How to transport two lge dogs & baby!

scorpio76 · by **scorpio76** » Tue Mar 13, 2022 8:58 pm

Just wondering if anyone has advice or experience on transporting the family pet & children! We have two large dogs and a baby on the way and are wondering how we will get them from A to B. My hubby and I live about 2 hrs drive from our families and at present, if we go and visit them at weekends or at Xmas etc, we bring the dogs in the back of the car (a family saloon). Obviously when the baby arrives there will be a car seat in the back of the car and the dogs won't be in the back of the car. Am wondering whether to get a new vehicle that will hold a baby (and possibly a 2nd one in the future), the baby equipment and the two dogs or whether to just put the dogs in the kennels if we're heading home for a few days. I like the car we have and am not keen on forking out or getting a car loan for a new vehicle. Not sure if a dog carrier/trailer is an option as I'm not familiar with these. Not sure either if arriving home or at the inlaws with a baby and two large dogs will be a bit much for all involved (right now the dogs are welcome at both homes) especially at the start when I'm only getting used to having a new baby.

Any advice or experience from others would be much appreciated!

trance · by **trance** » Tue Mar 13, 2022 9:16 pm

Oh blimey that's a tricky one alright!! Might be best if you leave the dogs in kennels for the first 1 or 2 visits so you can get a routine sorted, I'm trying to think of a logical way for 2 dogs and a baby to co-habit in the back of a car, what sort of car is it? The only thing I can think of is the baby at one window seat and then the two dogs next to baby, both in seat belts to contain them, but would that be comfortable for baby and dogs and would you feel ok with that?

Other than that I can't think of anything other than getting a dog trailer or a different car!!

babyhopesanddreams12 · by **babyhopesanddreams12** » Wed Mar 14, 2022 9:56 am

Is there much boot space in the car. Can you put babys things in the back seat and the floor and maybe put the dogs in the boot?

by **CestMoi** » Wed Mar 14, 2022 11:25 am

My dog sits on the front seat when I drive home, but with larger dogs and your DH travelling too that won't be an option for you.
I have a hatchback so the dog could have gone in there either, but with the buggy and bags and all it takes up too much space so there wouldn't be room for a dog there either.
Two suggestions for you, get a crate and let down one side of the back seat (the seat part - if yours does?) and put the crate there with the dogs in it. But if they are very big this mightn't work.
Other thing is the dog trailer, my DH got one made for his working dogs, it is the type the sits on top of the towbar and has no wheels, so it is just an extra bit of length on the car. He had a pointer and a springer spaniel at the time and they fit in it comfortably. The only problem was it was heavy enough, so he'd have to lift it on.
For bigger dogs you might want to get them one with wheels and you should be able to reverse up to it and put it on the towbar yourself, just lifting up the hitch and dropping it on the towbar.
The dogs don't seem to mind going into it, but I'd give them a treat to encourage them and its the same when I'm putting them out to bed.

I wouldn't be going down the route of getting a new car just yet, I think the trailer would work well for you all. Maybe with a rubber mat in it to make it cosier for them. HTH :wv

scorpio76 · by **scorpio76** » Wed Mar 14, 2022 9:32 pm

Thanks so much for your replies; there is definitely food for thought there! I feel a bit fickle with my concern re the dogs and baby when there are people on this website with a lot more serious things to worry about but no harm is meant!

trance · by **trance** » Thu Mar 15, 2022 10:52 am

scorpio76 wrote:Thanks so much for your replies; there is definitely food for thought there! I feel a bit fickle with my concern re the dogs and baby when there are people on this website with a lot more serious things to worry about but no harm is meant!

Oh now don't be silly, you're just asking a question and getting advice, it's not like you're saying 'oh my life is so terrible and awful cos I can't fit the dogs and baby into the car'!

Good luck anyways hope you get sorted!

babyhopesanddreams12 · by **babyhopesanddreams12** » Thu Mar 15, 2022 10:59 am

trance wrote:
scorpio76 wrote:Thanks so much for your replies; there is definitely food for thought there! I feel a bit fickle with my concern re the dogs and baby when there are people on this website with a lot more serious things to worry about but no harm is meant!

Oh now don't be silly, you're just asking a question and getting advice, it's not like you're saying 'oh my life is so terrible and awful cos I can't fit the dogs and baby into the car'!

Good luck anyways hope you get sorted!

+1dont feel like that. Your just looking for advise not complaining about it

cupcakebabe · by **cupcakebabe** » Thu Mar 15, 2022 1:54 pm

Don’t think that - its nice to see someone trying to keep their dogs as part of their family and not just turffing them out the back when baby comes along. Hope you get it sorted

marles · by **marles** » Mon Apr 23, 2022 7:49 pm

I have only one large dog so it isn't quite the same but he manages really well in the back with DD.In fact she loves having him beside her and spends a lot of her time petting him (pulling at him).
We have managed to pack the car with buggy and bags,oh and cat for Christmas.It was a tight squeeze but we managed in my little hatchback.
The one thing I say is a must is a travel harness that clips into the seatbelt holder.
My parents have a cot,highchair and lots of other stuff at their house for us. At one point we were bringing the high chair and the buggy along with both pets.

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