Dog Guard
- Thread starter LRflip
- Start date
what a cute lookin pup. I bought my dog full grown. I just dont want to restrict him with the crate. And I wouldnt use the crate anywhere other than in the truck. So I might as well buy a dog guard. Hes like my shadow, he follows me everywhere. I dont even need a leash to walk him. He's busted through fences, doors, and my girlfriends mom just to be beside me. I need something stronger than a net.
I understand. I'm certainly not trying to push the crate; I just wanted to make sure you'd considered your options before dropping the coin for the LR guard. I personally think the LR guard is the best choice anyway. Especially if you off-road at all.
Craig
Craig
When I bought my Disco, I also got my dog, a GSD. I advocate the crate because there are times where the crate is better then the LR guard. In an auto accident, its another layer of protection. If you have to take along a ton of gear, and fold the seats, then you have your dog on top of your gear or they'll figure out a way though the gap between the guard and where the backrests should be.
I used to do search and rescue with my dogs, and there were times when I had to leave my pup back at base for one reason or another. It was required to have a crate, so that if it got hot we could put them outside in the shade, and not the the car. There's just not enough ventilation back there.
As personal experience, a dog is extremely destructive. My GSD destroyed the cargo bins in the back, the rear door bin, scratched enough to break the rear defroster plug and a few of the horizontal defroster lines in the glass. In the end, I wish I would have gotten a crate in the first place.
The disadvantage is that it may take up space, and you'll have to put the rear seats up each time - which is a pain. I put mine on the driver's slide, since it can obscure my line of sight on the passenger side, and increase my blind spot.
If you do a bit more research, you'll find that dogs actually like crates. Too many people use it as a punishment, but if you use it in a positive manner, they'll naturally go to it. Its like their own room/den. My dog was crate trained when I got her, and it sits next to my bed - when I go to bed, she goes to her crate. I never close the door.
I used to do search and rescue with my dogs, and there were times when I had to leave my pup back at base for one reason or another. It was required to have a crate, so that if it got hot we could put them outside in the shade, and not the the car. There's just not enough ventilation back there.
As personal experience, a dog is extremely destructive. My GSD destroyed the cargo bins in the back, the rear door bin, scratched enough to break the rear defroster plug and a few of the horizontal defroster lines in the glass. In the end, I wish I would have gotten a crate in the first place.
The disadvantage is that it may take up space, and you'll have to put the rear seats up each time - which is a pain. I put mine on the driver's slide, since it can obscure my line of sight on the passenger side, and increase my blind spot.
If you do a bit more research, you'll find that dogs actually like crates. Too many people use it as a punishment, but if you use it in a positive manner, they'll naturally go to it. Its like their own room/den. My dog was crate trained when I got her, and it sits next to my bed - when I go to bed, she goes to her crate. I never close the door.
I like crates too, and am using one in the house and in the truck until he is potty trained. I just can't imagine using one regularly as he gets older. It's too easy to just open the rear hatch and let the dog jump in. Then again, my last dog chewed on, shed on, and got his nose prints on everything in the back of my old truck. I was constantly cleaning and armoring back there. Maybe it would be easier to use the crate all the time after all.
I'm putting the dog guard in either way and am crate training the pup (he loves it). I want him to learn to be comfortable with or without a crate in a vehicle while he is young. Options are nice to have.
I'm going to be doing some SAR work starting next fall. With that in mind, the crate sounds even more useful.
Craig
I'm putting the dog guard in either way and am crate training the pup (he loves it). I want him to learn to be comfortable with or without a crate in a vehicle while he is young. Options are nice to have.
I'm going to be doing some SAR work starting next fall. With that in mind, the crate sounds even more useful.
Craig
He has the personality to go with it too. After several, how shall we say it, "difficult dogs" we are absolutely ecstatic.Craig