- Open Tray or Tub
- Transporting Your Dog in a Centurion Canopy
- Transporting Your Dog in a Hard Lid
- Managing Heat
Whether you're heading out to the farm, hitting the trails, or just the school drop-off with muddy paws in tow - plenty of ute owners bring their dog along for the ride. The question isn't really whether you can transport a dog in a ute, it's whether you're doing it in a way that keeps them safe and comfortable.
The setup you choose makes a real difference, especially on longer trips or in warm weather. Get it right and your dog travels happy. Get it wrong, and a hot day or a rough back road turns an easy trip into a stressful one.
The short version: Utemaster canopies and hard lids work well for transporting dogs. Use the right ventilation accessories while driving, park in shade, and never leave your dog unattended in a parked canopy or hard lid.
Open Tray or Tub
An open tray or tub with a tether is common, particularly on farms and rural properties. For short, low-speed runs it can be fine. But it comes with real trade-offs - full exposure to sun, wind and rain, stones and road debris kicked up at speed, and for a lot of dogs, real stress at being out in the open with nowhere to settle.
Utemaster canopies and hard lids both offer solutions for transporting your pets. The setup you choose will depend on which product you have, but the principles are the same: keep air moving while you're driving, keep your dog out of a parked enclosed space on warm days, and watch for any signs of discomfort.
Let's take a look at these below.
Transporting Your Dog in a Centurion Canopy
A canopy changes things considerably. Your dog is enclosed and better protected from the elements, with the canopy helping prevent them from jumping or falling from the vehicle. For ute owners who travel with their dogs regularly, it's a practical long-term setup.
One of the greatest features of the Utemaster Centurion Canopy is the solid aluminium doors which provide security for your gear. The Utemaster Dog Vent Kit allows you to take your best friend with you without compromising on this.
Dog Vent Kit
The Dog Vent Kit holds the canopy doors ajar by 69.55mm, creating a combined ventilation opening area of 1,274 cm²:
To put that in perspective, 1,274 cm² is roughly equivalent to a single circular opening about 40 cm in diameter.
It's important to understand that 1,274 cm² describes the size of the ventilation opening, not a measured airflow rate. How much air actually moves through will depend on vehicle speed, wind direction, and canopy configuration. What it does tell you is the physical size of the opening.
Features Include:
- 1,274 cm² combined ventilation opening (69.55mm door gap)
- Central locking compatible
- Lets natural light into the tub
- Easily swings into place
- Durable design
Positive Pressure Air Vent
The Positive Pressure Air Vent adds a further 92 cm² of dedicated ventilation area. It encourages fresh air into the canopy and helps manage airflow through the tub. Paired with the Dog Vent Kit, the inlet and outlet combination moves air through the space rather than letting it simply enter and stop.
Please note: Both accessories are designed for transport while driving. In hot conditions or after extended stops, check the canopy temperature before travelling and consider additional cooling measures. Never leave your dog unattended in a parked canopy.
Check out the video below to see it in action.
Transporting Your Dog in a Hard Lid
Utemaster currently offers two hard lid options: the Load-Lid and the GearForce Hard Lid. Both are compatible with a Lid Spacer Kit, which is the purpose-built accessory for travelling with your dog.
Lid Spacer Kit
The Lid Spacer Kit holds the hard lid open 200mm above the rear tailgate, creating a large opening for air to enter the tub while you're on the move.
Features include:
- Holds the hard lid 200mm above the tailgate
- Allows air to flow into the tub
- Easily swings into place
- Lets light into the tub
The Lid Spacer Kit is also handy beyond dog transport, it's useful for carrying longer items like surfboards, fishing rods, or lengths of timber that won't fit with the lid fully closed.
Please note: The Lid Spacer Kit is designed for use while driving. As with any enclosed tub, never leave your dog unattended in a parked hard lid on a warm day.
Managing Heat
For the same reason you wouldn't leave a dog in a car on a hot day, heat management matters in a canopy and hard lid too. Temperatures inside an enclosed space can climb quickly, even on days that don't feel that warm outside.
A few things worth keeping in mind:
- Use the Dog Vent Kit whenever your dog is in the canopy or hard lid while driving - consistent airflow makes a real difference
- Park in shade whenever your dog is inside
- On longer stops, get your dog out rather than leaving them in the canopy
- Watch for signs of overheating: excessive panting, drooling, or lethargy
Every dog is different, and so is every trip. A quick school run in a mild climate is a very different situation to daily transport in the New Zealand or Australian summer with a working dog. The right setup will depend on your dog's breed, coat, size, and temperament - as well as how far you're travelling and in what conditions.
For tougher situations, some owners add things like portable air conditioning units or additional ventilation fans. The canopy provides a secure, weather-protected space to house that kind of equipment - but what works best for your dog and your climate is worth researching for yourself.
Whether you go with a canopy or a hard lid, the right accessories make travelling with your dog genuinely easy.
Browse the range below.
