Whether you’re taking a road trip with your four-legged buddy, a short drive to the vet, or heading to the groomer, keeping hair off your car or truck seats is preferred. Dog hair seems to have a knack for working itself into fabrics, especially woven materials. That’s why it’s nice to have a quality back seat cover for dogs in your vehicle.
Besides, hair, dirt, and liquids can also be tracked into the ride when fido comes along. But who wants to leave lil’ buddy behind? Avoid these and other problems by choosing the ideal back seat cover. Let’s get started!
Importance of Back Seat Covers For Dogs
Choosing the right back seat cover for your dog can affect you and your pup. In fact, modern versions of seat covers offer more than just a barrier between the dirt and your seat. The seat cover has become an integral part of every car trip for many dogs and owners.
Safety
Most dog owners love to take their furry friends on adventures. As an owner, the excitement and pure joy when you say “car ride?” is palpable and rewarding. So, everybody loads up, and off you go.
Although this sounds great, what happens if you have an accident with dogs in the car? Most people put their seatbelts on when they get in a car. How many dogs use seatbelts, though?
Many dog owners are guilty of overlooking this safety precaution. I know I have been.
Fortunately, specific back seat covers allow dogs a safe place to be, which either helps to tether them in place or catch them in the instance of a sudden stop.
Hammock-style covers are especially effective in creating a barrier between the back and front seats, so the pups won’t go flying if you have to slam on the brakes.
Seat covers can also help keep dogs in one place, not jumping or roaming around the vehicle while in motion. Plus, giving a dog a place to be can serve as security for their minds and bodies.
Comfort
An equally important aspect of a great seat cover is to provide your dog with a physically comfortable place to lie down or watch traffic. Some dogs also like resting their heads on the surfaces as they cruise.
Padded seat covers add even more comfort and luxury to car rides but can also be necessary for older dogs with arthritis. Quilted covers often add another letter of soft comfort for ‘ol boy.
Your Original Seat Cover Remains Unchanged
Most owners want their dogs to be safe and comfortable in their seat covers. They also don’t want their dog(s) to ruin the original seat covers in their ride.
Dogs are wonderful but aren’t usually the most concerned about staying clean. As a matter of fact, many love to get absolutely filthy and then come to find exactly what their people DON’T want them to get on, like the back seat.
Dogs also tend to have tough and potentially sharp claws, which can easily tear at upholstery. Leather seats can be ruined by jumping in and out of the vehicle.
Choosing the right seat cover means you don’t have to worry about the seats getting ruined or your dogs being too dirty. Simply remove the lid and wash up after a trip to keep everybody happy.
6 Factors For Choosing The Right Back Seat Cover For Dogs
When deciding which back seat cover will work best for you and your dog(s), there are some important variables to consider. Choose wisely after understanding the available options.
The Ideal Material
As we’ve discussed, dogs often come bounding back from an adventure covered in mud, dirt, and water. They usually don’t stop to clean themselves or wipe their feet on a mat before they jump right back in the vehicle. You can be ready for them, though.
Start your cover quest by choosing between available materials. Ideally, something solid and durable, preferably waterproof or water-resistant, will work best for these scenarios.
Some materials will also be fairly soft and luxurious for the prince and princess pups, who don’t care so much about getting filthy. For these passenger pups, quilted and suede-lined may beat out rugged and waterproof.
Water-Resistant
Water-resistant or waterproof seat covers are great choices, even for dogs who don’t often get wet or dirty. Some dogs are drooling machines. Some dogs run like faucets after drinking water or just feeling excited.
Any drool or slobber can be handled easily with water-resistant or waterproof covers. These covers are stain resistant, too.
To clarify, waterproof means the material won’t absorb water and allows the person time to soak up or wipe up messes. Water resistance implies that the material is not likely to absorb any liquid for some time unless left to sit and soak.
Chew-Resistant
Another necessary feature for dog accessories is the ability to resist chewing damage. This is a challenging task for every dog. Some are driven to chew and put lesser products through their paces. Our family used to have a dog that we joked was a returning medalist in the Chew Olympics.
For a seat cover, it’s especially important to resist chewing since it could affect your vehicle’s seats in some less desirable ways. Tough seat cover materials can sacrifice some comfort, but most heavy chewers aren’t overly concerned with being pampered.
Look for seat covers without exposed zippers, corners, seams that stick out, or other areas that give your dog an opening to chew. Some seat covers are also made of highly durable material, similar to Kevlar used in bulletproof vests. It will cost more than the average cover but will resist the tenacious teeth.
Correct Size
Making sure the seat cover fits appropriately is important for many reasons. First, if the seat cover doesn’t fit correctly, dirt and hair may still get on the seat(s) only to be rubbed by the dogs and the seat cover further into the vehicle’s seat fabric.
The wrong size can also make it difficult for the dog to get in and out of the vehicle. Too loose, and the dog can get tangled up. Too tight, and you may spend more time re-stretching the cover.
Also, as we mentioned, chewing, loose or dangling pieces, or a cover that can be tugged by teeth from its position is like a treat or a temptation. Don’t create opportunities for the dog to want to chew.
Ease Of Comfort and Style
If a seat cover doesn’t feel comfortable, it won’t be great for your dog. Any material that is too heat conductive probably isn’t good for hot climates. Likewise, slick, cold covers aren’t ideal for cold temperatures.
Touch the fabric of the different seat covers as part of the decision process. Any thick seams or exposed zippers can also be uncomfortable to lay on.
Plus, let’s not forget to consider how the seat cover looks. You may opt for a style similar to the vehicle’s existing upholstery and create a seamless transition. Or maybe you choose yellow with purple polka dots. Whatever works for you.
Easy To Install
Sometimes a product has great features but isn’t designed properly for some applications. Seat covers are often well-designed in many of the previous categories we’ve covered but are too difficult to install in your vehicle.
The seat covers are often made for sedans in a certain size range but aren’t tailor-made for a particular make and model. Try reading customer reviews to determine if the covers you’re considering will fit properly and aren’t too hard to put in the vehicle.
Ideally, if you want to take the pups or a ride, you’ll want a seat cover that fits well and isn’t too difficult or time-consuming to put on.
Dog Dirt Barriers to the Rescue
Picking a dog seat cover to keep your vehicle clean and your dogs safe is more than just a practical choice. It can also be an invitation to make some personal changes.
Choosing the right seat cover for your furry friends can encourage you and the dogs to get out and explore more often. Getting the dogs out means, you get a little more exercise. Some solid exercise and you start to feel better, you get the promotion, the dogs are more content, your kids take out the trash without being asked, and your back seat is still immaculate.
Who knew that a dog seat cover could do all that?
All kidding aside, a quality rear seat cover can be a game-changer. For ideas on these and other great dog-inspired products, visit the website and look around. Or, if you have a question or want to say hey, you can contact me here.
