Rate Your Ride

Welcome to the beginning of Dogs-N-More. We want to make this a place where we can exchange ideas and experiences, swap resources and have fun. We'll present different topics for discussion and build lists of places to find things that are important to animal lovers. Along the way we can meet new friends, have some fun and give information, support and encouragement to each other.

This is already an International group and we can learn how people living in different areas approach the situations we all face with our pets. Thanks for stopping by. Come back often and join the discussion by leaving comments or sending emails. Send in pictures, too. We want everyone to be part of this experiment.

Our first topic is 'Rate Your Ride'.

What kind of vehicle do you drive? From a pet owner's point of view, what do you like best about it? What do you dislike the most? Would you buy the same vehicle again? If not, why? What feature would you most like to have in your next vehicle? What would you never want to have again? From a pet person's point of view, what is your dream vehicle?



This issue of BARK Magazine has an article titled 'Dog and Driver'. It discusses and compares pet friendly vehicles. It's worth taking a look at if you're currently in the market for something new.

I'll go first. We have a Subaru Outback. I guess we must like it because this is our second one. It's a comfortable ride and we have the steel safety gate across the back so that the dogs can't jump into the back seat or become flying missiles in an accident. We live on a steep hill and would never make it in winter without 4 wheel drive.




The feature I like most has nothing to do with the dogs. It's the heated seats. On a cold winter day, they are absolute luxury. The feature I would change is the door on the back. I would prefer a door that opened to the side like a house door, or a clamshell where the top opened separately from the bottom. On ours the whole hatch lifts and a dog can escape if we're not careful.

We seldom take all ten dogs in the car at once. Usually three or four go at a time. Some ride in the back behind the gate and others use a harness and seatbelt in the backseat.

The feature I would most like to have is a ramp. Bentley was pretty crippled with arthritis as he aged and he was a big heavy dog to lift. Lucy was too little to jump in herself, but she objected to being lifted. A ramp would have been easier for them and us.


Despite the fact that Rob tells me a bright red Ferrari would be the perfect vehicle for us (I'd like to see him test drive one with all ten dogs), a lot of dog people tell me they love the Honda Element. It also gets high ratings in the BARK article. It's roomy, and easy to clean. I'm not sure how comfortably it rides and I don't like the suicide doors, but it has a strange sort of appeal.

Next, Chan is going to give you her views and some more sources for comparing features. Then it's your turn. Let us all know your feelings on the subject. Don't be shy. What, this group shy!! Something you say may make the difference in what someone else decides on. There's nothing like hearing from people who actually drive the vehicle you're considering.