Guide to Buying Dog Guards For Cars 

There’s nothing more a dog loves than jumping into your car in anticipation of a new  walking destination. As soon as your car keys rattle, your cuddly canine gets excited about the potential to stretch its legs and get out and about. But you know how difficult it can be to drive your vehicle with a dog in the back. It can even be quite dangerous, especially if you have to brake quickly. The dog guards for car might be the best way to protect your dog and your car.

There are several concerns when driving on the road with your pooch in the back. Damage to your car or your dog is a possibility. Sometimes when dogs are stuck in cars, they get anxious and scratch with their nails. Did you know that a dog guard specifically designed for your car is the ultimate solution to alleviate these issues? Let’s find out everything there is to know about dog guards for cars, why you need one, and some product recommendations.

Quick Note - If it's your professional dog walker, we can help you find a good deal on UK dog walking insurance and other pet professional insurance products in the UK.

Top Pick - Sakura Headrest Dog Guard for Cars

This Sakura Headrest Dog Guard for Cars is a mesh-style design that is easily attached to the headrest of the back car seat. It provides perfect protection and enjoys a solid yet flexible design. It’s really easy to assemble and attach and takes no expertise or even any complicated tools. You can simply screw it to your headrest and you and your canine are protected.

This is the top pick on our list because it's affordable, extremely durable, and is ideally suited for dogs of all sizes. It works well with most vehicles such as standard cars, hatchbacks, small vans, 4X4s, SUVs, larger cars, and even crossovers. The tubular black metal frame is sturdy, offering protection for your dog. The central mesh panel design is multi-directional, meaning it can be fitted in several positions.

With a fixed height and flexible width, you can make this dog guard fit almost any vehicle. It comes equipped with special side wings that can be extended to fit your car to fill in any gaps and keep your dog secure. This is one of the safest and most secure mesh dog guards for cars or SUV's in the market and rightly sits in the top spot on our list for its excellence. 


Speedwellstar Dog Guard Car Headrest

This is one of the best dog guards with metal mesh features. The Speedwell star Dog Guard is a model that comes highly recommended by dog lovers who want the best for their beloved canines. This adjustable and heavy-duty barrier style mesh guard fits perfectly to the headrest of your car. It can be attached effectively to the front or rear seats, giving you flexibility and versatility. It fits in many combinations, perfect for those who have more than one car.

This universal dog guard is coated in black PVC that creates a nice smooth finish. It’s just as effective in protecting larger or smaller dogs and offers a secure solution for transporting your dog to the park or the vets. It comes with two different headset hooks so it can fit a vast amount of cars, SUVs. 4X4s, hatchbacks, and more. It fits lots of models from 2001 to 2017 and offers a universal fit for MK1 models to MK7.

You don’t need any tools when attaching this guard. It’s quite easy to attach and detach rapidly. And because it attaches to your headrests and not your boot roof base, there will be no more damage to your roof canopy, which is always a massive concern for dog owners. This model was so close to coming in first or second on our list, and only missed out by the minutest of details. 


AllRight Universal Car Pet Dog Guard

If you’re looking for the most secure and solid dog guards for your car, this is the ultimate choice. This AllRight universal Dog Guard is a big and bulky barrier-style guard that really does the business. The tubular design easily fits behind the rear seats and offers a secure fit for your pet. The large size mesh barrier is for larger dogs that need safely securing during car trips.

There are six high-resistant welded bars and skids that offer protection personified. It’s a perfect fit with all manner of cars, SUVs, small vans, and estate vehicles. You simply need to screw the barrier to the base of your boot and the roof so you get the most solid fit. Aside from a screwdriver, you don’t even need any specific tools to attach. This is one of the safest dog guards for you and your canine alike.

The adjustable height is from 0.79mm to 1.28m height, and 0.97m to 1.80m respectively. It’s so versatile and can fit most boots. It’s made of lightweight metal, offering the ultimate in protection, and will keep your dog safely secured on your drive to the park. This is a heavy-duty piece of kit, and not really suited if you want to attach, detach and quickly use it in another car. Once you’re attached to this guard, it should stay attached.


Xtremeauto Deluxe Universal Dog Guard

This is a durable and heavy-duty dog guard for cars Nothing can match this beauty for its sheer ruggedness. It’s a barrier-style with headrest attachment that will safely contain dogs of all sizes and weights. With adjustable height and width, you can pretty much attach it to any car. But it’s ideally suited to hatchbacks, SUVs, MPVs, estate cars, 4X4 vehicles, and jeeps. It fits a wide range of vehicles from 2001 to 2017, and models from MK1 to MK7.

This dog car guard is quick and easy to fit the back or rear headrest and can be done without any specific tools. A screwdriver should suffice. Once attached, your pet will have a comfortable and secure ride without any unforeseen mishaps due to bumps on the road. Because it’s so heavy, it might be best to keep it on at all times. You don’t want to be messing about with something this heavy.

This might not be the easiest dog guard for car to use on our list, but it’s definitely the most solid, reliable, dependable, and durable. If safety and sturdiness are your ideas of top-notch dog barrier guard, this is a choice you can’t afford to overlook. Your pets will thank you for it later. 


Do I Need Dog Guards for My Vehicle?

If you want to safely secure your dog in the open boot of your car, you will need the best dog guards to be compliant with Highway Code Rule 57. This rule states that:

“When in a vehicle, make sure dogs or other animals are suitably restrained so they cannot distract you while you are driving or injure you, or themselves if you stop quickly. A seat belt harness, pet carrier, dog cage, or dog guard are ways of restraining animals in cars.” 

The government recommends that you use something like a dog guard for car. If an accident is caused while you are distracted by your dog under conditions that contravene Rule 57, you could be liable for damages and costs. It would be classed as ‘careless driving’, so it only makes sense to buy a dog guard or something similar.


What Type of Dog Guards Are Available for Sale?

There are numerous dog car guard designs and styles that give you lots of options. Here are some of the best dog guards styles and designs currently available to buy.

Mesh God Guards

The mesh dog guard car design is easily one of the most popular and safest models in the marketplace. It’s extremely lightweight, inexpensive, and perfectly covers the gap between the headrest while still allowing good visibility. The only negative is that it might not be very suitable for larger dogs. The clamps rattling around against the headrest can also be irritating with this type. But all in all, this mesh-style guard is a viable choice.

Barrier Dog Guards

A barrier dog guard for cars is quite a thick and durable design that is usually mounted to the roof or floor of your vehicle. It’s way stronger and more durable than a mesh variety. If you have larger dogs, or you are more liable to go on bumpy and rougher journeys, this barrier type is highly recommended.

Net Dog Guards

If the other two types don’t fit your dog or your needs, you might want to opt for net dog guards. These are simply a mesh piece of plastic or fabric that is draped above the backrest area. It doesn’t use metal and is ideally suited for chilled dogs that don’t roam or move much.

Accessories for Dogs on the Move

A dog guard for a car will keep your dog in its designated place which can be the back seat or if you have a larger vehicle with open rear  in the cargo space. A dog telescopic ramp will help make ite easy for your dog to gain access and also disembark at the end of the journey. We have a wide choice of dog ramps, from the more expensive telescopic dog car ramps to foldable ramps. In addition, consider a dog car seat to keep your pet further secured plus keep your vehicle clean and tidy.

What are the Best Dog Guards for Cars?

Now we’ve covered why you need a dog guard for your car and the best types available, we need to review some of the best dog guard products in the marketplace. Check out these honest and reliable dog guard reviews.


Scroll to Top