This year I purchased a new car and a new puppy, so I needed a new dog car seat cover, here is what I found to suit my needs.

How to protect your car seats from dog hair?

Like most dog owners, protecting the car seats from dog hair was a principle requirement of a new car seat cover. My new car had cloth car seats (I find the dogs slip around on leather seats too much) so I wanted to keep hairs out of the upholstery.

My other requirement was that I needed a way to initially transport my puppy close to me when I was driving him on my own but still have him strapped into his seat belt and reasonably “contained”.

What is the best dog car seat cover for older dogs and puppies?

For me, the best dog car seat cover was the “The Running Dog – Norton Back seat cover for dogs”. (https://runningdog.net.au/collections/seat-covers/products/norton-back-seat-protector)

I also received some excellent advice from an automotive store who recommended putting a removalist’s blanket on the seats under the car seat cover. The removalist’s blanket tucks neatly into the seats and around the floor mats and offers an extra protection from dog hairs.

The Running Dog – Norton back seat cover is really comfortable for the dogs to sit on and not slippery, particularly with the removalist blanket underneath. The durable fabric doesn’t “hold” the dog hairs. You can easily shake out most of the hairs or you can vacuum them easily.

The best thing about this car seat cover though is the design. For the older dogs, I attach the car seat cover to the rear head rests and drape the cover over the seat and the floor. The dogs lay on the back seat and are buckled into their seat belts. To get into and out of the car, there are “flaps” on the side which you drop out of the car when the door is opened to protect the car from toenail scratches and muddy dogs.

For the puppy however, you can attach the car seat cover to the front head rests to form a sling. You then can zip up the side flaps to create a completely enclosed space on the backseat. I put the puppy’s bed on the backseat so he has a semi-solid “floor” and doesn’t lose his footing in the sling. When he is fastened to his seat belt his is safely contained on the backseat but still close enough to me. The top of the car seat cover is slightly reinforced so the front and back don’t “droop” when in the sling mode. This feature is useful for the puppy who wants to put his feet up, the “integrity” of the barrier is maintained.

I have had the car seat cover for several months now and use it everyday. It is not showing any signs of wear. I am particularly impressed with the Velcro openings for the seat belts. In other car seat covers I have used, the Velcro becomes weak over time and gapes open, leaving a very awkward pocket for dog hair to collect which is just about impossible for clean.

I am happy to recommend this car seat cover for dogs who like to get out and about. Please leave a comment to share your tips for keeping your car clean and free from dog hairs.

Until next time, enjoy your dogs.