We often refer to our Zafira as the beagle bus, and there are certainly a disproportionate number of them in any dog show carpark

The Zafira can take a reasonably large crate in the back, and still leave copious space for five passengers, in fact we can get a beagle crate in, hoik up one of the boot seats, and get six in plus dog

when we have other dogs to transport too, the 'middle' seats can move forward out of the way, and we can get two crates in, plus some luggage, and two people

so what do you drive, and what can you get stuffed inside?

A friend breeds irish wolfhounds, and she drives a huge van which she has had racked out into two rooms - one for dogs and one for people whilst she's showing them :D

We often refer to our Zafira as the beagle bus, and there are certainly a disproportionate number of them in any dog show carpark

The Zafira can take a reasonably large crate in the back, and still leave copious space for five passengers, in fact we can get a beagle crate in, hoik up one of the boot seats, and get six in plus dog

when we have other dogs to transport too, the 'middle' seats can move forward out of the way, and we can get two crates in, plus some luggage, and two people

so what do you drive, and what can you get stuffed inside?

A friend breeds irish wolfhounds, and she drives a huge van which she has had racked out into two rooms - one for dogs and one for people whilst she's showing them :D

She shows people?:P

We have a meriva which is smaller than the zafira but classed as an mpv. It has a lovely big boot and fold flat seats. You could easily get a crate in the boot if you wished. We do find it to small though for camping. I am also learning to drive and i want the dogs contained that harness's when i drive so we are looking to change as we have don't really have room for 2 crates and all the luggage we need when going somewhere.

I would like to get some type of 3 seater van and have 2 crates fitted and a partition so we can get all our gear in. Can anyone recommend me a van i was thinking Volkswagon caddy or peugeot expert size as they are 3 seaters but not huge vans. I love the Volkswagon caravelles but couldn't afford that type of thing. I would also want to keep insurance etc down but not to bigger engine.

Citroen Grand C4 Picasso... Copious amounts of space :D

All the 5 back seats fold flat to form a sort of van floor but they also move independently of each other so you can have seats and crates in all weird combinations!

The dogs are currently in the boot with no crate (with plenty of space!) due to Eddy getting grumbly about his legs being cramped in a crate and Takara loves the fact that the boot windows have windowsills for her to rest her chin!!

My new car is a Skoda estate, which is very boring but functional and was delivered with a dog guard so that Molly can have half of the boot with a box of kit in the other half, then the usual 5 passengers in the front part. It's such a nice change not to have to put covers on and off the seats and baby seats on and off the seats daily like I had to with the old car!

Citroen Grand C4 Picasso... Copious amounts of space :D
All the 5 back seats fold flat to form a sort of van floor but they also move independently of each other so you can have seats and crates in all weird combinations!

The dogs are currently in the boot with no crate (with plenty of space!) due to Eddy getting grumbly about his legs being cramped in a crate and Takara loves the fact that the boot windows have windowsills for her to rest her chin!!

Sounds lovely Lottie but am not that rich :D

Sorry Adz... I didn't mean it in answer to your post - but to the OP! Not sure you could get the dividers in like you were mentioning anyway!

I have a little fiesta and a golf. Generally have the back seats down and then put a dog guard up halfway so the dog has half and all the luggage the other half. There is just enough room for him to lie stretched out and stand up. If we every have kids we will have to get a bigger car :lol:

My mum used to have a golden retriever as a kid. They used to fit 5 people and the dog in a mini and go to a caravan on the east coast each year :shocked:

I know sorry lottie couldn't resist was only joking although i would love one. We saw one the other day and i had to look twice as i didn't recognise it as a picasso.

i have a peugeot 807..its huge but my little chinese crested loves it, think its because the windows are enormous, believe me all cresties are really nosey...lol

We have a hyundai trajet. It's a lovely big car, but it's still a squash when we ALL go out. We have 7 seats - me, hubby & 5 kids. Oh and 2 prams! The prams are squashed in front of the babies car seats, the German Shepherd can "just" fit into the stupidly small excuse for a boot, and the springer sits in the front passenger footwell. Fortunately, she's only tiny! If any of the kids aren't going out with us, we just remove the unused seats to give us a bit more room :)

What you need Adz, is an ex-postal van - the kind with a second row of seats....

or maybe one of those railway 'chip vans' - they have a caravan table and cooking facilities in the mid section :D

I have always had Estate cars especially for the dogs, keeps all the muck in the back:D. My last three have been Mondeo, Passatt and now a Focus. I did have a clapped out van years ago, but the floor fell in...:suspect: it was only a few hundred quid and was great for the dogs... somewhat of a deathtrap looking back.:o

I will say that the Passatt has been our best estate so far.

mine love shankespony lol or the firstmainline.

We have a meriva which is smaller than the zafira but classed as an mpv. It has a lovely big boot and fold flat seats. You could easily get a crate in the boot if you wished. We do find it to small though for camping. I am also learning to drive and i want the dogs contained that harness's when i drive so we are looking to change as we have don't really have room for 2 crates and all the luggage we need when going somewhere.

I would like to get some type of 3 seater van and have 2 crates fitted and a partition so we can get all our gear in. Can anyone recommend me a van i was thinking Volkswagon caddy or peugeot expert size as they are 3 seaters but not huge vans. I love the Volkswagon caravelles but couldn't afford that type of thing. I would also want to keep insurance etc down but not to bigger engine.

There is a bright orange van for sale down the road from me its parked up on the grass verge with a sign. I think its a escort box van...they would certainly see you coming in that! Its £450.

If you're going to buy one of the bright orange ones you'll have to be careful that you don't get mistaken for one of the dog walking services. All of the orange vans used to be RAC vans, just like if you buy a red one it's probably an ex-Royal Mail van and all of the vans for one of the walking services are those orange vans with black paw prints on.

well i must admit i didn't fancy white!! Now where can i find a pink one!!! :D

Thanks for the suggestions guys:)

Pink? :suspect:

And have you told Albert he'll be travelling in a PINK dogmobile? :suspect:

:hihi:

Hmmm Albert may well pack his bags and leave should he find out it is a pink, although he is a complete wuss.

Adz says if i get a van i have to have a little sign saying "if this van is a rockin don't come a knockin" :hihi: :o me thinks i will not get a sign saying this.

just a little pic ....sardines in a can ....or 3 big dogs in a polo !!!!
http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc353/sazzlebrin/bootdogs.jpg

The dobermutt outgrew our little Ford Ka so we upgraded to an A Class - but after the darn thing broke down on us for the third time, we swapped it for a Kia Picanto - Ok it's small but its 5dr, cheap and cheerful to run and plenty of backseat space for one sprawled out mutt and ocassionally me too (hence the bruises). In an ideal world, we'd have a new mini but for several thousand£ reasons, we've gotta stick to the picanto for now! Great for trips to IKEA, the DIY store or the tip too

I know this is a fairly old thread but I just spotted it.

After years of driving manky old cars that were always fairly filthy inside, I decided to treat myself to a lovely Golf V5 with leather heated seats and all mod cons and an immaculate, pristine interior.

Not long after, I came across a great big lolloping mastiff cross foster dog who somehow found his way into my heart AND my beautiful car :huh:

Fast forward a few months and the lollop is a permanent fixture and the car is no where near as pristine as the condition I bought it in :(

My lovely soft finish leather back seats are now residing in my cupboard so I could fold the back down and a layer of fluffy hair covers most surfaces! Hmmmm........ :hihi:

yeah, you used to be able to get cars with really plasticky interiors that were easy to clean! Now they upholster every surface, including the doors! And if that's not enough, the carpet they fit in them is particularly fond of eating dog hairs so your hoover stands no chance of getting them back out again!

yeah, you used to be able to get cars with really plasticky interiors that were easy to clean! Now they upholster every surface, including the doors! And if that's not enough, the carpet they fit in them is particularly fond of eating dog hairs so your hoover stands no chance of getting them back out again!

I hate car carpet! It takes me an hour to get rid of the hairs just out of the boot and thats when it has been covered with a plastic protector and blanket. I'd love to have it valeted but I think they would refuse to do it :hihi: I think I would have to clean it first then hand it over to be done!

I hate car carpet! It takes me an hour to get rid of the hairs just out of the boot and thats when it has been covered with a plastic protector and blanket. I'd love to have it valeted but I think they would refuse to do it :hihi: I think I would have to clean it first then hand it over to be done!

I can recommend Lee at PCC for his ability to remove dog hair and mud from car upholstery and carpet. The lucky, lucky man gets to clean up the worst that Molly can do (complete with nose marks all over the windows!) every couple of months and does it really well.

I hate my car now :lol:

Why do they make cars with those stupid carpets?! Mine is absolutely full to the brim with dog hair, mud and whatever else. I also carry all my stock about in it so there's bits of bird seed and hay strewn about the place too...

Medusa - how much does he charge? I'm going to need mine sorting out but not until I've figured out a way of making sure it doesn't get as bad again!

Try one of these,cheap here but they do appear in Poundland now and again.

http://www.krsproducts.co.uk/brush.htm

Forgot to say ours is a Rav 4 ideal for getting a huge GSD to the park.

I had to agree to let my OH have his dream car so i could get my dog Lol. Its got a ridicolously small back seat which the dogs sit in as theres nowhere else. Mind you the back seat is no good for a person to sit in unless you've got no legs as there is zero leg room in the back. If the dogs werent using that space it would be a complete waste.

We've talked about a more practical second car now we have 2 dogs but then his car went to garage and cost us nearly £1,000 (the words "days from exploding" where spoken) so they'll have to slum it on the back seat with their harnesses on for the min.

Try one of these,cheap here but they do appear in Poundland now and again.

http://www.krsproducts.co.uk/brush.htm

Got one :D Handy, and it does help but no way as good as they say it is!

our valeter (until she had to return to the USA :rolleyes: ) used to use an ordinary rubber glove to get the dog hairs out. I use those rubber coated cotton ones sometimes sold as gardening gloves though

Got one :D Handy, and it does help but no way as good as they say it is!

we've got one too and its OK, much better than some products but like you say Lotti, with the design of most car interiors you can never get in all the nooks n crannies. Ive got a Miele upright now and its better than the dyson but still not brilliant at sucking up short sharp black hairs that the dobermutt kindly leaves all over the carpet - car carpet was designed by a cretin who clearly never had to hold a hoover.

Medusa - how much does he charge? I'm going to need mine sorting out but not until I've figured out a way of making sure it doesn't get as bad again!

Depending on whether there's no shampooing at all and only moderate destruction or whether the inside's a real mess he charges between £20 and £30. I don't have any polish to the exterior or anything though- that's for a really good clean but no tyre dressing or flashiness.

ive got my vauxhall vivaro, great for the business and also gets my 8 in the back fine when we go out with them. I love my van, its drive like a car, not at all sluggish infact quicker off the mark than my previous ford focus estate and its nice sitting so high, you feel safer. i do though wish i had a people car and would idealy like a 4x4 at some point so i can keep my business going in most weathers. annax