How to Install a Dog Car Seat Cover in Under 5 Minutes
Mick from the Bush — dog car-travel & ute gear
The first cover I ever bought sat in the box for a fortnight because I figured fitting it would be a Saturday job. Turned out it took longer to find the scissors for the packaging than to put the thing in. If you can buckle a seat belt, you can fit a cover. This is how to install a dog car seat cover without making a meal of it, and why the whole job should take you less time than the kettle takes to boil.
Banjo reckons the best part is the hammock snapping into place, because it means we are going somewhere. The worst part, in his opinion, is me telling him to sit while I thread the straps. Either way, neither of us is waiting long.
What you need before you start
Most covers need nothing but your hands. The straps clip to the headrests, the bottom anchors tuck into the seat crack, and the side flaps hang over the doors. You might want a microfibre cloth to wipe the seat first if the dog has been in before, but that is housekeeping, not fitting. For a boot liner you may use the existing cargo hooks. No tools, no drill, no drama. The only extra worth having is a dog seat cover with seat belt, or a separate tether, so the dog stays put once you are moving.
The steps that work for every type
Start by laying the cover across the seat so the label faces up and the headrest straps are at the top. Thread each strap around the headrest and clip it. Pull the slack so the cover sits flat, not bunched. Tuck the bottom edge into the crack between the seat base and the back, which is what stops it riding up when the dog jumps. If it is a hammock, clip the front straps to the front headrests. If it has a seat belt opening, feed the belt through before you clip the dog in. That is the lot.
For a hammock the whole thing is about two minutes once you have done it once. A bench cover is quicker. A hard-bottom extender takes an extra moment because you fold the board into the sleeve. A boot liner is just lay, hook and smooth. None of it is hard.
How the types compare on time
I timed myself on the four common styles, because people reckon it will be fiddly and it is not. Here is the honest breakdown: tools needed, time to fit, and the one catch with each.
| Cover type | Tools needed | Time to fit |
|---|---|---|
| Hammock (600D Oxford, EVA backing) | Hands only, headrest straps | 2 minutes |
| Bench cover (180 x 103 cm) | Hands only, tuck-in anchors | 90 seconds |
| Back seat extender (hard bottom, 51.2 x 60.5 in) | Hands, fold board into sleeve | 3 minutes |
| Boot liner (cargo, 40 x 70 to 55 x 91 in) | Cargo hooks, hands | 2 minutes |
The extender is the slowest only because of the board, and even that is a fold, not a build. If you are under five minutes on all four, you are doing it right. If you are over, you have likely got the headrest straps crossed, which is the usual culprit.
Getting the seat belt right
A dog seat cover with seat belt is the bit most people skip and then wish they had not. The cover has a slot for the belt to pass through. Feed the belt through the slot, clip your dog's harness to the belt with the short tether that comes in the box, and he is secured without being able to launch into the front seat at the first roo. Banjo is a good traveller but even a good traveller should be tethered. It is the law in parts of the country and it is just sensible.
Do not clip the tether to the collar. Collar plus sudden stop equals a hurt dog. Harness only. That is the rule on the property and the rule on the highway.
Common stuff-ups
Crossed headrest straps are the big one, as I said. The second is not tucking the bottom edge in, so the cover bunches and the dog slides. The third is fitting a hammock over a child seat, which blocks the anchor. Use bench mode for the kid, hammock for the dog. The fourth is yanking the straps too tight so the cover pulls the seat. Snug, not savage.
If the cover has side flaps, make sure they sit outside the door frame, not jammed in it, or you will wear the door warning light and a flap that will not stay. Small thing, easy fix, worth the ten seconds.
When the fit is wrong
If the cover will not sit flat, check the size. A 180 by 103 centimetre mat is a bench only. A 147 by 137 centimetre hammock gives you the front guard. A hard-bottom extender at 51.2 by 60.5 inches is for a big dog that needs the floor space. Match the cover to the dog and the car and the five minutes stays five minutes. Fight the size and you will be refitting it at the servo.
Out here we do not have time for gear that fights us. A cover that clips in quick and stays put is the only kind worth carrying. Banjo and I have done the beach run, the property run and the town run on the same five-minute fit, and the seat still looks like a seat.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it really take to fit a dog car seat cover?
Under five minutes for any style. A bench cover is about 90 seconds, a hammock two minutes, a hard-bottom extender three, a boot liner two.
Do I need tools to install it?
No. Every type clips to the headrests or hooks to cargo points by hand. The extender just needs you to fold the board into its sleeve.
How do I secure the dog after fitting?
Feed the seat belt through the cover's slot and clip the dog's harness to the supplied tether. Never clip to the collar, only the harness.
Why will my hammock not sit flat?
Usually crossed headrest straps or a bottom edge not tucked into the seat crack. Straighten the straps and tuck the base, and it lies right.
Can I fit a hammock with a child seat?
Not over the anchor. Use bench mode for the child seat and keep the dog on a tethered bench or in the cargo area.
What size cover fits a dual-cab ute?
A 180 by 103 centimetre bench or a 147 by 137 centimetre hammock covers the back. Measure the seat base before you order.
About the author
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