Will my dogs fit in the hatch?

[Kamini]

Hi all,

You got a really nice forum going here and it looks like a great resource. I am just about to buy a Smart Car. Its perfect and will fit into my single car garage with our Prius one behind the other! Perfect so far.

BUT, we have two full sized dacshunds, Junglee and Lucy who are each about 30" long and 9" wide in the middle. Will they fit into the hatch for short rides to the vet and the doggie park?

Kamini

[NCC1701]

Welcome to SCoA Kamini!

I don't think there would be a problem.


Please, do check out this thread though, and decide for yourself!

How much have you fit in your smart?

[Uptown Dog Co]

When you go to buy it, either take the dogs with for a fit or take a tape measure. You should have measured the hatch when you measured the car to see if it fits with your Prius in your garage. Or you can look up the specs for the smart, cut out a piece of cardboard the size of the hatch and have them stand on it. If they behave and stand still, a little doggy treat would be nice. Milk-Bone is good.

Hey, how come you guys can post big photos and mine come in as thumbnails?

[rawhidekid]

They will fit with room to spare. Put a folded blanket on the engine cover and the dogs will feel right at home. Check the smart owners pet thread and you will see plenty of pets that enjoy the smart. When my wife is along for the ride my poodle enjoys riding in the back on a blanket as I described.

[Chicopee Smartie]

I camp every weekend. All FOUR of my dogs go too. 2 Chihuahua's, a Jap Chin and my Lab/Spaniel mutt. Room to spare with a nice comforter for them to play in. The down side? Now EVERY time I so much as go near the tailgate they go spaz. They go crazy for their ride!

[jkjahobbs]

to the forum aka The Asylum. We are all a bit crazy about our cars and some of us are just crazy.

I agree your dogs will fit quite well. Our mini-dachshound use to ride in ours and now it's our mini-schnauzer. I have seen large dogs in the back of smarts at various events, sometimes two of them in the back.
Like Chicopee said the only problem you'll have is your dachshounds wanting to ride everywhere with you.

[elmosisu]

We fit our two- 40lb English Springers in the back perfectly!

We have a Weathertech rubber mat, and a "semi-custom" dog gate to keep them in the back. Check out this link for the raw material that just a few cuts and brackets mounted in back, does the trick Shop Garden Zone 44" x 71" Decorative Leaf Design Garden Fence Panel Green at Lowes.com

They love the setup, and line up at the back of the car when the "magic" words are mentioned.

[JPaul]

A picture is worth...

Credit: DavidV

And:

From : Mike-in-sa

[Springlering]

As a four Smart car and a four dachshund family, I have to ask you, what the heck are you thinking of?

No dachshund worth his Milkbone is going to ride in the back of the car.

[chieftmc]

to SCOA

We can always use another smart on fuelly!

As mentioned, your dogs will fit just fine