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 Toyota Highlander’s layout
The Highlander’s best kennel arrangement depends first on how many people are coming along. For a dog traveling behind the second row with the third row folded, compare a correctly sized GUNNER G1 with a RuffLand Intermediate. Treat both as candidates to measure, not Highlander-approved fits. A family that needs all three rows may need a different pet arrangement rather than trying to squeeze the same kennel into the remaining luggage space.
Toyota’s Highlander is a three-row vehicle, and it is not interchangeable with the larger, separately named Grand Highlander. Use your actual model and year when reading fit reports. Set the second-row seats and their recline for the people who normally ride there, then measure from those seatbacks to the closed hatch. Moving a seat forward for a photograph does not demonstrate that the setup works on a family trip.
Check the folded third-row surface as carefully as the hatch opening. The kennel’s base needs appropriate support across any change in floor level, and its installed position must leave room for the required attachment system. Use a full-size cardboard mock-up to check the inward curve of the rear trim and glass. Test the kennel door’s movement too; enough space for the shell is only half the loading problem.
Pack the stroller, weekend bags and dog supplies during the trial instead of assuming they will fit later. Keep them out of the kennel’s airflow and restrain them separately. For a small dog, a vehicle-rated carrier installed according to its instructions may preserve passenger flexibility, but it still consumes a real seating position. The final choice should support your normal passenger count, not a layout you will immediately need to undo.
The checks that matter here
- Confirm this is Highlander, not Grand Highlander.
- Choose third-row occupied or folded before measuring.
- Set second-row recline for passengers and check the folded floor beneath the kennel.
- Trial-fit the stroller and bags without blocking the kennel door.
Kennels we would compare for the Toyota Highlander
Let passenger count determine the usable space, then select a correctly sized kennel with verified support and attachment.
GUNNER G1 — select size for your dog
Compare behind the second row if folding the Highlander’s third row matches your normal passenger count.
When we would pass: Do not borrow Grand Highlander depth when evaluating this smaller, separately named vehicle.
Check this option and its instructions →
RuffLand Intermediate Kennel
A conditional option to measure alongside a stroller in a third-row-folded Highlander layout.
When we would pass: A second-row seat pushed forward for a photo can hide the loss of an ordinary passenger position.
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
- Toyota Highlander manufacturer information
- GUNNER G1 — select size for your dog — manufacturer product information and instructions
- RuffLand Intermediate Kennel — manufacturer product information and instructions
- 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.