# Anyone with a Honda CRV? or mini SUV?



## Sienna's Mom (Oct 23, 2007)

What do you do with your dog? With our little Honda Civic Hatchback Sienna would ride in the back passenger seat with a seat belt. We had to replace our old 1987 Honda and got a CRV. My husband wants her to ride in the back "cargo" area. I hope she will be okay back there, especially when she is used being closer to everyone. My son will be happy as she will be right behind his car seat. I know many people have their dogs in the back, what I would like to know if anyone can give me pointers to make sure she is as safe as she can be. We have never had an SUV before just small sedans.


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## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

Either crate her in the cargo area, or get a safety harness thing that attaches to one of the cargo hooks in the back (I'm assuming it has them). Definitely do not let her ride loose back there. There are also those cargo area "gate" things that don't allow her to jump into the backseats from the back, though restraining her in the car is the safest option.


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## Bock (Jun 23, 2008)

For trips around town I just let mine stay in the cargo area unrestrained. He lays down as soon as he gets in and doesn't get up until we stop.

For longer trips put the seats down and crate him.


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## mdoats (Jun 7, 2007)

I have a Subaru Forester. Rookie rides in his crate in the back. I leave the crate in the car most of the time since Rookie no longer sleeps in it at night. When he used to sleep in the crate at home, I would sometimes put him in the back seat for short trips rather than lug the crate out to the car. These days he always goes in the crate. Rookie is so mellow in his crate it would be easy to forget he is in the car. He rarely even pops his head up until I open the back of the car.


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## Rhapsody in Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

We have a Honda CRV. You can fit two Golden Retrievers back there comfortably; however, you should use a restraint. There are hooks that you can latch on to. I would also put up a safety net or barrier. The back seats can be easily climbed over. I like the CRV - it takes the wear and tear easily. Also, the back is not as high up as other SUVs. I have my dogs put their front paws up and I give them a boost from behind. 

Hope this helps : )


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## Taz Monkey (Feb 25, 2007)

I admit, mine always ride unrestrained. Sage and Taz in the cargo and Sydney in the fornt seat. All three lay down, none of that jumping from window to window. But I just got rid of my Jeep and got and Audi so it will be inetersting to see if they all can fit now. They definitely won't be able to lay down.


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## Jacey's boy (Feb 26, 2009)

I use the crate in the SUV. Usually when I'm taking Jacey somewhere I'm either by myself or have one other person with me so I fold down the back seats so the crate can fit better.


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## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

We have a Subaru Forrester. I use a Noz2Noz crate for Tess in the car. The crate fits comfortably in the cargo area, but usually I put one of the chairs down, so I can keep a close eye on her, as she is still a little pup.


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## Tanyac (Jun 18, 2008)

I recently had a CRV. Honda make a dog guard which is really easy to fit and is a safe barrier to prevent the dogs from coming over the back in an accident. It's not expensive and could quite literally be a lifesaver. The dog can then use the whole boot area.

I personally would never, ever let any dog ride unrestrained in a car, you never know when an accident might happen, and it wouldn't take a very high speed collision to send the dog flying through the front windscreen, probably killing you on the way through. IMO it's not worth taking the risk, especially with a large dog like the GR.

Lucky you, I absolutley loved my CRV, but the OH had to trade it in when he needed a new car for work.


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## Sienna's Mom (Oct 23, 2007)

Marty's Mom said:


> We have a Honda CRV. You can fit two Golden Retrievers back there comfortably; however, you should use a restraint. There are hooks that you can latch on to. I would also put up a safety net or barrier. The back seats can be easily climbed over. I like the CRV - it takes the wear and tear easily. Also, the back is not as high up as other SUVs. I have my dogs put their front paws up and I give them a boost from behind.
> 
> Hope this helps : )


Thanks ;-) do you have any recommendations on a restraint? I now have a harness that we have used the seat.belt with, but not sure how to attach it to something in the back.


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## Sienna's Mom (Oct 23, 2007)

Thanks everyone!!! I will look into the barrier and see if I can attach her seatbelt harness in some way. I liked using that when she was in the back seat as she would just curl up on the seat. Maybe we will do that for trips as we will need to use the cargo for cargo ;-)


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## ilovemydogs (Jan 22, 2009)

I have a Chevy Trailblazer, but I have had a Hyundai Tuscon which is a small SUV, and Bailey has ridden in the back of both comfortably. Duke always rides in the back seat. I restrain Bailey with the cargo hooks in the back. I could easily fit both of them in the back of the Trailblazer.


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

I have a SUV, Hank (and Maggie when she was alive) road in the cargo area with no problems.


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## Sienna's Mom (Oct 23, 2007)

Can anyone using the cargo hooks to restrain their puppers somehow LOL describe how they do it? I have a seat belt harness for Sienna that we looped the shoulder belt through when she was in the back seat. I am wondering how I can "attach" it to a cargo area so she will be safe and comfortable and not tangle herself up in the "lead".

Thanks so so much!!! :wavey:


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Get a carabiner and hook it to the tie down in the cargo space, then you can hook the strap of the harness through the carabiner. You could use a really short leash too if the harness strap is too short.


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## Sienna's Mom (Oct 23, 2007)

Well, I bought a super short tie out with clips and hooked that to her seatbelt harness. It was very awkward getting her settled LOL and she was a bit confused when I closed the back door. I dropped my son off at school and I think she didn't know what to do.

This car isn't huge, but I really had to lift her into the back. What does everyone else do? I'm not sure I have the room for a ramp LOL.
Just for that short trip she got a little tangled in the short lead (under her belly) and I was a little nervous that she would hurt herself and I would be too far from her to check her. We have a cargo cover that mounts 1/3 into the cargo area that also makes it awkward, it doesn't really stow anywhere.

I suppose we will just have to get used to it, don't I sound terrible? LOL : I am not sure if I will cave in and use our seatbelt harness in the back seat- DH is just a fiend about dog hair :uhoh:

This is what I had to look at driving back home :smooch:


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## Mighty Casey and Samson's Mom (Jul 16, 2008)

_"I admit, mine always ride unrestrained."_
Casey is unrestrained in the back of my CRV. We do have the gate piece that keeps him back there. After 2 years of car sick dog seat belted in the front and back seats, this works so well for Casey and I. He likes the nice, flat bed that he doesn't always feel in danger of falling off of.
I think that the Honda CRV is an excellent "dog car" and hope to have mine for many more years,


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