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Never Fear, Honda Dog is Here!
Filed under: Opinion, Honda
Dog owners are, like their furry friends, a very loyal and generous breed. We love our canines as much as, or in many cases, more than family members. When Fido passes away we are prone to months of grief and the possibility of erecting a stone memorial fountain in the backyard. To non-owners this is borderline hysteria. To dog owners, it is a way of life.
Finally one car company has managed to, shall we say, rest its paws on the pulse of the average dog owner. Not surprisingly, it is the ever ingenious Honda Motor Corp. In Japan, the automaker has recently launched a website called simply, “Honda Dog” to appeal to the rapidly burgeoning market for dog related auto paraphernalia. Just to put it in perspective, there are now more canines in Japan than there are children under 15. We guess you could say the old adage is true that dogs are “Big in Japan.”
In the United States, there is a similarly dog-focused, non-carmaker specific website called dogcars.com. Last year, it even released its very own list of top “dog cars” based on such things as ease of canine entry/exit and how well your Chihuahua can see out of the windows. While the website did hand out awards to vehicles in different categories, the overall winner was the Honda Element. Noticing a Honda-centric pattern here? Does Honda’s engineering department hold its very own PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) meetings, as well? While this marketing trend towards dog owners has started to be adopted by rivals like Toyota, it was Honda who first unveiled a totally dog-centered concept vehicle. When it released the new Japan-only Freed minivan, Honda introduced options like a built-in dash dog carrier along with a standard 48cm ride height just to aid elderly canine entry and exit. While the Freed is more than likely will have trouble going over speed bumps, at least your 16 year old Springer Spaniel won’t have to damage her arthritic knees getting in and out.
But Honda’s marketing team isn’t just trying to appeal to new owners of the Freed minivan. It also wants to figure out new ways to get dog lovers into American Civics, Pilots, and Fits. With the baby boomer population in the United States getting older by the minute, no doubt the dog population will grow as parents try to replace the empty space vacated by their grown children. It is a trend that hit the older population of Japan and it will no doubt repeat itself here.
Our take?Does all of this dog talk sound like madness to you? Then no doubt you are not one of the many people who wouldn’t consider going anywhere without their dog with them in the car. Dogs are our companions, friends, and confidants. They deserve the most reliable and safe motoring experience we can give them. They deserve Hondas.
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