Crates vs Seatbelts/Barriers Pro's and Cons's

Tricia2

New member
I just bought a lightly used Mazda MPV minivan. Yahoo, the dogs are in heaven. No more squishing into the backseat of my teeney Audi A4 Quattro. I loved that car, it had a road rally package and was a blast to drive, but I digress. It looked like a clown car with both dogs riding in back.

I looked at a lot of minivans but chose the Mazda because of the flexible seating/cargo options. The second row bucket seats are a side-by-slide seating arrangement. It allows the seats to move fore, aft and also together. This combination allows the bucket seats to create a bench or fold forward out of the way. The third row seats stow into the flooring making for a totally van-like interior.

Lu has claimed the pushed together second seat bench, she likes to be close to me and gets car sick looking out the windows while moving.


Lili likes the third row seats. She's a German Shepherd, she's gotta watch everything all of the time. In back she gets two side windows and the rear window.

There's plenty of room for crates with everything folded flat but getting two dogs in and out is a hassle. I'm opting for a barrier behind the driver and passenger seats (there's a console between them) to keep them out of the front seat area and individual Ruff-Rider Roadie doggie seatbelts. Am I courting disaster? What do you use to restrain your dogs when you're on the road?

Fascimile:


 

Connie w Tuck

New member
I use crates for my newfs. We had a field style English Setter that had a seat belt. She was crazy and needed the seat belt. It worked for her.
 

newflizzie

New member
I use all 3, so probably not much of a help. :) I try always to crate first, but if that can't happen then I like the seatbelt. I use my cargo barrier for short trips just up to our neighborhood park or pool etc within our subdivision - but it makes me nervous with them riding loose so I limit it to that. Oh, I should say the barrier comes off the top and stays attached at the bottom and is stored so it doesn't come in/out which would have been a pain to do all the time. The crates are the easiest and most efficient for me as I have to load up 3 kids, 2 of which are still in carseats. If we break down and get a 2nd newf this may blow the status quo here. :)
 
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