I just got my new 2012 Prius Two and I refuse to let my two papillons on my seats. I want to confine them to the hatchback trunk, but I know they will jump over the seats to the front. I'm wondering if anyone has found a good trunk barrier to prevent them from coming up front, all of the ones I've looked into are far too large for a hatchback, and I'm nervous about ordering a net because I don't want to have to install hooks to hold it up. I'm also worried about visibility, as rear visibility on the Prius is minimal as it is. Any ideas? And before anyone says anything about how cruel it is keeping dogs confined to the trunk, google the dog breed, they're less than 10lb apiece, it's more than enough room.
You might take a look at the Drs. Foster and Smith catalog or website. They offer a variety of "tents" that hook onto the 4 headrests and effectively confine the dogs to the back seat, while protecting the seat and the carpet. This works great for my lab. I'd be worried that in hot weather, your little guys might be baked by the sun and get very little cool air from the AC. But, to address your real question, I could envision a simple frame made out of 1/2" PCV pipe and fittings from the hardware store, with some mesh similar to the cargo nets that are offered for the Prius.
I use a dog car hammock with or without a harness and short leash tethered to a latched seltbelt. You can buy them online or at any pet or general merchandise superstore. You'll need to wash the windows and do a quick vacuuming after the outing.
I just bought one for our small SUV. It looks like it will fit in my Prius and it was only $35 on Amazon. I'll try to remember to check the height tomorrow.
Thanks for the suggestions about the PVC piping, I'd just rather not make my own. I want to keep them in the trunk, not the back seat, so none of the ones on Foster and Smith would work, I've checked them out.
