Question for dog owners

Couple of weekends ago I got a yellow Labrador puppy, he came with a crate for sleeping in and travelling.

However the crate is 3 inches too wide at the top to fit in my 3 doors boot with the rear seats in the upright and locked position.
The car did come with a dog guard and I have a LR plastic boot liner, I'm thinking of placing a blanket or such in the boot with the guard and liner.

What do you do with your dogs? Other ideas welcome as he's only 9 weeks old so want to make his car journey experiences something he will look forward to rather than fear.

My dog just goes in the boot of my car or if she is lucky gets all the space in the back of my 110 which I just put her bed in.

I would say that the blanket would be fine. Are you worried the pup might get carsick?

My golden retriever made a 500Km trip when he was 8 weeks old. No barking, no mess in the car although he travelled in the front with us. We waited until he was much too big to travel in the front and could see us from the boot. Now, he is 8 years old and still loves jumping in the boot.

The Freelander is the perfect car for dog owner (mostly because of the back window).

A.J.M said:

Couple of weekends ago I got a yellow Labrador puppy, he came with a crate for sleeping in and travelling.

However the crate is 3 inches too wide at the top to fit in my 3 doors boot with the rear seats in the upright and locked position.
The car did come with a dog guard and I have a LR plastic boot liner, I'm thinking of placing a blanket or such in the boot with the guard and liner.

What do you do with your dogs? Other ideas welcome as he's only 9 weeks old so want to make his car journey experiences something he will look forward to rather than fear.

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A crate is all well and good for occasional visits to the vet or boarding kennels etc. but you're on the right road with the boot-liner idea.

I have the same LR boot-liner (but no dog-guard) - an 8 week puppy will not be able to jump over the upright seat-back, and by the time he is big enough to try it, he will / or should be accustomed to travelling in the back load area - and that area will be 'his' and he wont want to leave it.

A blanket on the bare plastic of the boot-liner is a disaster - with the best will in the world and the most careful driving the rascal will be sliding from one side to the other on corners. The non-slip mat that comes with the liner is no good as claws can catch in it.

What you need is a piece of foam-backed carpet cut to the exact shape, so it doesn't move and can be lifted out to clean easily.

Of course use the blanket he sleeps on for a while so he associates the car with 'his place'. I used an old beach-towel on top of industrial carpet.

You dog will quickly grow up and will associate the Freelander with travelling to parks and interesting places to walk with you.

My German Shepherd went everywhere in the Freelander - as far as Graz in Austria on many occasions.

Drawbacks - wet nose against window! Glass cleaning becomes a way of life.

Don't use the remote locking - you will set the interior motion detector and the alarm will sound. Use the key as per the instructions in the handbook to double-lock the doors and set the immobilizer and door alarms only.

Have fun - and take lots of pics - they grow up fast!

Singvogel.

My girlfriend and I are really keen to get a dog but we live on a 2nd floor apartment - nothing in the contract about no pets but the lack of an easy place to pop out to do its business makes it a bit impractical at the moment. I've had dogs all my life with my parents and she's always wanted one, but it's better to wait until we're living in a place that's goof for a dog. I can see what you mean by saying that the Freelander is a great dog car - great tip about the carpet Singvogel I'll file that away in the old bean .

Didn't have a dog guard when we put our Black Lab pup in the boot when we got him as puppy.

After having to recover the 6th and 7th seat as he chewed the backrest right off one of them, he the had a go at the rear seat headrests.

Guard did the trick and protected the seats, now the guard sits unused in the garage as he has claimed the passenger front seat as his, especially during the winter when he has the heated seat on.

Like having him up front with me as he doesn't tell me how to drive.

we have a dog....well a chihuahua and i must admit he actaully loves being in the back of the freelander with the window slightly down we also have the plastic boot liner and he does slide all over the place however his cushion with some stitched on velcro and the the other part of the velcro glued to the liner soon stopped that.

Im after a dog guard but obviously not to stop him jumping over the seats, just so i can strap equipment to it.

My Springer travels in the boot, I have LR dog guard and also the window guard so the window can be dropped to give him some air without him jumping out. I had one occasion where the window dropped of it's own accord whilst driving and the dog wasn't tethered... managed to pull over to investigate whilst coaxing the dog to stay put and not jump out into the traffic!
Didn't trust the window again after that (though it hasn't done it since) so fitted the window guard.
Looked at getting a Trans K9 crate but after looking at the one for the Freelander, felt it was too small for the dog.

Edit to add... also have the 'Born Free' liner, cheap buy off fleabay

We have 2 dogs, a Glen of Imaal terrier and a Patterdale, both travel in their own soft beds in the boot. We have the Landrover dog guard fitted and when warm I drop the back window a couple of inches for a decent through flow of air, we also carry drinking water bottles in the back door pocket.

I have the rubber LR floor mat in the rear of my 3 door Freelander - did use the LR dog guard but my 7 year old springer is fairly happy to stay in the back so the guard has been removed. I do intend to buy one of the LR window guards that will enable me to leave the rear window in the completely lowered position.
Freelander is the ideal car for dog owners imho

Thanks guys for the answers,

I have the standard land rover dog guard and the "born free" load mat, shall get a carpet cut for the boot and let him sit on that to stop him sliding about in the boot.

Shall get the window guard as well, as my window doesn't drop a couple of inches, it's either fully up or down.

I've got a Bull Mastiff Doberman cross. Nearly two! She loves it with the roof off rear seats folded down big basket and duvet in the back. Full harness, tethered to a seat mount so she can't fall out! Ears flapping in the wind. At 42 kilos she stops it being a Gaylander!!!!

Peekaboo

We have two boxers, although the old one (she's 9 now) wont willingly jump in the back they both enjoy a ride in the car.

We have an old duvet on the floor of both cars, stops them sliding around makes a very comfy bed for a nap mid journey if they get board.

Both cars do have dog guards fitted, mainly so they can't get bored and eat the head rests, we've not had it happen but know of friends who have so never gave them the chance.

If you allow your dog to ride in the front it's best to secure them with a doggy seat belt, stops them going through the window if you cock it up and also stops them deciding to help with the driving, as happened to a mate with his GSD, happily he stopped before running out of road when the dog decided to sit on his lap for a better view

Our yellow Lab doesn't like jumping into the boot, as the landing zone isn't big enough, and he crashes into back of the rear seats everytime. Or he lands on the Poodle who will have jumped in under him.... But a standard Britpart dog guard does the job, and is easily removed if the seats need to be folded down.

Hi,

We had the same problem, our puppy just travelled in the crate with the seats down to begin with, then we just put her in the car boot.

She soon learned that she could climb over the the rear seats.

I found a genuine freelander dog guard and hard plastic boot liner for £50 on ebay......bargain!

She now just has to bed in the boot, I could be with getting the back door window working for her........

Cheers

Got a 12week old Labrdoodle....he was a bit nervous the first couple of times in the boot, but he's fine now.

Have an LR guard and a liner, but put a towel down for him - just for a bit of surfing around the corners.....have got a window guard, but kit to fit it - any ideas??

Ours occasionally lets me sit in his seat:

Who needs Jess the cat!

Not fussed where he sits in the house either!