Dog proofing my Prius

Inside or out?

Outside...you'd have to teach them NOT to jump up and paw the car. I never managed this with my last two dogs. So I invested in a DA polisher and got to be real good with ScratchX, #83 and #80 from Meguiar's.

Inside...I have my present dog trained to sit in the seat. He wears a doggie seatbelt harness thingie. I put the regular seatbelt through a loop in the back and it holds him in place. He usually sits, he has enough give to lay down but he can't move around anywhere. He's learned to sit and ride in the car very nicely. In fact he looks forward to car rides. And he stands very still and cooperative when I put his harness on.

 

>I was wondering if anyone had any tips on dog proofing my car.<

It took me a while to figure out that if I left the window(s) down, my three boys would attempt to jump in through them, paws whirring like dervishes, scratching the exterior paint like crazy. But if I remember to put the windows up, they won't even try.

As far as interior help: putting a large blanket down first helps.

Kevin

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(chezypuffs @ Apr 24 2006, 03:54 PM) [snapback]244453[/snapback]</div>

GTcovers makes great seat covers for both the front and back and you can specify you have airbags. They are designed with a little flap that will allow the airbag to deploy.

I have seat covers on just the front because that's where Ramses sits. The sling thing looks great and I'm tempted to get it for my mother and her dog. Some people here put both rear seats down and have a large mat that covers the entire cargo area plus the seat backs so the dogs ride there.

I think the seatbelt thing is a good idea as I've seen video of people bouncing around the inside of their cars without seat belts. Imagine if that were your dog. The don't like it at first but they get used to it. Especially with praise and treats.

 

I have seen at both the Toyota dealer and a car cover place a special blanket that's designed to put on a car seat to help protect from pets. That's something that can be used and removed as needed. I have the GT Covers as well, but the Wet Okole seatcovers would protect too (and are designed for the airbags).

 

I am good with a protective cover for the interior. I shake it out and fold it, back under the floor board when it is an all human car.

The hair however has to be vacuumed or dusted out on a regular basis.
Dog slobber on the window/edge gets Windexed (windows must be open immediately or sooner!!)

I need to get the rubber thingy for the back bumper, mostly to cover up the scratches that have already occurred. My Sammie believes the car was purchased with only her needs in mind, we are going along with the delusion......

 

The first thing I purchased after picking up my 2006 prius (yesterday) was a foldable dog crate made by the Nylabone company. It fits in that compartment under the trunk nicely. My dog is staying in the crate until the car gets sufficiently dirty that I don't mind him messing things up even more.

If you are looking for a quality dog seatbelt, try this:
http://www.ruffrider.com/

Roadies are supposedly the only tested dog seat belts out there.

 

I have a greyhound mix and shiba inu/chow mix and they love to ride in the car! I use a water proof seat cover I purchased at Big Lots, it has loops that go around the headrests and it folds down from there. It also has velcro slits in it so I can use the seatbelts to anchor the pooches down, oops, I mean seatbelt them in! Then I cover that with a large sheet which is easy to take out and wash. The shiba inu/chow sheds nearly year round, so I wash the sheet frequently. When they've gone to the beach I put the seats down on the way home and they lay on a water-proof mat I bought at Pep Boys, it is made for garages and will hold up to a gallon or so of liquid - very good for wet salty dogs!

 

Crate your dogs if you can. I drop the back seats and place my dogs (Jack Russell Terriers) in their crates...

 

I bought a cargo cover that also goes over the seats from Sigma Auto. It was pricey at $175 and when I got it, I thought "I just paid $175 for this!!". But, I've been very happy with it. It's pretty durable and protects the carpet. It even has a split zipper. Sometime's I'll leave the seat up, other times I'll let Zack have free roam.

If you can't tell from my avatar, I've got a Dalmatian.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(chezypuffs @ Apr 24 2006, 02:38 PM) [snapback]244413[/snapback]</div>

I just bot a Weathertec cargo tray that I love. Looks great and has a very soft feel to it. You can find them, and other types of trays and pet blankets at www.autoanything.com . Just put "cargo tray" in the Search block.

Gary
2006 Super White

 

I also Have a Little Jack Russel I'm yet working on Child (DOG) Proofing My Prius Have you gave it any thought you Just laying down the back seats Flat and Buying a Tubular Cargo divider that keeps the Dog's in the back and stop them from jumping seats and put a Big comforter down in the back thats how I think I'll deal with mine you got to be careful of pets in the front seats with all those buttons ...Best of Luck

 

So I know I'm late to the party. Like a year (or 7) late. But hey, I showed up!

This was my biggest concern when I was buying a Prius: Will my dogs fit? Will they be comfortable? Safe? How will it all work out? I have two large dogs, a Greyhound mix and a German Shepherd/Lab mix, both weighing in at 68 pounds. My method is to fold the seats down. I hate dogs being on the seats, I like them having all 4 feet and a flat surface to balance on. I threw a blanket across the folded seats and tucked it wherever I could. Then I took them on a drive around the block. What a disaster. I hit my dog in the head with the hatch back, then the other dog was neurotic running from window to window, smelling everything, pushing the other one out of the way, falling down.. Anyway, these photos are the third time we took a ride, after they had time to adjust. I also added a leash that conveniently hooks up to the seat latch thing and keeps the hyper dog in his own area, safer, and from jumping out the window. The dogs stay clear of the hatch back now, but I worry about crushing their tails when I close it... The Greyhound mix's back has about 1 inch of clearance from the ceiling, which leaves his head to hang down or be out the window. The other dog is pretty comfortable though. I don't regret for a minute the decision to get this after seeing them adjust so quickly (from my Honda CR-V).

ALSO, I always wanted to know how my fuel efficiency would be affected by 2 windows back windows down the whole ride. It's almost all highway (45 & 50 mph) and I averaged 56mpg!!! Mostly I used cruise control and stayed at 52-57mph.

 

small dog (chihuahua/mini pin mix. looks just like "Taco Bell" dog) so "small problem" easily fixed. we just got an extra dog bed for him and he either sits in backseat or front seat

 

Dog slobber on side windows = "Doggy Nose Art" I learn to live with it, when I have time (good weather), I clean the windows (lasts only briefly) till new "Nose Art" appears

DBCassidy

 

My lab tends to go to work with me (don't let my boss, Prez Obama know). And since my work often entails working in swampy ponds, streams, mud, etc I really work on keeping the car clean (the work pickup truck, not so much)....

Anyway, I spent about $90 on a backseat waterproof protector from ORVIS -- the company that makes fly fishing equipment. I also spent $20 on side door protectors that latch into the window track and keep the mud/muck off the side doors. I got the extra-large protector and it is barely long enough BTW.

Just saw that Foster and Smith has some of the same in their new catalog. The items appear very similar and prices are about 30 percent cheaper than I paid with ORVIS.

 

One thing not covered is the need to keep dog hairs out of the intake vent "for cooling the HV battery" on the passengers side seat, shown clearly in this picture.

Dog hairs get drawn in here like a vacuum cleaner and clog the cooling fan causing the battery to overheat and fail. Some filter material needs fixing on or behind this grill and the fan checked and cleaned say once a year.

John (Britprius)

 

That's cool, taking the Lab to work w/ you. I think all people should have the choice of taking their dog to work w/ them. As long as the dog is not aggressive in behavior and the owners are responsible for any " accidents" at work.

My wife used to work for a company allowing dogs at work. She brought our black lab to work, Midnight was a real smoocher going to all the cubicles for a snack. He never missed an opportunity for a milk bone. Pretty much everyone loved his company as he would lie down in the cubicle next to my wife while she be working.

DBCassidy

 

Wow, I never thought of this. You just saved me a LOTTTT of money! Thanks!!

I wonder if I put like a patio type screen over it on the outside if it would work or not allow enough cooling still? hmm..