Picking a dog car seat is not really about your dog's weight. It is about three numbers: how long your dog is lying down, how wide your back seat is, and how tall the walls need to be so your dog can see out. Get those right and the seat works. Get them wrong and you have a padded box your dog refuses to sit in.
Here is how to measure, in about two minutes, with a tape measure and a treat.
Step 1 - Measure your dog, not your dog's weight
Weight is a bad proxy. A 30 lb Beagle and a 30 lb Whippet need very different footprints. Measure instead:
- Length. Wait until your dog is lying down curled or stretched, then measure from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail. Add 4 inches. That is the minimum internal length.
- Shoulder height sitting. Floor to the top of the shoulder while sitting. This tells you how high the side walls need to be before your dog loses the view out of the window - and the view is what keeps most dogs calm.
If your dog falls between two sizes, take the bigger one. Dogs settle faster when they can turn a full circle and stretch a leg out. Nobody has ever returned a seat because their dog had too much room.
Step 2 - Measure your back seat
This is the step almost everyone skips, and it is the one that causes returns.
Open a rear door and measure straight across the bench, from one door panel to the other. That number is your hard ceiling. If the seat you want is wider than that measurement, it will not sit flat - it will ride up the door cards and tip.
Rough guide for US vehicles:
- Compact sedans (Civic, Corolla, Jetta, Sentra): usually 47-50 in across.
- Mid-size sedans and small crossovers (Camry, Accord, CR-V, RAV4): usually 50-55 in.
- Full-size SUVs and crew-cab trucks (Tahoe, Suburban, Explorer, F-150, Silverado): usually 58-64 in.
Measure anyway. Trim levels and seat bolstering change these numbers more than you would think.
Step 3 - Check you have headrest posts
Almost every strap-mounted dog car seat anchors by looping around the metal posts under your headrest. If your rear headrests are fixed and do not lift, or the seat is a bench with no posts at all, strap-mounted seats will not tension properly. Lift a headrest and look before you buy.
Our four sizes, and who they are actually for
| Size | Dimensions | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 21.7 x 21.7 x 11.8 in (55 x 55 x 30 cm) |
One dog up to about 20 lb - French Bulldog, Dachshund, Yorkie, Shih Tzu, Chihuahua, Bichon, Mini Poodle, Maltese |
| Medium | 25.6 x 25.6 x 13.8 in (65 x 65 x 35 cm) |
One dog up to about 35 lb, or two small dogs - Cocker Spaniel, Corgi, Beagle, Mini Schnauzer, Cavalier, Westie |
| Large | 37.4 x 16.5 x 14.6 in (95 x 42 x 37 cm) |
One large dog stretched out, or two medium dogs - Labrador, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, Border Collie |
| Extra Large | 47.2 x 16.5 x 14.6 in (120 x 42 x 37 cm) |
Two large dogs side by side, or one large plus one small |
Small and Medium are square-footprint nests: they take up part of the bench and lift a small dog to window height. Large and Extra Large are long and shallow: they run along the bench so a big dog can lie flat.
The three mistakes we see most
1. Buying by breed name alone. "Labrador" covers dogs from 55 to 90 lb. Measure the dog in front of you.
2. Sizing down to save money. A dog that cannot turn around will stand, pace and pant instead of settling. The seat then gets blamed for not working.
3. Forgetting the second dog. If two dogs travel together, they need side-by-side width and one anchor point each, or they tangle. That is why our Large has three internal leads rather than the usual two.
What to do next
Write down two numbers: your dog's nose-to-tail length plus 4 inches, and your back-seat width. Then pick:
- Dog under about 35 lb, or you want a lifted nest with high walls: the Small and Medium dog car seat.
- Dog over about 35 lb, or two dogs travelling together: the Large and Extra Large dog car seat.
Both ship free in the US and come with free returns for 30 days - used, washed or chewed on. If the size is wrong, send it back and we will swap it.
A note on safety: a padded, walled car seat is a comfort and containment product. It keeps your dog in one place, off your upholstery and out of the footwell, and it stops them climbing into the front. It is not a crash-tested restraint, and we do not claim it is. Always clip your dog's harness - never their collar - to the internal lead.