Best way to travel with my dog in my SUV

I have been researching the best way to travel with my 1 1/2 year old Dutch Shepherd in my Ford Edge without having to upgrade to a larger vehicle. I have 2 boys who are 10 & 13 years old and if I were to put a large kennel in I would have to put 1/2 of the back seat down.

The large kennels are heavy and hard to carry myself to put in and out of the vehicle. Most of the time Kaiju ( my dog) is ok just riding in the back seat. But I don’t feel comfortable with the windows half way down. Even though Kaiju is considered a large dog, she is petite enough to try and squeeze through the window. And she can easily jump between the seats and back of the vehicle.

I do dog training with Kaiju on the weekends and we are out in the country very large field with a small dog group. So, if it isn’t her turn on the field I need to keep her in the car or kennel. Now that it is summer and much warmer weather I don’t feel comfortable leaving her in the car with just the windows cracked. Most of the other dog owners leave their vehicle doors open with their dogs in a kennel.

After doing some research online I found another solution to than dealing with buying another kennel and having to load and unload every week. I found Midwest Pet Barrier on Amazon that I thought I would try out!
After I installed it I LOVE it! I feel much safer with Kaiju secure in the car and she has more room in the back and I don’t have to load and unload a bulky kennel.

It did take about 45 minutes for me to put together and install it. But I did like that it didn’t require any additional tools. Unfortunately, I found out at the very end that I was missing 1 bolt so I did have to make a run to the hardware store for the last bolt. There were 2 additional panels that are included in the box depending on if you needed the larger or smaller extensions.

Now that I have Kaiju safely secure in the back of my car I wanted to make sure she also can stay cool. I can roll down the windows all the way to let a breeze in.

I also purchased a Roybi portable fan battery operated with charger to keep Kaiju cool even more when she is in the back. This has a nice strong breeze and is very sturdy.

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And I also got a windshield sun shade! This makes a big difference in keeping the car cool! This is the one that I purchased also on Amazon. I like it but was a bit difficult to fold up at first.
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Short random timelapse video of me trying to install the Midwest pet barrier in my Ford Edge.