Crash-tested car crates for Dalmatian and Labrador

Travelling by car with two large dogs is one of those situations where crate choice really matters — not just for comfort, but for crash safety. Travel crates have very specific requirements depending on how the dog is travelling: car crates need to withstand impact forces, cabin crates must meet airline dimension and material rules, and hold crates follow IATA standards that vary by carrier. Getting the wrong one can mean a dog loose in a collision, or turned away at the gate. To point you to exactly the right crates, can you tell me the breed and approximate weight of each dog, how you're travelling — car, cabin, or hold — and if flying, which airline?

Good — and both those weights put them firmly in the large dog bracket, so sizing this correctly matters. Before I recommend, a couple of quick questions: do you know roughly how long each dog is from nose to tail base? And do you have an estate or SUV boot, or are you thinking of putting these on back seats? That affects which crate format works best.

Perfect — the XC90 boot gives you plenty of room, and dogs already crate-trained make this much easier. For both dogs I'd recommend the Gundog Protector crash-tested aluminium dog crate. For your Dalmatian, go with the Large (fits dogs up to 76cm), and for your Lab, the XL (fits dogs up to 80cm and dogs up to around 40kg). These crates are independently crash-tested to TÜV standards — one of the few on the UK market with real certification rather than just a marketing claim. The aluminium frame is rigid enough to protect in a collision but significantly lighter than steel equivalents, which matters when you're loading two large crates in and out. They bolt together if you want to save boot space by mounting them side by side, and the ventilation panels on three sides keep airflow good on long drives. The bolt-on anchor system secures them to the boot floor properly. You'd be looking at around £280–£320 per crate depending on size, but for dogs this size in a family car, it's the right call.

Yes — measure your boot width carefully before ordering. The XC90 boot is wide but the wheel arch intrusions can catch people out. The Gundog Protector Large is 78cm wide and the XL is 83cm, so placed side by side you're looking at around 161cm total — most XC90 boots run about 115–120cm wide at floor level, which means side-by-side won't work in one row. What most owners do is stack or stagger them: one crate forward, one slightly behind at an angle, or one on each side of the boot with a small gap. Alternatively, Gundog Protector do a double-bay configuration for some sizes — worth contacting them directly about your specific boot dimensions. The key thing is that both crates are anchored independently and neither is resting against a seat back without a fixed point.

Good plan. One last thing worth knowing: both the Large and XL Gundog Protector crates are available on Amazon UK with Prime delivery, so you can get them quickly if you need to. Check the listing carefully to confirm you're buying direct from Gundog Protector rather than a third-party seller — the crash-test certification is only valid on genuine units, and there are copies on the market that look similar but aren't tested. Safe travels to you and both dogs.