A dog bed in the car, the hotel and the restaurant

As soon as Sif’s bed leaves the floor, she is standing by the door. She doesn’t know where we are going. She does know that her place is coming too. That is what travelling with a dog comes down to: everything around him changes, except the thing he sleeps in.

The back seat, a hotel room that smells of cleaning products, a terrace full of strangers’ feet under the table. For a dog, that is a lot of new things in one day. In this article you will read how to use a dog bed in the car without losing sight of safety, and how that same bed stays the place where your dog settles, in the hotel and in the restaurant.

Why a place of his own matters so much away from home

A dog reads a new room with his nose first. A bed that has stood in the sitting room for months smells of him, of the sofa, of the house. Somewhere he has never been before, it is the first thing he recognises. He doesn’t have to work out where he is allowed to lie. That place is already there.

Sif’s own bed, the second one Saskia ever made, has travelled as far as Greece. It works on the road precisely because it is the same bed she sleeps in at home.

So don’t buy a new bed just before the holidays and take it straight with you. A new bed still smells of the atelier and the box. Let your dog sleep in it at home for a few weeks first, so it takes on his scent.

A dog bed in the car: restrain first, then comfort

We are often asked about a dog bed for the car. The answer doesn’t start with the bed. A bed won’t hold your dog back in an emergency stop. A properly fitted car harness does that, with short straps clipped into the seat belt buckles or Isofix points, or a sturdy crate that is itself firmly secured.

In the UK, Rule 57 of the Highway Code asks drivers to make sure dogs are suitably restrained, so they can’t distract you or be hurt if you brake hard. It names a seat belt harness, a pet carrier, a dog cage or a dog guard as ways to do that. We follow the same principle. The bed comes afterwards.

On the back seat

What is often sold as a car bed is, in practice, a bed on the back seat. It sits on the seat with a cover or an old sheet underneath to catch the sand. Your dog lies in it wearing his harness, clipped in as described above. The raised edge gives him something to lean against on the bends. The harness does the work when you brake. Before you set off, check that the straps stay short while he is lying in the bed.

A bed on the back seat suits small and medium-sized dogs. Measure your seat before you put the bed on it, as not every back seat is equally deep. For larger dogs, our Pooch Pouch stops at Ø60. Then a blanket in the car is the more sensible layer, in the crate or over the cover.

In the boot or the crate

If your dog travels in a crate in the boot, the crate is the restraint and all you need is a soft base. A round bed doesn’t always fit inside. A sleeping bag or blanket laid flat usually does. Measure the floor of the crate and compare it with the size of what you plan to take. If you often drive home from the beach or the woods, a faux leather dog bed helps: you wipe the sand off before the bed comes indoors.

Heat, breaks and the first short drives

A car warms up quickly, even on a mild day. Never leave your dog in a car parked in the sun, and stop along the way so he can drink. On warm days, travel in the morning if you can.

If your dog isn’t used to the car yet, start with short drives, with the bed in its familiar place. Travelling calmly in the car is not something he learns on the first day of the holiday.

Which travel bed suits which trip

Not every trip calls for the same place. A weekend in a holiday cottage is different from an hour on a terrace. This is how we divide it ourselves.

If you are unsure between Ø50 and Ø60, the sizing guide explains how to measure your dog’s back. Which size goes with which breed is covered in which dog bed suits which breed. On the road the rule is the same as at home: you choose the size for the dog, not for the boot.

In the hotel or holiday home

When you arrive, the bed comes out of the car first, before the suitcases. Find a spot in the room away from where people walk, not in front of the door, and ideally where your dog can see you. Put the bed down and let him go and look for himself.

If a dog cushion is already waiting, as in some dog-friendly hotels, simply put his own bed next to it. Your dog will choose. If he is allowed on the bed, the Pouch Cocoon makes a good place at the foot of it. He crawls in or lies on top, just as he does under a blanket at home.

If you are going on holiday with your dog and travelling with a suitcase, a Pooch Pouch takes up more space than you would like. Saskia solves that with a vacuum bag: Sif’s bed goes into the suitcase that way and comes straight out again on arrival. In the car, the bed goes in last, on top of the luggage, so it is the first thing you take out.

On the terrace and in the restaurant

Whether your dog can come inside varies from one restaurant to the next. Ask when you book or at the door. If he is welcome, choose a spot by the wall or in a corner, out of the waiting staff’s way. A tiled floor is cold and hard. A layer of his own underneath makes it easier for your dog to stay lying down while you eat.

On holiday, Saskia takes the bed to the restaurant in the evening. Sif lies in it under the table, among everything that is new, on something that smells of her. For an afternoon in town the bed is too much. Then the Pouch Roll comes along, rolled up under one arm. On the terrace you unroll it next to your chair and your dog has his place within seconds.

At friends’ houses, on the boat or in the camper van, a rolled-up dog sleeping bag is just as quick to lay out. All the sleeping bags are together in the dog sleeping bag collection.

After the trip: washing, airing and back to his spot

A bed that has been away often comes home with sand, hair and a bit of the beach. Let mud dry first and brush it off. Then hang the bed outside for an afternoon. That is often enough.

If it does need a wash, a Pooch Pouch goes in the washing machine at no more than 30 degrees, on a low spin of up to 800 rpm. Not in the tumble dryer: hang it up by the handle or let it dry flat on a rack. The Pouch Roll washes at 30 degrees, the Pouch Cocoon on the wool programme or at 30 degrees. It is all on the wash and care page, and our article on how to wash a dog bed explains how often that is really needed.

Then put the bed back in its usual place at home. Within a few days it smells of your dog again, and it is ready for the next trip.

Conclusion

A dog bed in the car is where your dog lies, not what protects him. Restrain him first with a harness or a crate, then give him his own bed. The same bed goes into the hotel with you and lies under the table at the restaurant in the evening. For short outings, a rolled-up sleeping bag is lighter. To find your dog’s familiar place, have a look at the Pooch Pouch dog beds, and above all take the bed that already smells of home.

Frequently asked questions

Can a dog lie loose in his bed in the car?

It is not recommended. In the UK, the Highway Code asks for dogs to be suitably restrained, and a bed alone won’t hold your dog back if you brake hard. Secure him with a well-fitting car harness clipped into the seat belt buckles or Isofix, or carry him in a secured crate. The bed is where he lies within that.

Which dog bed is suitable for the car?

A bed your dog already knows, with an edge to lie against and handles so you can lift it in and out of the car easily. For small and medium-sized dogs, a round bed of Ø50 or Ø60 cm can sit on the back seat. Measure the seat first. For a large dog or a crate, a blanket or sleeping bag works better.

Can I take my own dog bed to a hotel?

Yes, and it helps your dog settle into the room. Put the bed down in a quiet spot as soon as you arrive, away from where people walk. When booking, check that dogs are welcome and which rules apply to the room.

Can my dog come with me to a restaurant?

That varies from one restaurant to the next, so ask when you book or at the door. If your dog is welcome, bring a rolled-up sleeping bag or his own bed. Lay it by the wall or under the table, out of the waiting staff’s way.

How do you take a dog bed on holiday?

In the car, the bed goes in last, on top of the luggage, so it is the first thing out. In a suitcase, a Pooch Pouch fits into a vacuum bag. A Pouch Roll rolls up into a small bundle with a strap and takes up the least space.