A Dog compatible car!

midlifecrisis · 29th October 2007, 18:41

No I haven't. And no offence to Innova owners either. Just my humble opinion.
But I've sat in one. And from what I saw, there was a lot more car behind you than when sitting in a Safari. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Akshay1234 · 29th October 2007, 19:10

not really. just a little more. its actually quite easy to drive.

ashish22 · 29th October 2007, 21:10

well a friend of mine who also has St.Bernard is going for Ford Endeavour because he wants maximum comfort and space for his dog. I guess if budget is not an issue for you than you can consider this car.

one thing i would like to share here is that dogs generally prefer to stand or sit while they are travelling in car and so seats can be problematic for them. I know this because whenever i take my dog(german shepherd) for any trip he hardly lays down and most of the times he prefers standing or sitting with his neck outside the rear window.

anyways going through this thread i also feel that safari or innova would serve your purpose well and dont even think of going for a skoda and as a matter of fact dont think of going for any sedan for your dog.

lamborghini · 29th October 2007, 21:20

@akshay - from what I have seen and heard from drivers is that the Innova is wider behind and driver's can't make a good judgement in traffic due to this and possibly a blind spot and hence end up scratching the car a lot.
I have noticed several Innova's with scratches or repair jobs and it really could be because of this.

As for intercity drives - Firstly you need to take the dog for short drives to get him used to the feeling of being in a car otherwise he will be sick and the car gone. Our German Shepard and my sister's German Shepard puked when they were taken for their first couple of car rides.
Also, if you are going to be travelling for a while, it makes sense to take a break and go for a walk with the dog every couple of hours, before driving on towards your destination. Basically, let him stratch his legs every now and then. If this is the dogs first time in a car, taking him for a long drive without any breaks in between is a bad idea.
Also, make sure they eat light when travelling.

midlifecrisis · 30th October 2007, 17:30

Why hasn't anyone suggested the Chevy Tavera?

anupmathur · 30th October 2007, 18:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by midlifecrisis

Why hasn't anyone suggested the Chevy Tavera?

Pretty poor ride quality and a noisy engine which can be clearly heard inside the cabin. And also not peppy. IMHO.

Akshay1234 · 30th October 2007, 18:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by lamborghini

@akshay - from what I have seen and heard from drivers is that the Innova is wider behind and driver's can't make a good judgement in traffic due to this and possibly a blind spot and hence end up scratching the car a lot.
I have noticed several Innova's with scratches or repair jobs and it really could be because of this.

i dont find it wider. but even mine had got a dent at the back on the side. it mostly happens on turns. but whatever little ive driven in traffic

ive found it as easy as my getz, infact more comfortable since the driving position is alot more comfortable for me.(im 6'3")

kbk_75 · 1st November 2007, 20:11

My two lab pups have made about 20 Bombay-Pune runs with me in my Getz and my Mondy. Once they're grown, it's going to be a different story, but my next car has some dog friendly accessories like harnesses that clip onto the seat belts and even an entire rear seat and door protector. Problem is, I don't think both items are compatible!

I would recommend the Octavia Combi to you since you like the Skoda. As long as you keep the aircon on high, he should be ok in the back, though being a St Bernard, you may need the aircon on FULL. As for letting him stick his head out a window, I would NEVER allow my dogs to have more than just their snout poking out the side of the car, IF I was driving slowly in an uncongested area. At speed or in traffic, windows up, A/c on!

Tips: Get him used to being in the car with shorter drives in town first. Do not feed him for at least three hours before a long journey, so that you don't have a mess to clean-up. Walk him before you depart. Take breaks if you're travelling more than two hours at a stretch. Carry a leash and collar with you. Also water and a bowl for him. An extra "clean-up cloth" and some tissues in case of mishaps would be a good idea! Keep his mattress in the back if you buy an estate.

Good luck with your new car, I've been wishing there were more estate cars available here for the past three months! Tsk...

bblost · 1st November 2007, 20:30

completly out of the box for a complete box,
but will not a Maruti Suzuki Versa be a good choice.

and see they even have a dog in thier webpage
Maruti Versa

and the top end ofcourse comes in at just
maruti versa dx2 8 seater bs iii (twin a/c with immobiliser) 503168

Just do a test drive.

Consider wider tyres.

aadix · 14th November 2007, 22:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by satish_appasani

Waiting for aadix to post here. They have about 10 dogs at home. Forgot about travelling even when resting at home the big boys are thrown in to Safari when someone like me is visiting them (big dogs scare me

)

hey,sorry for the late reply,my dogs are boxers.. they are pretty heavy and huge quite unlike regular boxers and apart from them i have miniature pinschers..

ideally i would suggest a suv/muv with large rear space.. the safari was an ideal vehicle for me as i could easily take 2 dogs comfortably for drives,visits to the doctor and all..

after sellin the safari, my qualis,innova & 207di took over the duty...

innova:
fold the last row in innova and it accomadates one big dog easily..

qualis:
has more space than the safari..qualis easily takes in two and sometimes three with great ease..

207:the most ideal vehicle to take all my dogs around.. (mostly to the vet for the annual vaccines and similar stuff)

as far as the driving comfort is concerned.. the innova is extermely easy to drive once u get use to the length of the muv, it's as easy as a small car.. so i would suggest that

do cover up the rear and the middle row seat seats with a thick rug or something.. i use two or three thick bedsheet covers so the my dogs can snuggle up and not bite or stratch the seats.. i generally dont tie my dogs with a chain or anything.. so they keep jumpin between the mid and the last row.. they are very obident so i dont have the problem of controlling them.. i dont keep them tied cos during sudden breaks the chain might get stuck somewhere, tightening the grip

havent taken any dogs for a long ride..max was 2 hour drives to the farm.. during that i generally stop somewhere once for them to pee and drink water..

hope this helps.. all the best in selecting a the right car

ps: OT :which vet do u take ur bernard to? dr lakshmi?

hey if ur still keen on the skoda,remove the rare parcel shelf,fold the rear seats and cover up the entire area with rugs or sheets.. u'll have tons of rear space for the dog ..

Ankure · 15th November 2007, 13:55

Innova/Safari/Bolero/Scorpio are the only choices for you man in your range..

Arun3 · 15th November 2007, 17:27

Right on to Innova. Toyota has got it right.

29th October 2007, 18:41	#61
midlifecrisis BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 122 Thanked: 5 Times	No I haven't. And no offence to Innova owners either. Just my humble opinion. But I've sat in one. And from what I saw, there was a lot more car behind you than when sitting in a Safari. Correct me if I'm wrong.
	() Thanks

29th October 2007, 19:10	#62
Akshay1234 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 10,265 Thanked: 12,317 Times	not really. just a little more. its actually quite easy to drive.
	() Thanks

29th October 2007, 21:10	#63
ashish22 BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 598 Thanked: 100 Times View My Garage	well a friend of mine who also has St.Bernard is going for Ford Endeavour because he wants maximum comfort and space for his dog. I guess if budget is not an issue for you than you can consider this car. one thing i would like to share here is that dogs generally prefer to stand or sit while they are travelling in car and so seats can be problematic for them. I know this because whenever i take my dog(german shepherd) for any trip he hardly lays down and most of the times he prefers standing or sitting with his neck outside the rear window. anyways going through this thread i also feel that safari or innova would serve your purpose well and dont even think of going for a skoda and as a matter of fact dont think of going for any sedan for your dog.
	() Thanks

29th October 2007, 21:20	#64
lamborghini Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 6,113 Thanked: 5,760 Times View My Garage	@akshay - from what I have seen and heard from drivers is that the Innova is wider behind and driver's can't make a good judgement in traffic due to this and possibly a blind spot and hence end up scratching the car a lot. I have noticed several Innova's with scratches or repair jobs and it really could be because of this. As for intercity drives - Firstly you need to take the dog for short drives to get him used to the feeling of being in a car otherwise he will be sick and the car gone. Our German Shepard and my sister's German Shepard puked when they were taken for their first couple of car rides. Also, if you are going to be travelling for a while, it makes sense to take a break and go for a walk with the dog every couple of hours, before driving on towards your destination. Basically, let him stratch his legs every now and then. If this is the dogs first time in a car, taking him for a long drive without any breaks in between is a bad idea. Also, make sure they eat light when travelling. Last edited by lamborghini : 29th October 2007 at 21:24.
	() Thanks

30th October 2007, 17:30	#65
midlifecrisis BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 122 Thanked: 5 Times	Why hasn't anyone suggested the Chevy Tavera?
	() Thanks

1st November 2007, 20:11	#68
kbk_75 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bombay Posts: 1,233 Thanked: 388 Times	My two lab pups have made about 20 Bombay-Pune runs with me in my Getz and my Mondy. Once they're grown, it's going to be a different story, but my next car has some dog friendly accessories like harnesses that clip onto the seat belts and even an entire rear seat and door protector. Problem is, I don't think both items are compatible! I would recommend the Octavia Combi to you since you like the Skoda. As long as you keep the aircon on high, he should be ok in the back, though being a St Bernard, you may need the aircon on FULL. As for letting him stick his head out a window, I would NEVER allow my dogs to have more than just their snout poking out the side of the car, IF I was driving slowly in an uncongested area. At speed or in traffic, windows up, A/c on! Tips: Get him used to being in the car with shorter drives in town first. Do not feed him for at least three hours before a long journey, so that you don't have a mess to clean-up. Walk him before you depart. Take breaks if you're travelling more than two hours at a stretch. Carry a leash and collar with you. Also water and a bowl for him. An extra "clean-up cloth" and some tissues in case of mishaps would be a good idea! Keep his mattress in the back if you buy an estate. Good luck with your new car, I've been wishing there were more estate cars available here for the past three months! Tsk... Last edited by kbk_75 : 1st November 2007 at 20:17.
	() Thanks

1st November 2007, 20:30	#69
bblost Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 11,008 Thanked: 15,338 Times View My Garage	completly out of the box for a complete box, but will not a Maruti Suzuki Versa be a good choice. and see they even have a dog in thier webpage Maruti Versa and the top end ofcourse comes in at just maruti versa dx2 8 seater bs iii (twin a/c with immobiliser) 503168 Just do a test drive. Consider wider tyres.
	() Thanks

15th November 2007, 13:55	#71
Ankure BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Delhi Posts: 63 Thanked: Once	Innova/Safari/Bolero/Scorpio are the only choices for you man in your range..
	() Thanks

15th November 2007, 17:27	#72
Arun3 Newbie Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 13 Thanked: 0 Times	Right on to Innova. Toyota has got it right.
	() Thanks