We maybe need a new car. 4WD, not a giant SUV,something small that handles well and is practical for dirty dogs. We have an old pickup but it's such a beast.
What would you like?

honda element has good reviews for its' " hose it down " capability .

i drive a '98 four door chevy tracker . thing has been absolutely trouble free , gets decent mileage , and i don't worry about what the dogs bring in with them .

I have the Honda Element and like it a lot. I think they have discontinued the model--but you could find a newish used one.

The back seats can be removed completely, leaving an enormous cargo space. And yes, with a rubber floor interior, the whole thing can be hosed out.

Just had the Nissan Xterra in for its warranty check so it must be around a year now. Still miss the Jeep Liberty, perhaps something to do with its untimely demise.

Loved the way the Jeep's back window flipped up first, on key control, and the bottom opened to the left. Much like a conopied pick up truck.

The Xterra's entire door flips up. And not that it's a big deal but often the boys aren't crated and there was just that added level of security. It was comfortable hanging around the back with the window open but tail gate closed.

A bunch of other things I miss about the Jeep too but the Xterra is definitely roomier, way easier to keep clean and the back seats fold down completely flat. It's not carpeted so easy to hose down.

It's got built in tie down areas to secure crates, large water bottles, stuff like that. Handy little side pockets to stuff leashes, food, toys, etc., into. and a neat storage space on the roof that can be used for wet/dirty stuff. It also works really well for cooling down and carrying wine.

Practically, I can't think of anything better than the Xterra to fit our bill. Want wise and love of a vehicle, my next one will be another Jeep.

I had an Xterra for 9+ years & really liked it. All the things that CJ said..although mine was all carpeted. I just put a old bed spread on the floor area & even after all that time & 4 different GSDs it still looked like new when uncovered. Folded down the back seats & put in 2 large crates & 1 smaller one. Tiedowns are great. Only sold it becasue I didn't want to drive standard anymore with a bad knee.

I had a standard 4 wheel drive & it went everywhere....even up to the barn an hour away in bad snow storms. Had a stantdard 89 pathfinder that was the same way. Still registered, although the son uses it for off road fun now. Indestructable, even after all these years!

Very low maintenance on either vehicle & good gas mileage.

I've got the 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited. I love it. I got one of those liners from WeatherTech that fits perfectly in the back. I can just take it out and hose it down, let it dry, then put it back in.

The only downside to the Jeep is the interior vertical height. It will limit what size crate you can put in there. I modified one by taking the top off of it (wire crate) and it works well, but I would like to find one that is larger length-wise for my boy. He just turned 7 months old and is 75 pounds, so he needs a bit more room to stretch out.

Also it has a Hemi in it.

Here ya' go http://4pdrive.wordpress.com/ Lots of different SUVs, reviewed from a dog owners POV. Has the vehicle stats as well as interior size (nice for those wanting to crate their dogs)

Personally, I drive a 2003 Saturn Vue and have been very happy with it. Basic no frills vehicle with nice space for the dogs and great gas mileage. I currently crate my two in the cargo area, but could easily fold down the back seat and add a big crate and crate a third dog (up to 70-80#) as well if I wanted.