[Tengocity]

We are mulling over getting a dog at some point in the next year or two.. curious as to how most folk choose to carry their dogs if they have one?

We have a tourer, so the boot is the obvious answer for us, but not everyone has a tourer! So how much hassle is it just using the back seats etc?

I ask so that I may consider this in my choice of second car.. not sure I want to have two estates!

For example thinking that a M135i might be more suitable than a saloon if the boot is big enough, or is the 4GC reasonable?

Is a 4 coupe/convertible a daft idea?

Is life much easier if you just get an SUV with their large loadspaces? I guess if I have a dog in the car I'm going to have to slow down a bit in the corners.. .

We are thinking of getting a Hungarian Visla, as I guess the size and type of dog is important to know.

Thanks in advance!

[....,,,,..,,..]

Remember dogs love water, mud, horse shit, Cow shit, they pee on themselves when it's windy....

Yeah Tourer

[ZeroFx]

tie lead to tow ring and engage sport

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by Arthur D

Beautiful dog Terry.

Just make sure you know what you're getting into.

Yes, I know they are naturally very exuberant. But they are responsive and intelligent, so with our intention to invest considerable time and energy to high quality training we think it will be fine.

The wife loves German Shepherds too, but they're huge!

Our other idea is to go get a good old-fashioned proper Heinz 57 mongrel, though probably from Poland as there are plenty of them there still. In the UK it seems that the only cross breeds/mongrels are variations of staffy crosses, which is not my cup of tea.

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by Brigand

Remember dogs love water, mud, horse shit, Cow shit, they pee on themselves when it's windy....

Yeah Tourer

Yeah that's what I'm thinking. Do you put yours straight in to the boot or do you use a crate or anything?

[Dadwhitey]

Originally Posted by Brigand

Remember dogs love water, mud, horse shit, Cow shit, they pee on themselves when it's windy....

Yeah Tourer

This time of year is a nightmare , it's amazing how much crap even a short haired dog can pick up .

Our second vehicle is this , as it's my disabled daughters transport in her wheelchair , also my 2 are long haired Newfoundlands ( 10 stone each ) which I do water rescue training with .
I just throw them in the back which is caged and don't have to bother about the interior if they decide to have a wee shake .

Would never put them anywhere near the bmw

[....,,,,..,,..]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

Yeah that's what I'm thinking. Do you put yours straight in to the boot or do you use a crate or anything?

Used to use a crate but he's quite tall.

He has a bed in the back, spends his time lying down looking out the back.

You do need a bumper cover thing though.


By rights for full safety a crate is best, however he prefers the ability to move about.

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by Arthur D

We nearly got a Visla, but youre committing to a couple of hours exercise every day.
Also, unless someone will be in the house all day, it's a good idea to check how the breed is with separation anxiety.
I grew up with German Shepherds. Beautiful dogs and excellent with children if you are going to have any Terry juniors in the future. Less high maintenance than the Visla, but large a and strong dogs that will respond very well to training. Also, you'll never get burgled!
,

Myself and the wife work from home a few days of the week each so there would only be occasional days where there isn't anyone home, but we'd still only do it if we knew of a reliable dog walker locally.

[Dadwhitey]

[QUOTE=Arthur D;19019066]

Originally Posted by Dadwhitey

This time of year is a nightmare , it's amazing how much crap even a short haired dog can pick up .

Our second vehicle is this , as it's my disabled daughters transport in her wheelchair , also my 2 are long haired Newfoundlands ( 10 stone each ) which I do water rescue training with .
I just throw them in the back which is caged and don't have to bother about the interior if they decide to have a wee shake .

Would never put them anywhere near the bmw


I adore Newfoundlands. Any pictures?

My 2 this summer Eva ( black 4.5 yr ) and Suri ( nearly 2 )



Suri's brother on my ski at Loch Lomond



Eva doing what she does best



And when we first got Suri at 8 weeks

[rocketretro]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

............
Is life much easier if you just get an SUV with their large loadspaces? I guess if I have a dog in the car I'm going to have to slow down a bit in the corners.. .

We are thinking of getting a Hungarian Visla, as I guess the size and type of dog is important to know.

Thanks in advance!

Just my take and dealing with the dog issue, my folks had a wonderful Vizla, a really good choice. My view, a puppy from strong looking parents as some Vizla's can be a bit on the slim side for my taste. Drive normally but as if you had a child at the back. Most dogs lie down but some sit up all the way making faces at other cars i.e. my Boxer. Too much space encourages some dogs to stand for longer. Space wise, I use my little Mercedes A140 to drive the dogs around. They settle down very quickly.

Most SUV's tend to have a higher rear sill which is fine if the dog is well, agile and willing to jump. The touring is just the right height. I'm not convinced that you need a cage in the rear but you do need a barrier between the load area and rear seats.

Another rule, never get a dog that big that you can't carry for it 400 yards! Labrador and a snake bite...

and just because we like posting images

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by Dadwhitey

I just throw them in the back which is caged and don't have to bother about the interior if they decide to have a wee shake .

Would never put them anywhere near the bmw

Originally Posted by Brigand

By rights for full safety a crate is best, however he prefers the ability to move about.

This is what I'm thinking, so I do even wonder how suitable the tourer is if you're going somewhere with luggage. By the time you put in something that gives the dog enough room then that's it used up.

So something like an X5 must be handy as whilst it's no van I'm thinking you could get something that's quite deep but only uses half the width so you can still get other luggage in?

In which case an SUV for one of us and the tourer for the other means we can both carry the dog.

But there must be plenty folk out there with dogs who just put them on the back seat! Or is that only folk with wee dogs that don't get too dirty and messy?

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by Rocketretro

Most SUV's tend to have a higher rear sill which is fine if the dog is well, agile and willing to jump. The touring is just the right height. I'm not convinced that you need a cage in the rear but you do need a barrier between the load area and rear seats.

Another rule, never get a dog that big that you can't carry for it 400 yards! Labrador and a snake bite...

Yes, I'd definitely use a proper guard between loadspace, but I think I like the idea of the crate keeping things a bit neater and tidier as well.

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by Arthur D

Terry.
There are some very good rear seat covers. BMW make one. Even a wet and muddy dog would be fine.

Might be handy for the M3 convertible

[Dadwhitey]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

This is what I'm thinking, so I do even wonder how suitable the tourer is if you're going somewhere with luggage. By the time you put in something that gives the dog enough room then that's it used up.

So something like an X5 must be handy as whilst it's no van I'm thinking you could get something that's quite deep but only uses half the width so you can still get other luggage in?

In which case an SUV for one of us and the tourer for the other means we can both carry the dog.

But there must be plenty folk out there with dogs who just put them on the back seat! Or is that only folk with wee dogs that don't get too dirty and messy?

X5 doesn't have a great amount of room ( what I'm trading in ) with the sloping tailgate and it is also quite high for the dog to get in and out off as already mentioned .
Same can be said for quite a few 4x4 , if going that route I'd say a discovery 4

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by Dadwhitey

X5 doesn't have a great amount of room ( what I'm trading in ) with the sloping tailgate and it is also quite high for the dog to get in and out off as already mentioned .
Same can be said for quite a few 4x4 , if going that route I'd say a discovery 4

Hmmm... I still have to enjoy driving it when there isn't a dog! Or else I have to persuade the wife that she doesn't in fact dislike SUVs but actually really wants one!

[Dadwhitey]

[QUOTE=Arthur D;19019109]

Originally Posted by Dadwhitey

Absolutely beautiful! !

Thankyou , they are a great breed with a excellent temperament towards other dogs and great with kids when not going full on , as it's like a bowling ball to skittles with 10 stone behind it .

Eva sleeps with the cat

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by Arthur D

Dogs adore convetables.

My spaniel comes out with me in the MX5

How would your 1 series boot be for a medium sized dog?

[Dadwhitey]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

Might be handy for the M3 convertible

would have loved to have my 2 in the back of this , the looks I would have got at the lights .
But the wife just looked at me and I knew the answer

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by Arthur D

Fine for a Visla. No problem at all

Thanks

[Trialskings]

We have a long haired female German Shepherd (aka my hairy German girlfriend). In the F31 I have a custom covers boot liner and sat in that a grippy moulded rubber boot protector from flea bay.

The pair together do a great job of keeping the mess off the car. I walk 6 miles a day with ours over 2 walks which just keeps her sane - with my Son in the back-pack adding 33lb to the walk I pretty much consider this exercise done for the week!. Size wise, being a bitch (32Kg) she's no bigger than many labs.

Both GSD's & Vislas high energy muts, glad to hear you're serious about training. We invested a huge amount of time into ours which we've never regretted.

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by Trialskings

Both GSD's & Vislas high energy muts, glad to hear you're serious about training. We invested a huge amount of time into ours which we've never regretted.

Yes, I don't do things half-hearted. I've waited a long time to have the right circumstances to have a dog, and part of the reason I've changed from being office based to being field based is to allow the lifestyle that makes it feasible.

I've always loved the Vislas but the wife thought they were a bit too bonkers until I showed her some great videos of one that had done proper obedience training. I can't think of anything more rewarding.

[Trialskings]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

Yes, I don't do things half-hearted. I've waited a long time to have the right circumstances to have a dog, and part of the reason I've changed from being office based to being field based is to allow the lifestyle that makes it feasible.

Surely you're after a sheep dog?