Request for Assistance Related to Pets in Pilots

[Alloces]

I have a dog, Tonka with whom I do competitive obedience, one of the reasons for the Pilot, (Thanks Tonka).... and in the summer when we train outdoors we like to keep the windows down and keep the hatch open... Tonka prefers to ride in the trunk without a crate. So to ensure his safety, I am looking for some sort of barrier to keep him enclosed in the trunk with the hatch open so that air/wind can circulate...

The separation net offered by Honda won't work, it is too short and I am not sure if the traditional barrier gate will or not, but thought I would throw it out for ideas and see if some other crazy individual has seen something that might work.

And just for extras, if anyone is ever looking for a dog crate for the Pilot, there is a slant front crate made by General Cagehttp://www.generalcage.com/Shopping/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=GeneralCage&category%5F name=Slant+Front+Crates&product%5Fid=200BlackSF which will work nicely if your dog fits. I have seen a few other slant front versions on the market as well. It seems to be the widest/tallest one that I could find that I didn't have to turn sideways or lay down both sets of seats..

[krygny]

Originally posted by Alloces
...
Tonka prefers to ride in the trunk without a crate.
...

Unfortunately, Tonka doesn't know what's best for him.

I've never seen anything like you described. But I would NEVER, under any circumstance, drive with my dogs in the back while the hatch is open, no matter how they were restrained.

I've found it impractical to use restraints with my dogs. I wear set belts, but they won't. I can't have a couple of hundred-pound dogs flying into my lap in a front-end collision. So, when they're in the car, I drive very, VERY carefully. But there's little I can do to keep from getting slammed from behind. If the hatch were open ... I don't want to think about it.

[jay]

I'm with krygny on this one. I'd never leave the hatch open for any reason whatsoever. Exhaust gases entering the cabin are never a good thing, however small the chance, not to mention the other obvious safety issues.

[TheWorm]

Driving w/the hatch open is a BIG mistake IMO. The "reduced" air from windows-only will be better for Tonka than exhaust fumes and the possibility of ending up on the road.

If Tonka so desperately needs air, fold down the 2nd row and let him sit next to a rolldown window. Or let him sit in the 2nd row and use a doggie seatbelt (www.ruffrider.com).

[Alloces]

First and foremost, OMG no no no I don't DRIVE with it open it is parked.. Now I will finishe reading the rest of the responses.

Sorry for the confusion..

[Alloces]

ok I am crazy but not that crazy!!!!

I feel like I might need to start over. My preference is to have my dog in a crate at all times when he is in the Pilot, that way he is secured and safe. It was a fair ordeal to find a crate that fit well and left me room for our equipment, but that way if for some reason I am ever rear ended and the hatch flies open, the dog stays secure, and if we were ever in a bad accident and someone needed to remove me or my dog from the car, they would have to worry about whether he is a nice dog or not (which he is) plus when I train in the summer and have the Pilot PARKED I could keep the hatch open and know he wasn't getting too hot.

Now my concern is he gets stressed in the crate... It seems he doesn't feel secure... If I have another dog next to him, he is fine, so he is lonely in that crate. If I don't use the crate he is fine, but come summer when I want to pop the hatch and leave him in it PARKED I want him to be secured using some sort of Net or barrier so that I can leave it open for him to get fresh air... We train outside in the summer and we take turns to give the dogs a break so there are times where he will be in the Pilot with the hatch open and me a few feet from it helping others...

Ok, now that that is hopefully a bit clearer and I don't sound like a maniac driving around with my dog in the back and the hatch open, OMG, I wasn't sure whether to laugh or scream at the confusion.. I have found the following:
The Pet Net I have to check the Pilot when I get home for hooks behind where the third row seats would be...

I also saw a seat belt harness thing used to just attach as a leash Canine Auto Restraint

[Blue04]

We go EVERYWHERE with a dog because my wife has a Seeing Eye dog. My first response would be to tether a lead to the rear hitch, or the tie down rings under the rear. However, if the rules of your gatherings require that the dog be IN the car, I’d consider making up a short lead that would snap into the LATCH (new fangled baby seat standard) clip on the back of the center second row seat. It shouldn’t be rocket science to figure a length that allows the dog to move some and yet won’t allow it to hang itself half out the rear. (There are also the cargo rings in the floor, but the LATCH thing is probably stronger, and being centrally located ought to provide the greatest freedom of movement for the dog.)

--scott

[davemac]

My advice (which won't be popular here)... buy a Toyota 4Runner. It's one of the few SUV's that has a power rear (tailgate) window, which is a great feature (& the thing I miss most about our old 4Runner).
This would seem to be a much safer option for your dog.