Doggy hammock vs Lonely doggy in backseat?

[closdubois]

Hey everyone,

Just picked up a new 2015 Touring on Saturday. I don't want to make the mistake of letting my dog and his plentiful little white hairs into my backseat, so I was considering the dog hammock like this https://www.amazon.com (commissions earned) Does anyone have experience with this?

The other option was to just put him in the back, and get a different cargo tray, probably a rubber one so that I can more easily clean off what he sheds. The only issue with that is that the back area is more hidden from my view and that might make him a bit apprehensive. I guess he can get used to it. Any recommendations on where to get a cheap cargo mat, or a cheaper alternative?

Thanks!

 

[Della1234]

Hey everyone,

Just picked up a new 2015 Touring on Saturday. I don't want to make the mistake of letting my dog and his plentiful little white hairs into my backseat, so I was considering the dog hammock like this https://www.amazon.com (commissions earned) Does anyone have experience with this?

The other option was to just put him in the back, and get a different cargo tray, probably a rubber one so that I can more easily clean off what he sheds. The only issue with that is that the back area is more hidden from my view and that might make him a bit apprehensive. I guess he can get used to it. Any recommendations on where to get a cheap cargo mat, or a cheaper alternative?

Thanks!

I don't have experience with a doggie hammock, but I checked it out and it looks like a good idea if you have a large dog and he is used to riding in the back seat, and especially if he likes to be able to see where you are in the vehicle. My dog likes to know where I am in the car, but he is much smaller and is pretty happy riding in the footwell on the front passenger side of my car.

 

[Natey]

I kept my dog and her hair out of our new car for about a month. I was basically fighting the inevitable. haha
Just let the dog in and get it overwith. If you're anything like me, the car will be covered in dog hair soon enough anyway. As long as there's no scratching the plastic or nibbling on the leather, I say buy a shop vac and give Pupps a green light.


That said, if your dog is like mine, he likes to stand up in the car, look out the window and sniff. That hammock looks like lay-down only. My dog would probably jump out of it as soon as we passed the beach. A rubber mat and a cage to keep him in the hatch area would probably be more doggy friendly.

A Weathertech cargo mat and something like this:
https://www.travall.com/en-us/mazda/pet-barrier

 

[closdubois]

I think I will go ahead and look for a cargo mat or liner because I can use it both to throw my bike in the back or to keep my dog there.

 

[Surfsup]

There's 854 reviews of that hammock on amazon at the link you provided. I doubt this forum will provide more info than that.

 

[closdubois]

There's 854 reviews of that hammock on amazon at the link you provided. I doubt this forum will provide more info than that.

i just wanted a cx5-er's perspective. but i'm deciding on a soft cargo liner anyway.

 

[coldrink]

Got a hammock myself, like it

Hey everyone,

Just picked up a new 2015 Touring on Saturday. I don't want to make the mistake of letting my dog and his plentiful little white hairs into my backseat, so I was considering the dog hammock like this https://www.amazon.com (commissions earned) Does anyone have experience with this?

The other option was to just put him in the back, and get a different cargo tray, probably a rubber one so that I can more easily clean off what he sheds. The only issue with that is that the back area is more hidden from my view and that might make him a bit apprehensive. I guess he can get used to it. Any recommendations on where to get a cheap cargo mat, or a cheaper alternative?

Thanks!

Hey,

I got a hammock. I'd rather use the cargo area for groceries and crap I always seem to have, also dog (40lbs) likes to sit and stick nose out window/be closer. I'm also planning on some long road trips with a friend and dog(s), so want to put travel stuff in the way back out of sight / under the rear cargo cover.

I live in Seattle so I walk the dog in the park mud almost daily in the winter (also hike so more mud/dirt), and take her (and a friend and her dog) in the car daily. Because of the hills here, without the hammock, the dog(s) would slide right off the back seat onto the floor whenever I slowdown/stop on a down hill. I also occasionally dog-sit a 70lb dog who sheds a ton, so really want that one in the hammock and secured. The hammock I got also allows a 3rd passenger be in the back seat with dog(s) and hammock.

One of the downsides of hammocks I didn't think about is you need to leave the rear headrests in place to support them (some folks like to take the headrests out when not in use for better rear visibility). I got this one (https://www.amazon.com (commissions earned)) because of the zippers and associated flexibility, but I would recommend any well rated hammock. So now my 40lb dog can be both in the hammock AND be buckled in (I got this seat belt clip: https://www.amazon.com (commissions earned)) AND still feel like she is part of the action if I zip open the middle zipper so she can see us while laying down.

Back story: I had a RX-8 since 2004 and my dog fit perfectly in the rear-bucket seats and did not slide around, and was easy to clean up afterwards (just tucked some thin camping towels over the rear seats). But I had to get a new car when my RX-8 was totaled, which was a wake-up call. An oncoming driver was "blinded by the sun", didn't see me, and turned left in front of me. I could not stop and hit the car broadside. My dog was in the back and fortunately barely moved as she was curled up in the bucket seat.

So...enter my two week old 2016 CX-5 as a replacement. (1) No bucket seats, so she would slide around, and (2) perforated leather from which it seems like mud and dirt would be a pain to clean out. So... enter hammock and seat belt clip. As my dog now wears a harness (https://www.amazon.com (commissions earned)) as I occasionally need to carry her, I leave the seat belt clip in the car and just attach it to her harness to keep her a little more secure (she can still sit up and look out the window). I don't always use the belt clip around town, the hammock obviously keeps her from sliding off onto the floor, but for longer trips / highway driving... Comment: Attaching the seat belt clip to a collar (as they show in the pictures on Amazon) just seems like a recipe for disaster if in an accident.

Sounds like you are putting the dog in the cargo area - just consider making sure he/she is secured back there - can never account for other drivers!

Best!

PS - I threw down a doggie blanket on the hammock as the hammock surface is a bit slick.

PPS - For you folks who want to bring your dog(s) everywhere and leave them in the car, I just ordered these so I could leave the windows wide open but still have the car fairly secure: http://www.muttmanagers.com/. I'll post a review when I get them.

 

[closdubois]

Hey,

I got a hammock. I'd rather use the cargo area for groceries and crap I always seem to have, also dog (40lbs) likes to sit and stick nose out window/be closer. I'm also planning on some long road trips with a friend and dog(s), so want to put travel stuff in the way back out of sight / under the rear cargo cover.

I live in Seattle so I walk the dog in the park mud almost daily in the winter (also hike so more mud/dirt), and take her (and a friend and her dog) in the car daily. Because of the hills here, without the hammock, the dog(s) would slide right off the back seat onto the floor whenever I slowdown/stop on a down hill. I also occasionally dog-sit a 70lb dog who sheds a ton, so really want that one in the hammock and secured. The hammock I got also allows a 3rd passenger be in the back seat with dog(s) and hammock.

One of the downsides of hammocks I didn't think about is you need to leave the rear headrests in place to support them (some folks like to take the headrests out when not in use for better rear visibility). I got this one (https://www.amazon.com (commissions earned)) because of the zippers and associated flexibility, but I would recommend any well rated hammock. So now my 40lb dog can be both in the hammock AND be buckled in (I got this seat belt clip: https://www.amazon.com (commissions earned)) AND still feel like she is part of the action if I zip open the middle zipper so she can see us while laying down.

Back story: I had a RX-8 since 2004 and my dog fit perfectly in the rear-bucket seats and did not slide around, and was easy to clean up afterwards (just tucked some thin camping towels over the rear seats). But I had to get a new car when my RX-8 was totaled, which was a wake-up call. An oncoming driver was "blinded by the sun", didn't see me, and turned left in front of me. I could not stop and hit the car broadside. My dog was in the back and fortunately barely moved as she was curled up in the bucket seat.

So...enter my two week old 2016 CX-5 as a replacement. (1) No bucket seats, so she would slide around, and (2) perforated leather from which it seems like mud and dirt would be a pain to clean out. So... enter hammock and seat belt clip. As my dog now wears a harness (https://www.amazon.com (commissions earned)) as I occasionally need to carry her, I leave the seat belt clip in the car and just attach it to her harness to keep her a little more secure (she can still sit up and look out the window). I don't always use the belt clip around town, the hammock obviously keeps her from sliding off onto the floor, but for longer trips / highway driving... Comment: Attaching the seat belt clip to a collar (as they show in the pictures on Amazon) just seems like a recipe for disaster if in an accident.

Sounds like you are putting the dog in the cargo area - just consider making sure he/she is secured back there - can never account for other drivers!

Best!

PS - I threw down a doggie blanket on the hammock as the hammock surface is a bit slick.

PPS - For you folks who want to bring your dog(s) everywhere and leave them in the car, I just ordered these so I could leave the windows wide open but still have the car fairly secure: http://www.muttmanagers.com/. I'll post a review when I get them.

Great response. Thanks! I think I'm going to get the soft cargo liner and try to secure him to one of the rings back there. I don't carry my dog in my car very often or very far, so I think that would be the best option for my needs.

Sucks about your RX-8, glad you were ok.

 

[coldrink]

Update: Found way to stop dog from sliding around on the hammock! The hammock I got (above) doesn't have a way to secure it to the horizontal seat cushion. So, when I stop on a downhill, or slowdown fast, my dog (while in the hammock) still slides off the seat and ends up nested in the hammock in front of the seat cushion. She doesn't appreciate this situation and grumbles aloud when it happens. After thinking about this a bit, found this memory foam mat which stops this from happening because she lays on the mat, and it grips her and the hammock, and gives just enough structure to the hammock so there is no "valley" in which for her to slide (yes we've been testing is out on the hills here). The MEDIUM is the perfect size as it fills the hammock front to back, and only covers half the rear seat side-to-side. And it's from Petco, so it's available, inexpensive (relatively), and as a bonus - the gray one matches the gray hammock: http://www.petco.com/product/120202/Petco-Gray-Premium-Memory-Foam-Dog-Mat.aspx. I actually already had one at home (FYI - cover comes off for washing...) and realized after staring at it it might work great, which it does, so got another for the car.