New Prius incoming... what do I do with the dog?

You should really get your dog a harness, and when in the car should be seat belted.
Just my opinion.
jp

 

I have a rather chill 55b labradoodle (see photo at left) who likes to ride shotgun and will stay on the seat. Around town, I don't strap her in and make a point of driving carefully when she is there. On the highway, she wears a harness which straps to the passenger seatbelt. She can move around but won't fly through the windshield in an accident. Her weight shuts off the front airbag but not the SRS and side ones. The front seat is protected by a beach towel modified with a strap to hold it around the headrest (seat covers can be a problem unless they are designed to let the side airbag pop out of the seatback).

When she is wet or muddy after a swim, she goes in the cargo area, which is protected with a Cargo Tray Plus. Same if there is a person in the front seat. To keep her cool in hot weather, I had the rear hatch window tinted with a material that blocks >90% of infared while transmitting 70% of visible light. It also protects the rear window heating elements from mechanical damage (e.g., while cleaning off dog slobber). I can look up what was used if you are interested, and can put you in contact with the tinter if you are in the CT/MA/NY area.

Both Sleepypod and Ruffwear make harnesses that clip to the seatbelt. They are designed and tested for use in the back seat. Lots of companies make protectors for the back seat.

When I leave her in the car she just curls up on the passenger seat. If it were a problem I could leave her in the cargo area. If she tended to jump over the rear seatback I suppose I would get one of those wire mesh partitions. She IS a dog after all, though I have to remind myself of that at times.

P.S. I used the Carista app and module to shut off the annoying seatbelt buzzer for the passenger seat.

 

We take our Shiba Inu sometimes, and for the most part he hangs out in a rear seat footwell. Occasionally he'll hop on on the rear seat for a look out the window. He's a bit of a shedder; I just keep on top of it with vacuuming. I put a coarse screen in behind the hybrid battery inlet, keep an eye on it for accumulation. And once every year or two open things up and inspect/clean the hybrid battery fan.

Good luck with your dog, looks like he's enjoying himself.

 

We use this dog seat cover from Orvis
Dog Car Seat Covers / Backseat Protector -- Orvis
. We have them in our Prius and Macan. It really helps.

 

Two of my dogs do not like long rides so I brought two cloth kennels and cover with light blankets for long trips. These work great. For short trips I would consider one of these

 

Why not just put her in a harness and strap her to one of the rear seat seatbelts? She could still turn around and lie down.

 

I feel safest when my pooch is in a crate... just a basic metal crate, and strap it down so it is stabilized. There are more substantial crates designed specifically for autos. These are the ultimate, and can be quite expensive.

His chances of surviving an accident, especially preventing him from wandering away into traffic are increased.

 

I do not have one only take my dogs on long trips. But even Walmart has them in different styles and you can get protective door covers separate.

Yes Pets 59-90296TAN Quilt Suede, Waterproof, Tear Proof Hammock Style Car Seat Cover - 100 Percent Polyester, Tan - Walmart.com

 

Amazon has a ton of them. Amazon.com: rear seat dog hammock

 

Related question - does anyone know of a rear dog guard (the sort that fits between the rear seats and the boot) for the 2016 gen 4 Prius.
Ours is coming in a couple of weeks and I haven't been able to find any for this model specifically. The 'universal' ones I've found all seem to get in the way of the retracting boot cover.

We got this for our 2007 gen 2 Prius and it works perfectly - Cheap Prius Dog Guard Offers - Burrows Car Parts

Looking for something available in the UK

Many thanks

Chris

 

hehehe... I wish that solved my problem. We have a 65 lb Lab who insists on napping on my seat when we leave her in the car. I have tried a number of barricades only to find that Alcatraz would have had a tough time keeping her locked up.

The only partial solution I've found is to put the back seats down, park the car so that her view of people will be through the rear window, giving her a treat in the back then praising her if she stays back there.

She does appear to prefer it with the rear seats folded down. I guess it allows for better visibility outside when she is laying down and more room to move about.

 

I alway fold the rear seats down and give the dog as much room as possible.

 

How did you access the cover over the battery inlet? I found one screw that appears to hold the panel, but I couldn't get it to open. My dog tends to shed a lot and I'm concerned about the hair blocking the inlet. Did you use wire screen or some type of mesh?

 

Sorry, we have 3rd gen, not sure how you'd open up yours.

I initially used vacuum motor filter material, but was concerned it might restrict air flow too much, so switched to a piece of residential window bug screen. I believe it's black painted aluminum.

 

Adjustable Mesh-Style Vehicle Pet Barrier DB-03721-S-V2 | DiscountRamps.com