Sail_Away

I have it all set up now… Someone told me that some anchor points in cars have the option to screw in bolts etc but mine doesn't so that is why I was getting confused. The straps that attache around the headrests were a bit long but I've managed to double them up and make it work. Really loving the BSB its incredibly well made and my dog seems more relaxed in the car when moving around as she isn't slipping around on the canvas etc. Thanks for all your help explaining this everyone, much appreciated!!!

My BSB arrived today!!!!! What a very very well made product! It looks like it will fit my car perfectly even though I went with the large.. My only problem is I don't understand how to fit it to the anchor points (on ceiling) in car…??? It comes with x2 tabs and x2 bolts but I don't get how you put that into the anchor points? It's probably very simple but my anchor points just have a metal 'ring' type thing that you can clip stuff too but no idea where the bolt goes into….

Finally…. Just ordered a large fleece BSB online… I mulled over the sizing for so long but in the end figured the medium would fit door to door now but the large will be fine with the extra 5cm either side and will be more versatile in the long run! Never taken so long to decide on car accessory before! hahaha - Can't wait to receive it and hopefully it's all it's cracked up to be :)

Thanks everyone! My car width is 130cm and that's the width of the medium.. the large is 140cm so I thought that would still fit my car with 5cm either side but going by the comments of the large being too big for an X-Trail I can't see how it would work in my car then Also the best price I've found for them is www.vetproductsdirect.com.au… any other recommendations?

Ness has said it all. i have a medium fleece one bought for the previous car and its still perfect. I think the medium should be plenty big enough for a Jazz. - wont the large be much too big?? Yeah your right, I think I would be risking it with a large, it would probably just be too wide… I think I'll go the medium I can't believe I'm gonna spend this sort of money on a hammock but they seem to be the best!

I read the measurements to be 120 to be the width (across the car) and the 140/150 to be the length (from top of back seat to the top behind driver). The attachment straps where you attach to the child restraint points and over the headrest are adjustable and there are two D rings at either end of the mat so you can take as much slack up as you need to. I preferred to have the back seat buddy come as far as behind the driver as possible to stop drips, drools and also to prevent them from thinking they can come between the two front seats and sit on my lap. (They were restrained of course, but when you have a dobermann, he can still get his head between the two front seats and wash your ears for you. My male BC can do the same while still being restrained in the back). Having a larger dog with no feather "protection" around the claws, I would be going for what is most durable and less likely to rip and wear due to claws. The fleece may be more comfortable and stop them from sliding on the canvas, however it is not as strong and tough as canvass and may wear more quickly. That was where I used to still throw a towel or some blanket over the top for comfort, and rely on the back seat buddy to catch the sand and dirt and also protect the seats if the dog decided to vomit (which can happen from time to time). I also found the canvass much easier to wipe off if there was a small accident in the back. You still had to clean it properly when you got home, but if out, it only needed a wipe over to get by until it could be cleaned properly. From memory, the correct sizing does not reach all the way to the edge of the seats. It leaves a small gap to what I could call the wings of the backrest of the seat. I preferred mine to wrap up a little at the sides, so if there is any mess (dirt or other) was contained within. Such a fantastic detailed description! Thank you very much, that has made me picture how it will fit. It's a shame that it doesn't have slots for the seatbelt points as I normally use that too fasten my dog in with a harness but I could use the child car seat anchor points behind the head rests if I can find a tether long enough to attach… Or can a harness be attached to the D rings on the BSB?

I just called Petsavenue and spoke to a lovely gentleman who said the medium would fit my car also but would come up the sides slightly but some people like that as it catches dirt/protects sides etc… I prefer the hammocks to just act as a barrier for the dog falling into the footwell so def don't want it sagging there so length is important - if the length is the 140cm on the sm/med/large than I may as well go large as the width of my car is 130cm so an extra 5cm either side might be a good thing…? He also said the fleece is not natural only fake so that it doesn't stay damp if wet and drys overnight… I'll have a think about that one… But def either the med/large I think now.

Hmm… So I had measured the height from the base of my back seat to the head rests = 60 cm, then the length from the backseat to the back of the front seat = 75cm and the width from door to door = 130cm… but this must not be the right way to do it going by the measurements above haha Also you recommend the canvas one over the fleece? Unless I put a towel down over the fleece when I'm at the beach - my dog slips around on the canvas types though... Would the 140cm be the length here? and the 120/130 etc be width???

Hmm… So I had measured the height from the base of my back seat to the head rests = 60 cm, then the length from the backseat to the back of the front seat = 75cm and the width from door to door = 130cm… but this must not be the right way to do it going by the measurements above haha Also you recommend the canvas one over the fleece? Unless I put a towel down over the fleece when I'm at the beach - my dog slips around on the canvas types though...

Thanks guys - my dog is a Hungarian Vizsla - so only medium sized but she is great in the car, just sits or sleeps the whole time. I am constantly at the beach though and the cheap hammock I have in my car bunches up and sand goes everywhere! Just after something stronger and one that holds it's 'shape' - I'm assuming this is what the BSB is like? I have a Honda Jazz which is a small hatch - so need to fit the hammock to the car as best I can - it is a shame about the measurements but I probably wouldn't know how to measure it right anyway! I just don't want to buy medium and then find its WAY too big for my car and sags into the footwell which makes it pointless (this just happened with the last hammock I bought) - So the back seat buddy holds it's shape??

I'm assuming there isn't a huge difference in size between the three then? Even though the website says I should get a small I just figure that doesn't give me much leeway if I ever get a bigger car… so was thinking medium but def don't want to buy it if it's way too big for my car…

Hi everyone I first bought a $15 car hammock from the Reject shop but it doesn't fit my car all that well and the material bunches up and sags in places so my seats still get sand/dirt on them from my dog - The straps are also starting to fray so I guess that's all I can expect for what I paid for it… I then bought a $50 one online and even though it was their smallest size it was WAY too big for my Honda Jazz. So anyway I have been reading posts about the back seat buddy and I really thought it was too expensive but it has such rave reviews that I'm willing to give it a go… the Petsavenue website recommend a small for my car but I wondered whether I should go up a size to medium as I've read some people have been able to do this between cars? Possibly get a larger car in the next couple of years so would hate to need another back seat buddy..

Thank you - I honestly believe it is from mosquito bites now as there are a couple of other people with this breed experiencing the same thing right now - we are in Qld and the mosquitos here at the moment are out of control - I've never seen them so bad. They are active during the day too and we open a door and 10 fly in! I went to the beach yesterday and had to leave as they were just swarming there and my dog and I had dozens on us - the lumps are like little welts - same as what happens to me when bitten… I have ordered the MooGoo Tail Swat Spray to try and keep them at bay and I'll see if my dogs skin improves from not being attacked, if not I'll speak to the vet again - I have Malaseb shampoo and I washed her twice a week when I first noticed them thinking it was some skin condition but my thoughts are now on mosquitos especially since they seem to be around 24/7 at the moment.

Just wanted to say thanks for all the advice! I am going to try and find some Marigold tea and give that a go - I also just placed an order with 'MooGoo' who are an Australian company that use all natural products and they have a 'Tail Swat Spray' which has dents (such as lemongrass) to keep mozzies away - I will give this a go. They also have lots of other wonderful products and rave reviews on them! They said they do dog shampoo and conditioner but it's under the name of 'Dr Zoo' which someone else mentioned on here - same company just animal side of business. Looking forward to giving it a go!

Is she on Advantix ??? Advantix is supposed to repel mozzies & biting flies. No I don't use any flea/tick treatment as I prefer minimal chemicals… I am however, considering an insect repellent for dogs as a last resort...

Actually just looked at the price list again and it is $1350 for a 30 inch and $900 for 25 inch. Sounds like this might be the norm then.

My puppy has lumps all over her at the moment and I can't work out what they are from except I'm almost certain they must be mosquito bites… but so many??? She is a short haired breed so I notice every scratch and lump easily. At the moment we have heaps of mozzies around our place and I've been attacked, I also see them land on my girl frequently… does anyone else have this issue and how can I prevent this and heal them?

I just purchased the Doggone Rapid Rewards one off Ebay - It arrived yesterday and looks fantastic! Very well made, large enough to hold lots of treats but different compartments for high value treats and keys, phone, clicker etc! Has the magnetic close which works well - If you were to tip it upside down though you would lose a few treats . The ebay seller is also including a belt strap with this one at the moment so you don't have to worry about clipping it to pants etc. Can't wait to start using it, thanks for all your opinions I think all the ones discussed sound really great!

Exactly right.

This. If she is a Viszla then you should have been made aware by the breeder that she will need a LOT of stimulation. If she was a WORKING gun dog, she would be doing long and possibly unseen retrieves by now. She would have been taught to come, sit, stay, lie down, stay while you are out of sight, stay while you are doing things within her field of vision, possibly some direction cues and so on. Also all these commands via whistle. Physical exercise is not what she needs right now, the more you run her the more fit she will get and the more she will demand. Your dog seems to be bored sh*tless by the sound of things and you need to start teaching her and demanding more brain exercises from her now before she gets older (and bigger and thinks of things to do other than bark to relieve boredom) :) What activities were you planning on doing with her to replace the full time job of being a gun dog? I do hope your breeder spoke to you about these things Yes she is a Vizsla. I am fully aware of their energy levels and stimulation requirements before I got her and I did ALOT of research and it was a decision I did not enter into lightly. I waited a year for this dog and do not feel I should be scrutinised for how I am caring for her. I would do anything for my dog hence why I am asking some advice on this forum rather than turning a blind eye. When I say up to 2 hours exercise this is rare and excessive I know but only happens if I take her on a play date with another V. I do not run with her or force her to go on a brisk walk. It is usually down the beach, off leash, throwing a ball. I sit down sometimes and she has a dig in the sand, plays with other dogs, and I also practice recalls and stays etc. Average time I would be out is 45 minutes sometimes an hour. I am also well aware that pups should not be overexercised but I want to stress that I monitor her closely when out and go home when she starts to tire. I know many other V owners who do exactly the same as me, all with similar aged dogs. I start obedience formally this week. I hope to trial in this eventually and when she is old enough do agility and flyball. I may look at tracking later on to. I am a nursing student and want to incorporate therapy work when she is matured more - companies such as 'Story dogs' and visiting aged care/disability patients is my goal. So as you can see I don't just have a high energy breed I plan to do nothing with. I am wanting to give her the best life possible. My breeder is fantastic and I got this pup at 8 weeks so she has no previous hunting experience. Her lines do come from some of the most successful V's in this country though so you could say it is in her blood.

She is 5.5 months old. We start obedience training this week… I spend 10 minutes a day sometimes a few times a day doing commands - sit, drop, come, stay etc. I also hide toys and get her to find them…. If I had a high energy dog I would have been doing a bit more than that, especially before leaving her in the mornings. Maybe doing obedience, and then carrying over some of that training at home will help tire her out and settle her more. Well I do more leash free exercise with her every day. She gets between 1-2 hours/day but the 'obedience training' doesn't really help much with her, she needs to run. She gets so tired after she has been out for a walk but as soon as we get ready to leave she is very alert again.

She is 5.5 months old. We start obedience training this week… I spend 10 minutes a day sometimes a few times a day doing commands - sit, drop, come, stay etc. I also hide toys and get her to find them….

She never barks at birds, cats or anything coming from outside - she is a gundog and I'm not sure if it's the breed but she is quiet when 'stalking' or chasing things - including leaves etc. I don't think the neighbour would have come to the fence, she is not really in sight from there place where she stays during the day anyway (we are on a corner block). It has been two different neighbours in the street mention it - not sounding too annoyed - but saying it is non stop for about an hour, then rest 10 mins then goes again the whole time! I honestly think if this is happening that she is just barking into thin air… I like the video idea - I only have my camera though and don't think it would stay on that long… should I set up an actual video surveillance thing? But if she is in fact not barking at anything in particular and I know this through the video, I still need to sort out how to fix this. I do give her alone time when we are at home, I think I will go out and park across the street and listen also. I might also up the exercise before we leave although it is a HIGH energy breed and she doesn't get exhausted very easily. Exercise has been not as much lately due to the weather here in Qld… We were out 8 hours last night until 10pm and apparently not a peep out of her! (per the neighbours) - Not sure if I'm just imagining it but she actually barks more when I am the last one to leave the house and doesn't so much if I go first and the other family member is home but goes an hour later etc.. worse if she is alone and 'I've' left her…??

She is barking because we are not home… possibly leading into separation anxiety… I give her lots of different treats, hide them, kongs, toys and she has access inside and part of outside but she won't eat or play with any of them until we get home…. I wondered whether a cat would be seen as 'company' and possibly lower her stress levels of being alone? How do you know she's barking because you aren't home, if you aren't home to see what she's doing? There might be a bird outside that she's barking at, or neighborhood noises, or anything? I wouldn't be dramatic and jump straight to SA just because she's barking. The neighbours just told me she is barking. And it hasn't been just a once off.

She is barking because we are not home… possibly leading into separation anxiety… I give her lots of different treats, hide them, kongs, toys and she has access inside and part of outside but she won't eat or play with any of them until we get home…. I wondered whether a cat would be seen as 'company' and possibly lower her stress levels of being alone?