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View Full Version : Gates in car to keep Dogs seperate from baby!



Tondi G
05-31-2001, 11:36 AM
We just purchased a Dodge Durango and need to keep our 3 dogs in the back seperate from the baby! I have never owned an SUV or stationwagon so I have no idea what to buy. Anyone have dogs and kids and use one of those gates in the car to keep them separate??? I have seen soft net types... metal w 2" mesh grating and the metal tubular styles... anyone have experiences with any of these and have likes/dislikes? Baby due in 6 weeks would love to order and install before then! Thanks in advance! Hope I put this post in the right section if I should post elsewhere let me know? Thanks Tondi

mckitt
05-31-2001, 02:32 PM
We're anticipating this problem in the near future (actually planning to buy a station wagon to accommodate both baby and dog). I just checked out two pet suppliers (rcsteele.com and petsmart.com)--rcsteele had all three types of barriers (nylon mesh, metal grid and tubular steel) while petsmart only had the tubular steel. I think we'll probably opt for the metal grid style, since my medium-sized dog (~45 lbs.) would surely be able to wiggle her way through the openings with the tubular steel model. She also gets very excited whenever she goes for a car ride and I envision her pawing at whatever barrier we put up: I think the metal grid might withstand that a bit better than the nylon and the rigidity might keep her from getting her paws stuck. But if you have big mellow dogs, I imagine you can use any of the three styles.

tobymc
05-31-2001, 03:30 PM
I'm not at all an expert about dogs in the car, but I do know something about projectiles in a car. The rule of thumb is to multiply the weight of any object unrestrained in a car (a klenex box, a baby, a dog) by the speed you are travelling at the time of a crash to get the force that the object will be travelling. So a 45 pound dog in a 30 mph crash has a force of 1,350 pounds. Very roughly.

So I would recommend against the nylon mesh. I'm sure it can't take forces like that. Hopefully the metal grid or tubular steel can withstand quite a lot more force. Find out how it is attached.

Apparently, there are also some harnesses that can be put on dogs to attach them to the car, like you could harness a child. This is another way you can protect the dog and the other occupants of your car.

Toby

Chevalier
05-31-2001, 09:42 PM
If you're trying to decide between models, I'd sugest giving them a good shake to determine the "rattle factor."

gingerbrown
06-01-2001, 09:46 AM
I have 2 Siberian Huskies -- one about 35 lbs and one about 55 lbs. We have tried just about every kind of barrier to keep them in the "way back" and now we use one of the steel tube barriers in our station wagon and it is great -- no one can get through it, it stays put, etc.

Definitely stay away from the mesh net kind of barriers -- our car came with one pre-installed, and the dogs were able to get around it easily, even my larger dog had no trouble. (Also, if your dogs are chewers, they will eat through this kind!)

The steel grid gates are good IF your car is a "standard" size -- these barriers are not as adjustable as they look -- the steel tube barriers are better in that respect.

I found the best prices at www.drsfostersmith.com (I actually order most of my dog toys, etc. from them anyway), and their service is fantastic!

I hope this helps!

Ginger

app
06-12-2001, 02:31 PM
I agree--it depends on the type of dog. We have a SUV and a 140-pound Newfoundland. We use a tubular steel model that we purchased at Costco that has worked very well. Good luck!