Has anyone found a pet barrier that can fit between the hatchback/trunk area and the back seat (2006 Prius)? We have a medium-sized dog that keeps jumping from the way back into our kids' laps--not a really safe situation! The only post on this that I've seen said that they had to cut an inch off of the barrier's metal poles. I'd like to avoid that kind of ad hoc solution if I can. -Thanks.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bpf @ Nov 18 2006, 10:57 AM) [snapback]351385[/snapback]</div> Take a look at: http://www.discountramps.com/dog-pet-barri...CFRgaGgodQTecQw
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(syclone @ Nov 18 2006, 02:42 PM) [snapback]351480[/snapback]</div> None of those will work...the hatch hinge is forward of the back of the back seat.....they might work w/ the back seats folded flat, but not in the full up position. I ended up buying a dog harness for my Lab.. http://www.discountramps.com/dog-harness.htm Not that exact one, but very similar. It anchors well to the metal D-ring in the back.
BTW, I take the floor of the hatch out for my lab, it gives her a lot more head room back there. I've cut a piece of rubber backed heavy duty carpeting to fit in the bottom of that box so she doesn't slip around...and neither do the groceries and such I put back there. It's easy to remove to clean in case she has an accident or if some liquid spills on it.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Nov 18 2006, 02:15 PM) [snapback]351485[/snapback]</div> Do you take out the tray and tire, or do you leave them in?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stan57 @ Nov 18 2006, 06:46 PM) [snapback]351530[/snapback]</div> I leave the tray and tire in, just take out the carpeted cover for the tray. The put my carpet remnant in the bottom of the tray.
I saw a Prius the other day that had a homemade barrier built from what appeared to be 1" PVC piping. It was positioned behind the front seats though, but I imagine it wouldn't be too hard to build one for the back seat/trunk area.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ALoLA @ Nov 19 2006, 04:03 AM) [snapback]351634[/snapback]</div> The only difficult part would be bracing the upper portions. You can't use the roof/ceiling b/c behind the seat is the hatch (moving part). I guess you could use the back of the seat/head rests, but they aren't that strong or made for that purpose. I guess you could try to brace against the back windows, but I'm not aware of a system that could do that...maybe using a couple shower curtain rods with a net or something stretched b/w them? But, to me, just using a harness was the most convenient solution, the dog seems happy. It's easy to remove and attache and takes up no space at all.
Has anyone thought of taking one of the flat spider web cargo nets, adding two rings to the top and using that as a barrier? I can also see building a free standing barrier of pvc. My dog rides in the passenger seat. He has a padded harness I call his seat belt. The passenger seat belt runs through the back and clips in to keep him in place in case of a sudden stop, and to keep the passenger seat belt light from bugging me.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Nov 19 2006, 12:15 PM) [snapback]351735[/snapback]</div> I think that would work for a small dog or one who just needs a 'reminder' barrier, but my 70+ lb. Lab would push right through or under to get in the seat w/ my kids!
Here is a link to the PetNet. I used one of these in my old Explorer Sport and it worked just fine for my 50 lb Shiba Inu/Chow mix and my (former and beloved) tenacious 65 lb lab. It does not use any metal tubing (I had one of those and my lab just pulled it down and climbed over it), it uses velcro fasteners. It provides good coverage if you put it up right, at any rate, it worked for my lab, she never tried to pull it down. Now I use a locking seatbelt mechanism for both dogs in the back seat, I don't want them to become projectiles and fly out the windshield.
Well, if any medium to large dog needs anything beyond a "reminder" they should be tied down. No barrier will be adequate.
I'm a big fan of the harness... Usually i'll clip my dog to a seatbelt using a carabiner, but if you get some heavy duty ropes or straps, you could easily thread them through a couple of the D rings and hook everything together with a carabiner attached to a harness - it'll let them move around a little bit, but not get into the back seat.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eagle33199 @ Nov 27 2006, 06:35 AM) [snapback]354406[/snapback]</div> Wow, a carabiner, that is brilliant! I've been using a two-dog coupler to attach one dog, I lost the other coupler and have been using a climbing rope for the other. I'm going to dig out my carabiner and use it for my other dog! Thanks!
I used to have a Honda Insight and my Afghan Hound rode in the rear hatch. I never actually tried this but it looks like a great idea for securing a dog in the hatch area: http://www.insightcentral.net/owners/mods/harness.html It should work just fine in the Prius. Anyway, now I have an '06 Prius and I just throw blankets over the back seats and that's where the dog rides. He's great in the car, he sits still and usually sleeps. I would like to secure him somehow in case of an accident though, I wouldn't want him to get hurt nor would I want him to become a projectile. A friend has her Afghan ride in a wire crate secured with seatbelts in the back seat, but recently she's been letting the dog ride without the crate. She did find a wire crate, I think from PetSmart, that has pins holding the sides together. She used one of the longer sides as a barrier and attached it to the front seat headrests with bungee cords. I'll probably try something like that.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Nov 19 2006, 01:15 PM) [snapback]351735[/snapback]</div> Dont forget to turn off the passenger airbag !Airbags have been known to decapitate small children.Sorry for the grotesque image but its a fact.
The back seat is always safer than the front, airbags or not. I've experienced this first hand, in high school my friend had a brand new '01 Silverado 4x4 with a ranch hand grille guard, winch and headache rack. He was making a left turn at an intersection with a green light but NOT the green arrow he thought he had and hit a Mazda B3000 pickup head on. His speed I would guess around 15 mph starting a turn and the Mazda was probably going at least 50 in a 45 with a combined impact of around 65 mph but bohemeth held it's ground. The front airbags deployed and even though we were all wearing seatbelts they all failed to lock. The driver bruised his arms on the steering wheel, the front passenger briused his knees on the dashboard and I was in the cramped back seat with both legs turned to one side and I was thrown into the seat in front of me uninjured but my leg was sore for a day. I was glad I sat in the back though.
We have a Great Pyrenees female Athena. She fits perfectly in the back after removing the top cover. I like the Doc added some carpet to the bottom so that she would not slide around. I also removed the rear head rests so that she would have more room. I believe if you leave them that it becomes more difficult for the dog to go over the rear seat. I like the idea of stretching the net. You could easily connect between the two head rests. That way it is not forever. Manny