Dog Hammock, Seat Cover or Cargo Liner: Which One Does Your Car Need?

You love your car, and you love your dog. The seats are the ones paying for it.

Hair and mud wipe off. What doesn’t wipe off is what soaks in. Wet fur and drool run down into the seat seams and into the foam, and that’s where the smell comes from. Add claws on leather and vinyl, and a dog that hops into the footwell every time you brake. The fix is a cover that matches where your dog actually rides, so start there.

What goes wrong when a dog rides loose

• Moisture in the seams. Rain-wet fur and drool get into the foam where cleaning can’t reach. That’s the smell that outlives the dog hair.
• Claw marks. Claws scratch leather and vinyl in ways polish won’t fix, and they pull threads in cloth.
• The scramble. Dogs climb between seats and drop into the footwell, right at your pedals. And a loose dog turns into a projectile in a hard stop.

Which one fits your car?

Ask one question: where does your dog ride?

• Back seat: I’d go with a hammock for most dogs. It covers the seat and the footwell, so your dog can’t drop down and has a harder time climbing forward. The tradeoff is that it takes over the back seat, so a bench cover is the better pick if passengers still ride back there and your dog is calm.
• Cargo area (SUV, wagon, hatchback): a cargo liner with a bumper flap. Don’t buy a hammock for this. It won’t fit the way you need it to.
• Front seat: a single seat cover. I’d rather the dog ride in back, since a front seat has airbags and a dog in your lap or at your elbow is a distraction. But if the front is where your dog rides, cover it.

You may not need a full hammock if your dog rides in a crate in the cargo area. A cargo liner under the crate does the job.

What I’d buy

What to look for

• Waterproof, not water-resistant. If your dog rides wet, water-resistant fabric gives up.
• Straps at both ends. A hammock needs to attach to the front and rear headrests. A sagging one drops the dog into the footwell.
• Seat-belt openings. Rear covers need them for passengers, and so does anyone buckling a harness.
• Thick, scratch-resistant fabric. Thin covers tear in a few months.
• A non-slip backing so it stays put on leather.
• A bumper flap on cargo liners. Claws on a painted or plastic bumper add up.

What to skip

• Cheap universal covers that bunch up and slide.
• Any front seat cover that isn’t made for seats with side airbags. The airbag needs to open through the seam, and a cover can block it.
• A collar clipped to the seat belt. Use a harness.

Last thing. A crash-tested harness clipped into the seat belt keeps your dog in place and keeps the dog from being thrown in a hard stop. Look for one with independent crash-test certification, such as from the Center for Pet Safety.