In article <1110814977.186978.254400@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups .com>,
greyptr@yahoo.com wrote:

> I'm starting to investigate vehicles that will work well for our family
> of two humans and two (maybe soon three) 60 lb dogs.
>
> Any Element owners out there with large dogs? Do you find crates fit
> well in the Element? Or do you use a pet barrier? Plenty of room?
>
> Thanks for feedback.

We carry around couple of 60-70 lb dogs all the time ** though perhaps I
shouldn't admit that we do it with them just loose in the back, no
crates, just with them sitting on dog beds placed on top of the rear
seats folded down flat ** probably really not the safest of practices.

Our Element is off on a trip with someone else at the minute so I can't
check any of the following, but in any event based on general
impressions:

1) With rear seats folded down flat (on the floor) there's probably
enough height for two medium-size crates on top of them, maybe three
(but rear vision will be lousy).

2) With rear seats folded up to the side walls (and that is a weird
system, with the carabiners and all), you can surely get one large crate
in the middle, but my guess is, not two large ones ** you'll have to try.

3) With rear seats totally out, two large crates for sure, maybe three
(might have to orient them transversely), but you'll have to check on
that also.

4) With rear seats folder down to floor, there is actually quite a bit
of open floor space between the backs of the front seats and the front
edges of the rear seats, especially if you're not tall people and don't
push front seats all the way back. If your dogs will accept being
confined in a somewhat tight space, you could use a couple of dog beds
or a blanket to make a nice den in the space down there -- and they'd be
very safe down behind the front seatbacks.

Haven't seen a pet barrier for the Element.

**AES