Dog in the back of trucks -- with toppers.

[sabies]

You could get the egg-crate mattress covers to line the cab if you do decide to travel that way. Then put the dog bed(s) on top of that so they can lie down with extra pillows to protect from sudden braking. Don't let them stand, even if there is enough room.

[Kfamr]

Nope, they don't stand while we're in the vehicle. They know to sit or lay down. Which, in this case i'd make them lay.

[Kfamr]

I guess it doesn't matter anyways. The type of topper I would only allow them to ride in would be one with a sliding window form the cap to the back... which it'd cots an extra $400 or something for just that.

I'm pretty sure we're just going to take two vehicles, the pups, dad and I in one -- Lauren, Kenny, and Honey in another.

[Karen]

When my Dad had a pick-up with a topper, he went to the junkyard and got a whole back seat from a car and installed it in the bed, the back of the seat went against the back of the cab, and the seat essentially filled that whole "wall" below the window. That gave a cushion against people bouncing against the wall of the cab on sudden brakings (we'd just hit the seat, as in a car) and gave us a nice place to sit, and seat belts. It was bolted to the bed of the truck, and could be removed if he needed the cargo room, though I don't recall that ever happening.

[Twisterdog]

The two concerns with this are temperature and safety. If you can open the window to the cab, that probably takes care of the temperature problem ... although I think it might still get a little hot back there.

It's not safe for you to ride in the back of the pickup, without a seat belt. And your dogs should really be in crates which are securely tied down, so they can't slide.

[Kfamr]

Which neither really matter anymore, because we're going to take two vehicles.

The toppers are too expensive, and I would not allow my dad to get one without windows.


Thank you for your responses everyone.

[FizzGiggs_Mommy]

I think this is ubsurd but I have seen here in NJ doggies rideing in the backs of trucks tied to a runner bolted in the middle of the bed. When I visited my father in FL we drove from NJ to Key Largo I had my two pugs in the bed of the truck in a crate with a topper on the truck. They slept most of the ride until it started to rain (The Florida Monsoons ) anyway back to the subject.....I think as long as you have a topper on the truck they will be fine. besides it will be fun to ride with them back there you will have all that room to yourselves. But just to be safe bring your doggie first aid kit.