Travelling With Your Dog: Protecting Your Car and Keeping Them Comfortable

Some dogs leap into the car like it's the best thing that's ever happened. Others hide behind the sofa. Either way, a few basics make every trip calmer and keep your seats intact.

Safety first — it's also the law in many places

An unrestrained dog is a hazard in a crash, for itself and for everyone in the car. Use a crash-tested harness clipped to the seatbelt, a travel crate, or a boot divider. A dog on a loose lead is not a restraint.

Protecting your car

• Seat cover. A waterproof hammock-style cover catches hair, mud and claws, and stops your dog sliding into the footwell when you brake.
• Boot liner. For bigger dogs, a fitted liner with side panels saves the trim as well as the floor.
• A towel by the door. Wipe paws before they get in, not after they've walked across the back seat.

For the nervous traveller

Build up slowly. Sit in the parked car with the engine off and treats. Then a two-minute drive. Then five. Rushing this stage is what turns mild unease into full panic.

Don't feed a large meal within two hours of leaving, keep a window slightly open for airflow, and bring a blanket that smells like home.

On longer journeys

Stop every two hours for water and a short walk. Bring a collapsible bowl and more water than you think you need.

And the one rule with no exceptions: never leave your dog alone in a parked car. On a mild 22°C day, the interior can pass 40°C within an hour, even in the shade with the windows cracked.