Which part of the interior? Front seat, rear bench, trunk?

 

Cargo space and back of the seats. Travel with them a lot on longer trips.

 

The best option (and safest for the dog) is a appropriate size crate properly secured in the back cargo area. It not only protects your car from the dog, it also protects the dog in case on an accident.

 

I’d recommend a few things. Firstly, you would be required to make your carpet waterproof and protect the carpet. Dogs are going to shed a fair amount of hair which will eventually sink into the carpet causing you trouble. As a result, you will have to spend a lot of time cleaning it thus protecting the carpet is vital.

Moreover, you can get cargo mats for the protection of the floor and sides of your Rav4 which will save you from spending a lot of time cleaning. Some companies make them, Ruff Rugs is a must have for dogs: Toyota Rav4 Cargo Liner

They are known for cargo protectors for the floor and sides of a car.

 

I’d recommend a few things. Firstly, you would be required to make your carpet waterproof and protect the carpet. Dogs are going to shed a fair amount of hair which will eventually sink into the carpet causing you trouble. As a result, you will have to spend a lot of time cleaning it thus protecting the carpet is vital.

Moreover, you can get cargo mats for the protection of the floor and sides of your Rav4 which will save you from spending a lot of time cleaning. Some companies make them, Ruff Rugs is a must have for dogs: Toyota Rav4 Cargo Liner

They are known for cargo protectors for the floor and sides of a car.

Interesting. Are they waterproof?

 

Could be as simple as draping a towel across the rear bench to keep the slobber off. Also would recommend a trunk harness that clips into the tiedowns. A quick Google search for 'dog trunk harness' brought back a bunch of good options. There are also full, fitted trunk liners that will protect the back of the seats and the plastic sides. Just depends on how easy you want the cleanup to be.

The safest option is the create that katekebo mentioned.

 

I don't understand why pet owners this it's ok for fluffy to travel in the back seat or the front seat regardless of weight & size. In an accident fluffy becomes a missile either heading for the front windshield at 60 miles an hour making a bloody mess, or hitting occupants in the car. Either way not a good outcome for fluffy or the occupants, you have a seat belt on for a good reason put fluffy in a cage secured down, or in the cargo area, with a steel cage between it & the rest of the vehicle. Ask yourself would you transport a baby or child without the proper car seat NO, why is ok to do that to a dog.

Neibour of mine recently lost his dog which use to travel in the back of a pick-up truck, which was side swipped in an intersection, another vehicle blow through a red light. The dog was last seen traveling 60 km in the air hitting an oncoming vehicle. Dog parts everywhere.

 

I don't understand why pet owners this it's ok for fluffy to travel in the back seat or the front seat regardless of weight & size.

OK, point taken.

Would you rather put Fluffy on a roof rack or in a trailer?

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I have one of these: FRISCO Quilted Water Resistant Bench Car Seat Cover, Regular, Gray - Chewy.com

And my furbabes ride in the back seat with EzyDog harnesses that have an attachment for running the seatbelts through. If I stop short or have a collision, the seatbelt tensioners will kick in, holding the pups in place. One of them much prefers her harness to riding without, as it keeps her from getting tossed around as I brake and corner.

Chest Plate™ Dog Harness

The Chest Plate is an escape proof dog harness with EVA padding, reflective trim, and car restraint. Secure fit for small to large dogs.

store.ezydog.com

 

Sometimes I'm transporting 2 dogs in my vehicle and want them contained in the cargo area. What about a pet barrier between the cargo area and back seat? Anybody using one of these or have some familiarity with which ones might work best?

 

We raised our dog to sleep in a crate and it is now his “safe place.” We never close these days. We have a travel crate in the back seat (and a blanket on the seat itself) and keep him zipped in while traveling. He’s perfectly happy and safe there. If we have passengers we move it to the cargo area. If we were in a crash, he would be restrained within the crate, not bouncing around the car. The key was to train him with this arrangement from the start. He thinks of the car as a ride to an adventure, and it is - except for visits to the vet.

 

For those of you who recommend and/or use crates, how do you attach them to the car so they don't shift around. I currently have a Ruffland size intermediate crate with a front and side door (the crate fits sideways in the cargo area with the seats up) and have it strapped down to the cargo hooks, but I can't find any info about how strong the cargo hooks are. Does anyone know how much weight the cargo hooks are good for?

 

Our kids are grown so we secure it in the back seat with two of the seat belts and a strap. We’ve never tried it in the cargo area.