The family dog is a staple is many households. For a lot of us, our dogs are simply just another family member. We love taking our dog out on walks, running around the backyard and for the occasional road trip. The thing that makes having the dog in the car a bit of a challenge is that unlike the rest of the family, he's not taking a bath everyday. We needed to find a way to protect the upholstery without having to put the dog in a cage. We found the perfect solution in a dog car seat cover.

We used to use an old blanket to protect the back seat of the car, but that was fraught with problems. Notably the dog would move and so would the blanket. With the dog car seat cover that's no longer a problem, as it stays put even when Rover is moving back and forth from window to window.

The main different with a regular car seat cover and one made for the family pet is that the latter is easy to remove and made of a different material. Whereas a regular cover is usually made of some plush material, the dog car seat cover is made with plastic. It keeps the car's seat protected in the event that the dog can't hold it until we get to where we're going.

Some animals also get a bit queasy from the motion of the car. It's very unpleasant having to be the one who needs to clean up the mess. If you have a dog car seat cover, it's simply a matter of removing the cover, and throwing it in the trash or into a washing machine. You'll also probably want to leave the car windows open for a time to air out the car.

You may think that the choice of patterns isn't as varied as they are with a traditional seat cover. In fact, there are many different colors and patterns in a seat cover made for an animal. You'll certainly be able to find a dog car seat cover to match the inner decor of your vehicle, but keep in mind that it's not going to be on the seat all the time, unless you take the dog everywhere with you.

Even if the dog doesn't have any accidents in the car, you need to clean the cover from time to time. Depending on the label, you may be advised to either wipe the dog car seat cover with a damp cloth, hand wash it or throw it into the washing machine. In almost all cases, drying flat is recommended so as not to damage the plastic in the dryer.

If you've got a dog that you like to take on road trips, you'd do well to invest in one. It will not only save the interior of your car from accidents, it will help keep the smell of the dog out of the fabric.