Towing with dog in Toyota Tundra DC with two kids - is it possible?

[MILover]

After years of wanting a dog but not being ready due to work commitments and young kids, it's now up for more serious consideration. However, I'm concerned about the logistics of canine travel in our tow vehicle. We'd be looking at a medium/large size breed - a collie. Here's my question for all of you: Could we even bring it camping in our tow vehicle? We have a 2013 Toyota Tundra doublecab. It has a spacious three-passenger rear seat. We have two kids - one in a regular forward-facing car seat (though soon to be booster), and another in a booster seat probably until next year. That leaves the middle bench seat space in between them for a dog to potentially sit in a harness-style seatbelt. I'm quite sure the floor would be too cramped. We only have a tonneau cover for the back of the truck, and it's filled with camping gear. Traveling with the dog in the camper is not an option.

Any thoughts from others who have experienced this? Would a set up like the dog in this photo (https://www.chewy.com/dogit-car-safe...8aAiChEALw_wcB) be possible? Could a dog even sit like that for long trips?

Trying to get these potential snags figured out before adding Fido to the family.

[ThruHiker]

Hm. It's true collies can get bigger than people think, although any given collie hard to say. I had collies for years back in the day, and of the 4-5 that I had, the smallest was around 50 lbs (blue merle bitch) and the biggest, around 90 lbs (absolutely awesome dog that I still remember very fondly!). Anyway, why is the floor out? I agree that harnessing the poor beast like in the Chewies pic is not appealing. But even if you and your wife have long legs and the seats back, I'd think that there would be enough room for the dog on the floor. Especially if you started when he was a pup and he grew up that way.

[GXPWeasel1]

Leave one of the kids home, and have the dog sit up front with you. That's what I do.
Of course, My wife and I both drive separately, so we can bring the boat too, and she usually has 1 kid and 1 dog with her. I have the oldest girl, and the other dog with me.

In all seriousness, unless you're going more than an hour or two away, I'd say let the dog roam between the kids. They'll love it, and so will the dog. The only down side there, is the slobber and shedding.

[ThruHiker]

Originally Posted by GXPWeasel1

Leave one of the kids home, and have the dog sit up front with you. That's what I do.
Of course, My wife and I both drive separately, so we can bring the boat too, and she usually has 1 kid and 1 dog with her. I have the oldest girl, and the other dog with me.

In all seriousness, unless you're going more than an hour or two away, I'd say let the dog roam between the kids. They'll love it, and so will the dog. The only down side there, is the slobber and shedding.

Ha. Roaming I think is fine too, and collies don't slobber. Oddly enough, they don't shed anymore than other dogs except in the spring/fall when they change their coats for the next season. You do have to brush them once in a while, but they are not a lot more trouble than other breeds. Except at the groomers, where you will pay a premium for those gorgeous coats!

[Blackrock]

We made a big trip last year with our two granddaughters and two dogs in the back seat. One was an Australian Shepherd and the other a wiener dog. I made a filler for the center seat area and a solid surface where the bid dog rode. Wiener dog rooted in wherever he could. We all did fine on a 4K trip.

[MILover]

Originally Posted by ThruHiker

Hm. It's true collies can get bigger than people think, although any given collie hard to say. I had collies for years back in the day, and of the 4-5 that I had, the smallest was around 50 lbs (blue merle bitch) and the biggest, around 90 lbs (absolutely awesome dog that I still remember very fondly!). Anyway, why is the floor out? I agree that harnessing the poor beast like in the Chewies pic is not appealing. But even if you and your wife have long legs and the seats back, I'd think that there would be enough room for the dog on the floor. Especially if you started when he was a pup and he grew up that way.

Well, the floor space seems quite narrow to me? But maybe not. My husband is tall, but I'm not. We also usually have a cooler and snack bag on the floor for easy access to minimize stops with the kids (our trips often average 3-4 hours of driving one way). I could likely figure out an alternative for that though. I've attached photos for reference. Sorry the orientation is funky. I'm actually considering a young adult smooth collie. Won't lie - the rough's coat is beautiful, but really intimidates me. A smoothie seems great for a collie beginner.

Originally Posted by GXPWeasel1

Leave one of the kids home, and have the dog sit up front with you. That's what I do.
Of course, My wife and I both drive separately, so we can bring the boat too, and she usually has 1 kid and 1 dog with her. I have the oldest girl, and the other dog with me.

In all seriousness, unless you're going more than an hour or two away, I'd say let the dog roam between the kids. They'll love it, and so will the dog. The only down side there, is the slobber and shedding.

Our trips most often average 3-4 hours one way, so bringing a second vehicle is not something we want to pursue. Sometimes, when the 9-year old is acting 19, it is oh-so-tempting to leave a child at home! But I digress.

[ependydad]

We have friends who fulltimed for 7 years. Started when some of the kids were in car seats until they all grew out of them. Over the years, they ended up with 4 small dogs. I don't think they ever seat belted them, but they made it work.

We had a bullmastiff right before my daughter was born. She grew to about 90 lbs. We had a doggy seat belt like you showed. There was enough give in it that the dog was able to lay down in the seat.

[Oldbears]

Its good that you are considering a harness style seat belt, not just for the safety of the dog, but because in many states restraining a dog inside the vehicle is THE LAW.

Our collie sized dog traveled the entire country with us, seated between us on the bench seat of our pick-up truck. Whenever he was tired of looking around he just laid down and his head went into the passenger's lap. Of course, we always made more stops for the sake of the dog, just so he could get out and stretch.

We also planned all our travels for early Spring and Fall so the weather was more tolerable for the dog, and carried the dog's water bottle in the cab. We never left him in the truck alone. We would take turns at potty stops, etc. so that there was no possibility of the dog becoming overheated in a locked vehicle (which can happen even in what we think are mild temperatures). So, that is something you may want to consider.... What happens when you stop for a meal or attraction and nobody wants to stay behind with the dog?

And its awesome that you and your family are really thinking things through on the decision to get a dog.


Buddy at Tahquamenon Falls

[Reverse_snowbird]

We've got a 2006 Toyota Tundra and I don't think we could fit 2 children (one in a bulky car seat) and a large dog in the back. We had a boxer and he'd take up one seat all by himself. Actually, his 70 pounds took up 1 1/2 seats when he layed down during a trip.
It might be able to make the trip on the floor, but I wouldn't count on it. The dog would probably end up on a child's lap. Those Tundras are about the same size as a current Toyota Tacoma and there really isn't a lot of floor space behind the front seats.

[MILover]

Originally Posted by Oldbears

Its good that you are considering a harness style seat belt, not just for the safety of the dog, but because in many states restraining a dog inside the vehicle is THE LAW.

Our collie sized dog traveled the entire country with us, seated between us on the bench seat of our pick-up truck. Whenever he was tired of looking around he just laid down and his head went into the passenger's lap. Of course, we always made more stops for the sake of the dog, just so he could get out and stretch.

We also planned all our travels for early Spring and Fall so the weather was more tolerable for the dog, and carried the dog's water bottle in the cab. We never left him in the truck alone. We would take turns at potty stops, etc. so that there was no possibility of the dog becoming overheated in a locked vehicle (which can happen even in what we think are mild temperatures). So, that is something you may want to consider.... What happens when you stop for a meal or attraction and nobody wants to stay behind with the dog?

And its awesome that you and your family are really thinking things through on the decision to get a dog.

Attachment 213473
Buddy at Tahquamenon Falls

Thanks for your feedback. The type of trips we take involve driving from point A to B as efficiently as possible, lol (DH's preferred style). We always take bathroom breaks, gas stops, etc., but typically grab to-go food or pack it in our cooler and eat on the road. And since our route is usually northern Michigan, there are plenty of dog-friendly areas to get out and wander. No way would I ever leave a dog in the vehicle to potentially overheat. I get anxiety even seeing another dog in a closed car if the temps are mild...

Originally Posted by Reverse_snowbird

Those Tundras are about the same size as a current Toyota Tacoma and there really isn't a lot of floor space behind the front seats.

Umm, I don't know much about Tacomas, but our 2013 Tundra is quite large. Definitely not a small pickup size. And their double cabs are roomier than many. I was just curious if other folks with a two-carseat situation had similar experience.

[JArry]

Some realities based on my experience that probably aren't what you want to hear:

I wouldn't count on using a seatbelt harness. I have had two dogs I got as adults, and neither one would easily tolerate it. Maybe they would have with time or training but for me it wasn't worth the headache. Of course all dogs are different, and younger, more trainable ones might be easier to do this with.

In the Ridgeline I currently own, there is a large backseat area, and I leave both seats flipped up. I have a dog bed there that consumes about 2/3 of the floor area, and that seems about right for the dog. She is a golden retriever/hound mix, 75 lbs. There is no way it would work to have her on the floor with the seats down, even with the front seats all the way up. Having her on the floor in the back rather than on the seats lends more protection if I were to get in a crash, with the seats and console there. Not ideal, but better than free-ranging on the seats as a ready-made projectile.

Also, I don't relish camping with my dog for more than a weekend or more than a 2- or 3-hour trip. Long travel time adds a lot of hassle, and long stays at a campground tend to get old when I want to do things I need to leave her behind for.

For these reasons, when I take a 4-night trip 7 hours one way for this coming weekend, I will be boarding her near home.

All this said, I do love my dog, really!

[Pleasantsurroundings]

Sounds like maybe you should wait until the kids are older. It seems you already have your hands full.....[emoji4]

[rockfordroo]

IMHO, dogs are a PITA for camping. You can pretty much take the kids anywhere, but not so for the dog. At some point, you'll find yourself leaving the dog in the TT. Hopefully he won't bark the whole time you're gone. And you'll be worrying whether it's too hot or too cold for the dog.

[Tacky]

I don't like dogs. I don't know how your kids feel about dogs. I certainly would not want to grow up with some big nasty dog stuck in the middle of the back seat between me and my sibling.

[CurtPutnam]

I had '14 Tundra doublecab which is less space than a fill crew cab. I think your only solution will be a platform between the kiddy seats that extends into the front seat (over the divider.) Dog will be able to move, stretch, lie down, change sides, etc. I doubt you'll be able to feed the kiddies while rolling - dog will not be able to resist and poof, their food is gone. Taking longer at food stops is a small price to pay for the joy that dog will bring you all - but especially the kids.

[simiHal]

Originally Posted by Tacky

I don't like dogs. I don't know how your kids feel about dogs. I certainly would not want to grow up with some big nasty dog stuck in the middle of the back seat between me and my sibling.

Really? Those of us paying attention to this conversation don’t give a flip about your despise of dogs. Please just move along and ignore us.

[Reverse_snowbird]

Originally Posted by MILover

Umm, I don't know much about Tacomas, but our 2013 Tundra is quite large. Definitely not a small pickup size. And their double cabs are roomier than many. I was just curious if other folks with a two-carseat situation had similar experience.

Sorry. I misread the year of your Tundra. We have friends that have the newer Tundra and they do have a lot more room.... Our 2006 Tundra Double Cab is a lot smaller. It's still going to be a tight fit for the kids and the large dog.
Finding someone with a similar experience might be a bit difficult. You might want to consider moving some of that camping gear into the cabin of the truck and putting a dog carrier into the bed of the truck. The dog will be safe and the kids will be safer too.
I love dogs, but they can be unpredictable if you have an emergency situation.

[oldsmasma]

Thanks for considering a seat belt for the dog. Our 90 pound boxer never travels without one either in the car or the motor home. I know when we have our granddaughter in her car seat and the dog in the back seat of our Mazda CX-5 there wouldn’t be room for anything else. BTW Tacky she is always thrilled to travel with “her” puppy. Not at all concerned with slobber or hair.

[CGK]

We've always traveled with our labs, and in the early days we - and they - were really roughing it. We gradually went from backpacking to carry-in tents to pop-ups to TTs. Those first dogs loved to go as much as the current ones do, and they put up with a lot to be part of the family on those trips. It's good that you are doing your due diligence in advance - the wild card is how much those dogs want to be with you. That said, it is a commitment, and the entire family has to be ready and in agreement for it to work out for all concerned. Think I saw that 73% of RVers travel with pets.....sounds like you could be one of us sooner than later. Good luck!

[FORKLIFMAN]

Why can't you put a kennel in the bed of the truck?