailgate for postgame drinking, and is always ready for me to throw the canoe on top, but is not so big that I cant toss the canoe up there by myself. Good car. I think the new foresters are too big though. I hope mine lasts forever. Turning 100K next weekend I estimate.
I will start test driving later this month, so if anyone has any pointers, let me know!
Oh, and I LOVED that picture with the hay! hehehe!
1) What do you use to transport the dog(s)?
>> 2009 4 door Taco TRD Offroad
2) How "dog-friendly" is it? (You can use the "paw rating" if you like. 1-least, 5-best)
>> Very! I'm pleased with it so far. The back seats fold flat and have thick plastic on the back so it makes a great seat for the dogs.
3) Would you get it again?
>> Yes, its a must for us.
4) Would you recommend it (or the next years model) ?
>> Yes, mos def. It works great for the dogs.
Holds a lot of dog food:
The bench in the back works great for the dogs:
You can even fit a CO back there:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4030/4301316829_f282e0a45f.jpg
The pups like the back too:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3445/3740405605_b913af2369.jpg
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Jen's...
1) What do you use to transport the dog(s)?
>> 2010 Subaru Outback.
2) How "dog-friendly" is it? (You can use the "paw rating" if you like. 1-least, 5-best)
>> Very! The all weather mats work great for all the mud we have here. There is a huge one in the back that the dogs sit on. Also the sits fold down very flat and makes a great surface for multiple dogs.
3) Would you get it again?
>> Yes! I LOVE Subies
4) Would you recommend it (or the next years model) ?
>> Yes!
Its really nice:
It likes snow too:
You can fit a CO in the back pretty comfortably:
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We have a 2003 Subaru Forester. It wasn't necessarily our dream car but it was available when we really needed to get a car and it's worked out awesomely. Ki sits in the back seat with his harness on or we put his crate in the back.
2) How "dog-friendly" is it? (You can use the "paw rating" if you like. 1-least, 5-best)
Very good...Rugged, super roomy, hatchback (always nice with dogs), reliable, handles all sorts of weather and terrain and distance, and is not too bad to clean up. It would be nice if it had the truck liner in the back and on the back of the seats like the Matrix does.
3) Would you get it again?
We do love Subarus...not sure if we'd go for a Forester when we are ready for a new car but we'll probably be looking at Subarus again.
4) Would you recommend it (or the next years model)?
Definitely...it works really well.
I think it's a great family car for us. Parents up front, kids in the back seats, and dogs in the very back. I don't think I could ever go back to a non-station wagon or something with that cargo space in the back. If I wanted a bigger car, I'd get a van or SUV, I guess, but in the interest of fuel economy, we're sticking with a nice, efficient wagon. We were thinking of two cars, too, a little commuter for running around and a bigger one for taking the whole family out or to rough terrain or inclement weather. Doesn't make much sense right now, since I haven't been going places by myself due to pregnancy-related limited mobility, but maybe later.
So, maybe within a year or so, we will switch to two cars and get a heftier family vehicle...
Ahhh the good old days!
I know one thing: I have cloth seats in mine. Never again. If/when I ever get a new one, I'm going leather seats. MUCH easier to clean, and though people say the dog's claws will damage the leather, they sure haven't hurt my leather sofa....My poor car is permanently upholstered in Shiba hair....it just does not come out of the cloth upholstery.
Of course, we know dog people aren't normal.
I carry my dogs in crates, so I needed something large enough that would handle 3 good-sized crates.
I just bought a 2010 Toyota Sienna -- supposedly the only van with AWD. Love the room, it fits two wire side-by-side 3-door Precision crates facing the back so I could load/unload the dogs from the interior if necessary. It's pricey and it's not particularly economical on gas. If gas goes up to $4.00 this summer I'm grounded. Other than that, I'm enjoying it.
I was impressed with the handling of the new forester, but a little irritated with the shifting. I am used to a manual, and the new 4-speed electronic direct-control automatic with SPORTSHIFT® manual control (yep, shamelessly cut and paste that) took a bit of getting used to. Of course, the dealership guy could have mentioned it was a four-speed and one has to bump it towards the plus to shift up and minus to shift down. I kept bogging it down at first thinking, "where the h#*$ is the clutch?!? I know i'm in the wrong gear!! But wait, isn't this thing an automatic?!?!". Once I was passed that, it wasn't too bad. The sales staff were great too - no pressure and just friendly. Of course, they can't seem to keep them on the lot, so I am sure he was not worried about finding a buyer.