Hello! I am new to the forum, and considering getting an Element. I know that it is a great vehicle for dogs, but I was wondering something a little more specific, and I was hoping you would be able to help. My wife and I have a Golden Retriever (about 55 lbs) and a Pointer (about 40 lbs). Now I know with the seats folded up, they would fit easily, but if the seats are in the normal position, leaving just the cargo room, would they be able to fit comfortably? Does anyone have any pics of their pups in the Element with all of the seats in the regular position? Thanks for any help you can afford me!!! :)

Hello! I am new to the forum, and considering getting an Element. I know that it is a great vehicle for dogs, but I was wondering something a little more specific, and I was hoping you would be able to help. My wife and I have a Golden Retriever (about 55 lbs) and a Pointer (about 40 lbs). Now I know with the seats folded up, they would fit easily, but if the seats are in the normal position, leaving just the cargo room, would they be able to fit comfortably? Does anyone have any pics of their pups in the Element with all of the seats in the regular position? Thanks for any help you can afford me!!! :)
Lotz of room for them. My boys had plenty of room and they totaled almost 200 pounds with the back seats in place. This helped to keep them from falling around while driving.. see link for more:http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21325
:cool: Good luck E shopping....

Another Idea link: http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27039

If you want your two dogs to fit behind the back seats. Here is some pictures of my two goldens. both are over 80 pounds. Brother and Sister. We just took out the back seats That's why we bought the Element. For our two "children".

Thanks for the replies, it is much appreciated. I must say though, I'm a little confused. ADAMLSTL said there is plenty of room, but Gilboy says no. Any clarification? Thanks again for the help!!!

I would say that your dogs would have room behind the back seats but not enough to lay down comfortably. It only takes a minute or two to fold the back seats up against the side and your dogs will enjoy the room to stretch out...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v603/talllankybastyd/LincolnCity2006/08272006068RS.jpg?t=1164656812

...my two boys do!!

my two kids can sit in the back seats, and have enough room for our 100lb dog to lay down in front of them... behind front seats. he's not too happy behind the high rear seats.

Thanks for the replies, it is much appreciated. I must say though, I'm a little confused. ADAMLSTL said there is plenty of room, but Gilboy says no. Any clarification? Thanks again for the help!!!


It depends on where in the E you are planning for the dogs to be. If you're wanting to put the dogs behind the seats - in the cargo area, I would say no there is NOT room enough for the two of them. However, if you're wanting to put them in the 'back' as in just not the front seats, then yes, there is plenty of room, without having to move the rear seats.

I seem to always have a large dog or two, or three in there all the time.

Make sense?

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Thanks again everyone! Here is the problem, we currently have a Toyota Corolla, and while there is plenty of room in the back seat for them, they are able to come up and poke their heads through, climb on the arm rest, etc. If I fold the seats up in the Element, they will be able to do the same thing, defeating the purpose of even getting the Element. If put them in the back seat, the same issue applies. I guess we were just looking to eliminate them being able to have access to the front without putting a cage in, and to do that, it seemed the best option was to put them in the cargo area with the rear seats up. If anyone else has any other suggestions, I would love to hear them. Thanks!

You can use a poly "net" behind the front seats - eliminates access to the front seats and is easy and quick to take down and put up. Or even better you can use travel harnesses and clip the leashes to one of the MANY tie downs in the E and the dogs can move around, get near you but cannot get to the front seats. They really should be restrained with a proper travel harness in the car anyway - safer for them and you. You can also get the larger "console armrest" for teh E - which blocks the space between the front seats fairly well. And as to other vehicles - trust me, ANY unrestrained dog worth his/her salt is gonna go right over the backseats and the console in ANY SUV and try to join you up front (ex Explorer and Durango owner speaking here). Having enough space behind the rear seats for them is nice but it's not a barrier. Save the $$$, the clean up time (and expense) and the gasoline and get the E and adapt it to your dogs - you'd end up doing the same thing with a bigger SUV anyway.

I only have one now. She's been making the 1000 mile trip with me between So Cal and Washington state for some months now. I fold the seat(s) flat and cover them with old towels or blankets. They form a fairly flat platform that allows her to look out of the windows or sleep. If you install the larger "storage arm rest" (accessory) it will pretty much provide a divider between the front and rear areas and keep the dogs in the back while you're driving. The arm rest can be flipped up to really block the gap between the front seats. Works for me.

Also consider the low deck height (floor) that allows the dogs to enter / exit close to the ground. Jumping from the tailgate is asking for tendon ruptures! Many police dogs end their carriers jumping down from the back seat of police cars onto the ground and blowing out the equivalent to their front achiles tendons.

The E is a great dog car!

Edit: OOPs! Window-looking pic was in my pick up truck. I built her a platform for this one.

Put seat belt harnesses on the two dogs and let them ride behind the front seat. That seems to be the safest place for the dogs. There should be room for two passengers and two dogs in the back seat.:)

This is what I did. Works to keep the monsters in the back.

Thanks for the replies, it is much appreciated. I must say though, I'm a little confused. ADAMLSTL said there is plenty of room, but Gilboy says no. Any clarification? Thanks again for the help!!!
Yes there is.... Our Lab was 115 and the AmericanPBT 75 pounds...:cool: They both fit in the very back when we had people in the back seats = Reason we bought the E!:-) Now the road trips we took were less than a half hour. Keeping them in the back after playing in a river or lake helped to keep our E clean and the dogs were safe from flying around inside.:cool: I put a moving blanket down and they were able to sleep back there as well. When nobody was sitting in the back they could ride anywhere. :rolleyes:

We do keep one dog in the 'cargo' area. He's a 165lb Saint Bernard. He will ride there all day - it's not a problem.

I have not tried to put another pup back there with him - I honestly don't think there's enough room; however, it seems some have. Here's my suggestion -

Take the dogs to the honda dealer - and find out! I know we were able to do that, we could have even taken the E to the pups and 'test fitted' them.


In all honesty, I would not turn down getting an E simply because you don't think you could fit them in the cargo area. The E is in my slightly biased opinion, the worlds best pup hauler - hands down.

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I already posted this pic somewhere but here's my 3 Boston terriers in their normal dog park outing position. For the last trip we took, I got all my luggage in there plus the three crates and they slept quite peacefully the whole time.

Thanks again everyone for all of the responses. I think that the Element will be a good vehicle for us and our dogs. It helped seeing all of the pictures. I appreciate everyone's advice and I look forward to being an active member of the board!

I used to volunteer with the Golden Retreiver Rescue when I lived in Cincinnati.
The Element iis the Ultimate Dog Taxi............that is now my Vanity Plate

Here is a picture of two of the sweethearts I transported from Louisville, KY to Cincinnati.

We have two our selves - one Golden (105lbs) and a Newfoundland/Border Collie mix (85 lbs)

I only have one now. She's been making the 1000 mile trip with me between So Cal and Washington state for some months now. I fold the seat(s) flat and cover them with old towels or blankets. They form a fairly flat platform that allows her to look out of the windows or sleep. If you install the larger "storage arm rest" (accessory) it will pretty much provide a divider between the front and rear areas and keep the dogs in the back while you're driving. The arm rest can be flipped up to really block the gap between the front seats. Works for me.

Also consider the low deck height (floor) that allows the dogs to enter / exit close to the ground. Jumping from the tailgate is asking for tendon ruptures! Many police dogs end their carriers jumping down from the back seat of police cars onto the ground and blowing out the equivalent to their front achiles tendons.

The E is a great dog car!

Edit: OOPs! Window-looking pic was in my pick up truck. I built her a platform for this one.

Awwwww...what a beautiful Dobe. That's the breed I had twice before the current dog, a German Shepherd. Such sweethearts. When my last died far too young, suddenly of cardiomyopathy, I just couldn't do another Doberman.

They are great dog cars!! When I got to look at my new E for the first time today, the seats in the back were all laid flat, and that looked like the best configuration for my boy. He can sprawl out, look out the windows. Course, he'll probably really enjoy looking out the window in front once again. He loooved doing that, but with my wheelchair van, he couldn't :(
Can't wait to do road trips with Borias and my new E!!
the only way I can think of to show off pics of my baby is on my website. It's under "My Heart Dog". I need to figure out how to just insert an image, but it looks like you have to have a URL for them.

http://www.heartdogstudios.com

Awwwww...what a beautiful Dobe. That's the breed I had twice before the current dog, a German Shepherd. Such sweethearts. When my last died far too young, suddenly of cardiomyopathy, I just couldn't do another Doberman.
They are great dog cars!! When I got to look at my new E for the first time today, the seats in the back were all laid flat, and that looked like the best configuration for my boy. He can sprawl out, look out the windows. Course, he'll probably really enjoy looking out the window in front once again. He loooved doing that, but with my wheelchair van, he couldn't :(
Can't wait to do road trips with Borias and my new E!!
the only way I can think of to show off pics of my baby is on my website. It's under "My Heart Dog". I need to figure out how to just insert an image, but it looks like you have to have a URL for them.
http://www.heartdogstudios.com
Great looking dog!:cool: Is that an APBT in the first few??:-? http://www.heartdogstudios.com/heartdogstudios/Working%20Dogs.html

While 'considering' the 'E'; went to the dealer; had an '06 'fully opened' (all four doors, hatch & tailgate), sitting out front.:) Atoll, my 90 lb. Dobe, hopped right in the back, walked around.....and you guessed it.:-o Went right to the driver's seat, plopped down, like he OWNED it.:evil: Ordered the 'wide' armrest when I decided to get a '07 EX 4WD; maybe that will help keep him in the back.:cry: Also looking into the 'pipe pet barriers' that they have on Ebay.

Great looking dog!:cool: Is that an APBT in the first few??:-? http://www.heartdogstudios.com/heartdogstudios/Working%20Dogs.html

Yep, I like to take photos of APBTs, and have painted a couple. Showing them in a good light, ya know? :)

I took the back seats out and put a 8" futton in for my 85 lb rotti.