hi Everyone.
I have been looking into getting a second hand dog trailer. I have a station wagon with dog gates on it but I just think it would be easier to have one dog per pen and not all three running at me at once. I have been looking into a 2 berth which is currently on Ebay for $450.00 for a second hand trailer in good nick.
Is this a good price? I don't want to go to over the top in case I don't use it but think it might be a good idea I have one

what does everyone think????

What does everyone else do. i train my dogs every saturday and leave two in the car while the other is trained.

I have a dog crate that I use, I am going to get another for Izzy eventually. I have no idea on pricing of the dog trailers at all. Are they fairly safe and do they have enough ventiliation? Just wondering I have only seen a couple and that is from a distance.

Hi Rachellebuck,

I really like dog trailers. But I am biased as I own one and have for around 20yrs now (this is our 2nd one). Used to trspt our show dogs in it and my obedience dogs. I have on occasions taken it to the Koolie Club meetings, especially when I had more than two dogs to tsprt. I feel that they are just as safe as having individual crates in the back of the wagon or ute. The dogs feel more settled in smaller areas. Added advantage if you have a bitch in season they can be kept seperate from the other dogs. We have done weekend trials and the dogs stay in the trailer at night. They are well ventilated (at least ours is and so was the one we owned before the current one that we now have). They quite often have windows at the front and rear. We use one of the births to tspt doggy items, chairs , water etc. We have a four birth trailer which we no longer use, so if you are interested please email privately. Where are you situated? We are near Horsham and Stawell in Western Victoria.

jtkoolie

Hi Guys
I had been doing obedience and agility for years and we do country trials at least 4 times a year and the last 5 years around Australia doing the Nationals. When my dogs grew to two than to three and going to the country trials our poor car was packed to the brim and it got to the point that we couldnt bring our water with us we had to go and buy it and my poor mum had stuff in between her legs(great being the driver though).Also had to watch the boot as things would get blown away or we couldnt shut it. Mum and I decided it was time to buy one and use it for when we go away. Dogs in car stuff in trailer dogs sleep in trailer. Well that lasted for one country trial. Now we use it to just about every trial I go to. I bought a 2 berth Coachman and I just open it up as one berth and all the girls just cuddle up in it. It looks like a miniature horse trailer. It has a door on the side and a door in the back and side windows. We put curtains on the windows and made curtains for the door so the sun doesnt go in. (dont laugh) When we go to the nationals we pack the trailer but normally the dogs are in there. We can even put the gazebo in there as you just slide it through the back door. It fits comfortably my 4 dogs in there. I dont know what I would do without it. As for ventilation the trailer stays cool even when its hot outside. Friends bought a dog trailer for there Shephards and it even had an air conditioner on it and another friend had a video hooked up so they could see what there dogs get up to
cheers
Danni

Oops I also forgot to mention to check the trailer out thoroughly as you can get ripped off. Went to have a look at one for $1500 Well it looked like a dump. It was a two birth trailer but where the doors were you couldnt get to the back to clean it up (like when you have a puppy or dog and they have accident) The barrier was long wise so when the dog jumps in they jump into the mesh. There was only one door(I like to have two doors so you can open it up and let the fresh air in)and the lock was a hook. The interior was like plywood that was splintering and falling to bits. It was a shocker. This one that I got fell in love was just what I was looking for and was much cheaper
cheers
Danni

I have to agree a dog trailer is the way to go.

It took me thirty years though to finaly concede to getting one.
I was always worried about trucks running into the trailer or losing it on the drive.

But with as many dogs as we have when we do workshop away it allows us to take ten, ours is a large 6 berth for shepherds so there's plenty of room and it necessary our smaller Koolies or the pups can double up.

All the pens can be opened up, the roof opens and there is a awning, so they have their own shade no matter where we are.

Ventilation is better than our airconditioner and the dogs really travel well.

And they are seperate so no arguments during the trip or over night.
They have their own food dish and water dish so real doggy delux.

The lady who owned it original used to sleep in oneside with her dogs in the other side.
It also has a tack box in front for chairs, water, food, leads and anything else.

Have a look at it this weekend at the gathering, it will be full.

Oh the other day, we went camping and some one who will remain nameless didn't connect the trailer securely to the truck, half way across the bridge the trailer came loose, my worst mightmare was realised.

This trailer is so well balanced it continued to travel behind the truck connected by nothing but the chains, luckly Ron felt the shift of weight and pulled over and connected it securely, the link holding the trailer was so bent out of shape it had to be replaced.

Bloody well built equipment, saved our dogs, it all could have gone so easily the other way.

The trailer is double checked now everytime.

And yes I still keep my best dog in the car with me

One of things that I had been told is hook the trailer and everytime you get in the car check doors and the tow bar is connected. We were over in Perth for the Nationals and left the grounds. The driver was a bit impatient and wanted to go so we did went over a bump heard a huge crash. Yep he forgot to check and when we went over the hump it came of and went into the boot. Lovely trip that one from Perth.
On a serious note years ago before I got a trailer went to a country trial. This lady went and stopped at Port Wakefield(its where everybody stops for petrol and toilet and food break) She left there didnt check I dont know if she forgot to check or what but the door opened up and she didnt know about it one dog got skiddled straight away and the other dog took of down the road to get skiddled. She didnt know till she got to Port Pirie she was absolutely devestated. My friend and her husband saw the whole thing and were pretty upset as well. It was a very sombre trial
Danni

i was offered a 6 birth for 1000 but had to say no for two reasons 1 i don't have 1000 and 2 my car does not have a tow bar so i just pack my tent esky doggie picnic basket and water behind the front seats three dogs on back seat chair and camping table in the back plus a couple more dogs in the back that way we all fit lol

Thanks everyone for you points of view. I never realy thought about a trailer till Mum and Dad got one a month or so ago. (TJ you may have seen it when they last came to hearding) The trailer was built by my bother in laws father that shows and breeds boxers. He told us when he first built it he made his son (then 20 years old) sit in the trailer and they drove to Melbourne and back (about 35 mins each way) The son made it back alive and said it was comfy and not hot at all. He then said it was Ok for his dogs to travel in. I have been looking at ones with wind things on the roof and either double doors or lift up front and rear. I am on a small budget for the trailer though. I have been look at 2 so far. One is a 2 birth for $450 with the double doors and roof rack and a 4 birth for $600 with lift up front and rear windows but looks like it needs new dividers (not a problem though Dad is very handy and my brother in law works for Smorgans steal so gets the mesh for nothing) I will keep look though as Dad said there is very bloody imprtant cargo it these trailers.

I have a Navara twincab with a mesh dog cage on the back or the landcruiser with a caged in canopy (single crates for trouble makers. A lot of the time I tow a horse float when we go places so a dog trailer for me is not suitable.

If we are camping OH takes the horses and gear and I take the dogs in my car. With my car I take the boss dog (my old cattle dog) on the back seat with the other trouble maker so I can keep my eye on them and the rest go in the cage on the back. It holds six comfortable they can all lay down and sleep if they wish.

The humidity is very uncomfortable in a closed in space so with the mesh cage they have plenty of airflow to keep them cool.

Must share funny tail.

When we first got our trailer I took it on a road trip up north Nsw, we dropped into a three sheep trial that a friend was competing in.

We pulled up, popped up the roof, opened the doors, our has the second mesh door, left them with their drink and food and went off to find my friend.

When we returned there were all their cockys hanging aroung the trailer, not birds, blokes who had come to trial.

My first thought was poop someones been barking and they've come to shut them up.

Nope all these tough hardened farmers with thier trucks and cages were eyeing off me trailer.

What a hoot, one bloke offered $5'000 for the trailer and every Koolie in it, now that's a complement.

Even if it was a tad cheep. Ha Ha Ha

LOL should of told him to add another 0 to his price and you would think about it!!!

Well I did have six of my best in the trailer at the time

When I get my new twin cab 4WD ha ha ha. I am going to get a half canopy, spray the bottom of the trailer with matting and put a cage under the canopy. The humidity here is the killer. Today for example got up to 35 degrees and about 80% humidity. We just had a quick storm pass over.

At the moment I just have a stationwagon with a divider in the back and matting down on the floor. Hopefully the 4WD will not be too far away, maybe in two years.

And if you have seen me reverse a trailer, well you don't want to see it.

Ah yes, reversing, I'm always going forward cause I can't find reverse.

Remember the funny Star Trek song, that was such a hoot.

If I can't drive in, I don't drive, simple
And I don't have to have the trailer on to create havic, going backwards must be avoided at all cost.

Because it can prove to be very costly.
The other day I'm at the mechanics, radiator issues.
I'm backing out of his driveway onto the road, there is a car waitng to drive in where I'm coming out of, and another approching me.
So all eyes everywhere except directly behind me, I wasn't even going fast, just a crawl, because I was going backwards.

It turns out the bloody stationwagon which was like a hundred years old was left for the mechanic to work on later in the day.
This car was filled with rust and you couldn't see where one dent started and the next began and yet the rather large dent on the back passenger door was not hard to find.

I had a little scuff mark on the bumper of the Toyo, thay make cars out of drink cans.
It cost me $500 to replace the door, apparently it bent all the way through the main frame.

So don't back up when you can go forwards is my motto.