Dog bed for the car:
a fixed place in the trunk

A blanket that bunches up after the second roundabout

You open the tailgate, your dog jumps in, turns once and lies down. After twenty minutes of driving you stop at a traffic light, glance in the rearview mirror, and the blanket beneath him is pushed up against the rear seat backrest. The dog stands up, looks for a new spot and lies down again. This is exactly where the difference between a simple mat and a dog bed for the car begins.

In the living room, the floor does not move. A bed there can be soft, wide and open, and it can slide around because it bothers no one. In the car, the position changes with every braking maneuver and in every bend. Anything that is not connected to the vehicle moves with it — the blanket, the cushion, and with them the dog.

The DOXAFER® BOOT is built for exactly this situation: a made-to-measure lying surface for the trunk that sits where it should and does not slide. What that means in detail, and how to find out whether your car's cargo area is suitable, is covered in this article.

What sets a dog bed for the car apart from a bed in the living room

Four characteristics separate the two. None of them is a matter of taste; each follows from what happens in a moving car.

01

It is firmly connected to the vehicle

A bed for the car must stay in place, even when the vehicle brakes. A precise fit and a non-slip underside ensure that the lying surface does not shift against the trunk floor. Whatever can move will move eventually.

02

The lying surface is enclosed

A bed in the living room can be open, because the dog simply lies on it. In the car, he needs something to rest against. Sturdy side walls enclose the surface, provide an edge to lean on and prevent the dog from drifting a little further at every traffic light. Smaller dogs benefit in particular, as the raised walls give them additional protection.

03

The construction cushions

The trunk floor is hard, and over a long drive the dog's weight does not rest evenly on the whole surface, but on shoulder, hip and elbows. Ergonomic padding gives way under these points and continues to support around them. For older and heavier dogs, this is the difference between lying comfortably and just enduring. Anyone who wants even more cushioning will find it in the orthopedic floor.

04

The surface can be wiped clean

Wet fur, sand from the dunes, soil from the forest path: everything that was outside comes along in the car. Removable, water-repellent covers can be washed, and the trunk stays free of dirt, scratches and hair. A blanket absorbs the same things, but spreads them further as soon as it slides.

Why a blanket in the trunk falls short

A blanket is quickly at hand, costs nothing extra and can be washed. That is why it is not a bad idea, but an incomplete one. It fulfills exactly one of the four tasks: it protects the cargo area from dirt, as long as it stays in place.

The other three remain open. It is not connected to the car, so it slides a little further with every braking maneuver. It has no edge, so the dog finds nothing to rest against and ends up lying on bare metal. And it barely cushions, because a few millimeters of fabric cannot distribute a dog's weight.

For the dog, this means: stand up, turn, lie down, slide, stand up again. It looks like restlessness, but it is simply the reaction to a lack of support. A dog lies down and sleeps as soon as he can — for that, he needs a spot that holds him without him having to work for it. The fact that a dog lying calmly struggles less with his stomach is directly related; more on this in the article on travel sickness in the car.

The five measurements that count

• Length. From the rear seat backrest to the closed tailgate, measured at floor level, not at hip height.
• Width. Measure at the narrowest point, i.e. between the wheel arches, not above them.
• Height under the parcel shelf. From the floor to the cover. It determines whether your dog has enough room lying down and whether the cover can stay closed at all.
• Wheel arches. Note the height and depth of the protrusions. They cut into the usable surface at the sides and are the most common reason why a measurement fits on paper but not in the car.
• Loading edge. Height from the road to the edge. It decides whether your dog gets in on his own or whether you help him.

Better to measure twice: whether something that fits on paper also fits in the car comes down to a few centimeters.

What changes in everyday life when the dog has a fixed place

You notice the first change when getting in. A dog that knows where his place is jumps in and lies down, instead of first looking for a spot in the empty trunk. The ritual is always the same, and dogs quickly accept consistency. After two or three trips, it happens without any help.

The second change concerns the drive itself. If you no longer check the rearview mirror every ten minutes because something is rumbling in the back, you drive differently. The dog lies down instead of balancing, and the short trip to the vet becomes just as calm as the long drive to your vacation.

The third change shows at your destination. The trunk stays clean, because moisture and dirt remain on the lying surface and do not end up on the trim. And breaks on a journey become shorter, because a dog that has really slept on the way does not first need to settle down at the rest stop. You will find more articles on installation and everyday use in the magazine.

Which size fits your dog?

The measurements of your cargo area are one half, your dog is the other. He should be able to stretch out fully, without so much space around him that he slides in a bend. Using the measurements of your trunk and of your dog, the size finder takes you to the right size in just a few steps. Matching accessories can be added afterwards.

Start size finder →