Can I Use a Dog Bed as a Dog Car Seat?

You won’t be able to use all dog beds as car seats but if a bed fits well in your backseat or trunk and helps you meet safety standards, it might work. When it comes to traveling with dogs, you need to be extra careful. In case of an accident or sudden braking, your dog may lose balance and hurt other passengers or the driver as a result. 

What’s a Dog Car Seat?

The purpose of a dog car seat is to designate a safe sitting space for your pooch. The seat is either a booster seat or a crate-like container that helps contain your pooch. It also helps protect your car seat against muddy paws, dog hair and scratch marks.

Using a Dog Bed as a Dog Car Seat

It might occur to you to use your dog’s bed as a car seat, given that it fits in the backseat or trunk of your car. Whether you can use it as a dog car seat comes down to the size of the dog bed and how big your car is. 

If you’ve got an SUV, it’ll be easy for you to place the dog bed in the trunk, combined with some sort of barrier that protects the dog from jumping to the front seats. You must also use a harness and attach it to the back of the seats to prevent the dog from becoming projectile in case of a hard brake.

Safest Way To Travel With Your Dog in the Car

The ideal way to travel with your dog is by using a harness that can be attached to the seat belt. A dog harness ensures that your pooch will remain snug and safe throughout the journey. The best part? You can use a harness on a dog of any size.

Whether you’re using a dedicated dog car seat or not, it’s advised that you must use a dog harness because it’s the one thing that will ensure your dog and other passengers’ safety. You should also install some sort of a barrier between the backseat (where the dog is seated) and the rest of the seats to prevent the dog from jumping over.

Dog Car Seat Alternative

Dog Crates

Dog crates are normally suitable for small dogs. You can either buy them in a closed shape or an open one but the goal remains the same — to provide a contained space for dogs so they don’t lose balance.

In the Trunk

If you’ve got an SUV or a vehicle with a decent-sized trunk (that’s not separate from the rest of the car’s interior), you can designate a place for your pup there. Most SUV back seats have a hook or two at the back of the last seats, allowing you to attach the dog harness. 

Booster Seats

A booster seat is a type of dog car seat but it’s a boosted one, allowing the dog to see what’s outside from the glass windows. If you’ve got an anxious dog, it’ll allow them to be calm and rather enjoy the car trip. Booster seats are also ideal for you as a driver to keep an eye on your dog through the rearview mirror instead of having to adjust it or turn around every time you want to check on them. 

The Bottom Line

You can use a dog bed as a dog car seat, given that it fits well in your vehicle and you’re also using a dog harness to protect them. If you’ve got some extra bucks, we’d suggest investing in a proper dog car seat to avoid the hassle.