The ideal car for a dog?

I have been thinking about getting a new car for a while now, and with the addition of our spotty dog Lux, the practicality of keeping a Mini Convertible seemed slim to none. Imagine if you will, one rather large Dalmatian, riding around in luxury on my leather seats, if you have ever driven a Mini yourself, you will appreciate that the back seats and front seats are almost one and the same, which for me meant that Lux would occasionally seize the opportunity to lay one massive kiss on my face (not ideal when A. it is completely unexpected, and B. you are trying your darndest to not crash....).

These realisations pretty much sealed my little Mini's fate, and it dawned on me that for the first time in my life I actually needed a 'grown up' car. My mind started pondering what that meant, I didn't want anything too big... But at the same time I needed the additional space, and that really only left me with an estate as an option. Along with the space factor, I wanted something that was economic and cheap to run, something that had little to no road tax (after the Mini crippled me at £305 a year!).

That's when I discovered the Skoda Fabia Estate and found a rather good deal for one not to far from me. The Skoda is only a 1.2 engine (where as the Mini was a 1.6 Turbo Cooper S!), it cosrs absolutely nothing in road tax each year and I have discovered that a full tank is under £50 (and let me tell you that it can go for miles upon miles with its Diesel consumption!).

Along with the money saving aspects of this car, I have also gained the space I need for that rather hefty puppy of mine (no more face licks as I cruise along...). Lux is now confined to the boot of the car and kept there thanks to the dog guard I purchased.

I am currently in the process of dog proofing my entire car. I want to get a boot liner so that if we take Lux out for a walk and he get's filthy, it won't matter so much when we have to get him back in the car, and not to mention how much Lux sheds, Dalmatian dog hair is always falling out, and it can be rather difficult to clean up (it took me HOURS and a whole roll of sellotape to rid the Mini of dog hair...), so I am thinking of getting seat covers as well even though Lux won't be in the main part of the car (dog hair finds it's way EVERYWHERE).

I have found some great Pets At Home Discount Cards over on Voucher Slug that I am going to be making the most of, because it's going to cost me a pretty penny to kit the car out with everything that I need to Lux proof it.

I may have lost a substantial amount of power with my car upgrade (I can tell you that picking it up and driving it around was a shock to the system when I was putting the pedal to the floor and only just managing to find the speed to overtake cars!), but I am really pleased with just how practical my little estate is, and it's just in time for Summer!

I cannot wait to pack the pup and Leo into the car and just taking a drive to the beach with them both. I want to try and find a dog friendly holiday within the UK over the Summer break, it will be so lovely to go away as an entire family (this of course includes Lux), make some memories and explore the treasures hidden within England.