One of the main reasons I selected the xB was because I wanted something to carry my dogs around without crating them. So today I found out the box has a problem, when the rear seats fold down there are a few large gaps where my dogs can fall through, one mis-step and they'll be on the rear passenger floor.

My question for all the xB dog owners, how do you carry your dogs around in your car? Do you leave the rear seats up or do you fold your seats down? If you fold them down, please give me some suggestions on how to prevent my dogs from falling.

 

Back when we used the box for long trips. The Pom would ride in the very back on top of the cargo cover. The American Eskimo would have the rest of the back seat to herself.
Now that it's show only, no more doggies in the box. The hair is a biatch to get off the seats.

 

Hmm, maybe you could put blankets behind the front seats so that the dogs wouldn't fall into the hole.

Yes, dog hair is the number one pain. One time this guy came into the car wash place I used to work at. He asked for dog hair removal. Wasted 1 and a half hours doing this, and all I got was a few bucks tip.

 

I know the first time I took my rotty out for a drive, it was the same for us. head first into the front seat, legs falling in between the sides of the rear seat when there folded down. Now we just leave the rear seats up and he sits on the seats. He still falls into the front seat and sometimes he sits with his butt on the seat and his front paws on the front, good thing I don't have the arm rest or his chin would have rest on that too.

If you only use the back to haul your dogs, then you could keep the seats down and cut a piece of plywood to cover the gaps on the sides and to the rear seat and they would have tons of room.

 

like this...

ENLARGE

my advice is take out the rear headrests and lay a blanket over the seats so you dont get dog hair on them.

 

Blankets are really good at keeping dogs from sliding around and off the rear seats. Or you could crate them in the cargo area.

 

My rat terrier rides shotgun, because if i put her in the back seat, when she's had enough, she just scrambles right over the stick shift.

 

I have hauled my dogs both ways. I prefer to keep them off the seats as one has long hair which makes it a PITA to clean.

 

Well I drive my dog around a lot and it just depends if I drive anyone elses dog's in my car at the time. If it's just my dog seats are up and shes on the seats, I recently put a blanket on them so it would be a little less hairy. I know how much it sucks to get the hair off though, yet when I do the next day or that same day I'll drive my dog around.
When I have multiple dogs in the car I put the seats down and they do fall some times, this is part of the reason I've considered crating my dog in general when in the car, because truly if you think about it there is no safe way for you pup if you get into a car accident. Crate in the rear seats has to be the safest. If you get rear ended and your dog is in the cargo space they could get crushed, if your dog is in the rear seats and you crash your dog could go flying and get seriously hurt or killed. Just my $.02

 

A couple of months ago my mom's yorkshire terrier got to ride shotgun in my box :D

 

Ours (pug/beagle mix and a catahoula) just ride in the back seat. We've got a set of ScionShoppe seat covers, so the hair is pretty easy to clean up.

 

This is what I use:
http://www.safepetproducts.com/product.asp?specific=206
Safety First!

 

I have a barrier left fromMy 1st gen that saved My Daisy dawgs life in an accident on Easter nite. try petsmart or petco for transport gates that extend to fit across back seats when folded down. Fully adjustable
Here is a link for the one that I have;

http://www.petsmart.com/global/produ...N=2032883&Ne=2

 

haha they better be tiny dogs...chihuahuas or something...i say get a roof rack and attach the crates up there...they will enjoy it...its always a good thing to do after a bath

 

That's the one I use. Fully adjustable, so it should accommodate all but the tiniest dogs.
I've got two big collies, and they fit back there fine with the seats down.

 

I have a 70lb doggie, she rides with the seat down and blankets over the gaps....she loves to ride everywhere, even to the post office to mail a letter. Just have to watch the fast stops

 

We have three mutts, a big 130-pounder and two 50 pounders. Don't drive all three around in the box too often, but when we do, one thing that helps is putting the big dog's bed in the back. It's a big flat square bed, probably 3' x 4', and it kind of covers up the gaps, although they do still fall behind the front seats from time to time. It also encourages him to lay down, which isn't difficult as his usual attitude is "Why stand when you can lie down?"

 

I carry mine like this.....lol 80 miles an hour and he still wants to have his head out he loves it....

 

My wife bought some leash that attaches to the seat belt and to the dogs' harness. So seats up and they have the freedom so move around a little bit while still being restrained. But then again my our dogs only way between 12-20 lbs.

 

i have a med-large dog and she rides in the trunk area...there is no cargo cover, so she can see front and behind her... it works out great this way for us.