Research-based shortlist, not a verified-fit list. Confirm your model year, body style, trim and seat layout before buying.
This guide builds on our general guide to choosing the best kennel for your vehicle. Start there for the overall approach, or change vehicles with the selector below.
Start with your GMC Canyon’s layout
The Canyon’s kennel question belongs in the cabin before it belongs in the bed. Identify your generation and cab style, then set the front seats for the actual driver and passenger. A photo of a kennel behind a forward-slid passenger seat can make a setup look practical even though it removes the legroom your household needs.
Measure the rear doorway and trace the motion needed to rotate the kennel into position. Check the full shell, latches and handles, not just its base. Once inside, inspect the rear floor and seat hardware without assuming that any exposed metal point is suitable for attachment. The exact kennel instructions and vehicle guidance must support the securing method.
For households that also use the rear bench for people, make a repeatable plan for installation and removal rather than improvising around every trip. Do not leave a passenger unable to buckle up or exit. An exposed-bed arrangement requires a different assessment of temperature, weather, exhaust and restraint. The Canyon’s work-truck capability does not make an ordinary kennel automatically suitable for that environment.
The checks that matter here
- Generation and cab rather than trim badge alone
- Rear-door rotation path with occupied front seats
- Documented securing points and remaining passenger access
Kennels we would compare for the GMC Canyon
We would investigate a compact RuffLand only after its interior size suits the dog and its exterior can clear the doorway. A Gunner G1 is a separate comparison candidate, not an assumed upgrade that will occupy the same footprint. In a midsize truck, the required dog size can eliminate both possibilities; a properly selected cabin carrier or restraint may then be the more realistic approach.
RuffLand single-door kennel
Investigate a dog-appropriate configuration only after confirming it can pass through the Canyon rear doorway and use an instructed cabin installation.
When we would pass: Pass if loading only works with the front passenger seat pushed out of its normal occupied position.
Check this option and its instructions →
Gunner G1
Compare as its own exterior shape in the Canyon cab; do not assume it occupies the same space as a RuffLand with a similar nominal size.
When we would pass: Verify the full turn through the rear doorway; a rectangle drawn across the cabin misses that constraint.
Check this option and its instructions →
These are candidates to investigate, not confirmed fits. Match the exact size and installation instructions to your dog and vehicle before ordering.
Before you order
Use the main guide’s dog-sizing and loading-route checklist to test your chosen layout. Review how to check crash-test evidence for the exact product and installation; a successful physical fit does not establish crash protection.
Bring your dog’s measurements, your model year and trim, and photos of the intended installation area to the kennel seller. Ask for the exterior envelope and usable interior measurements of the exact size and door configuration. Confirm the return terms before a trial fit.
Sources and related guides
- GMC Canyon manufacturer information
- RuffLand door configurations and sizing guidance
- GUNNER kennel range
- Compare our kennel product reviews
- All 106 vehicle guides
Reviewed October 26, 2026. Recommendations are editorial judgments from published information; no vehicle-specific fit or crash result is implied.