Fitting instructions are supplied and all bolts used to assemble the dog guard frame are tightened using an Allen key, which is also provided. The guard weighs about 5kg, so it isn't heavy — but leaning into the boot while trying to position the guard correctly is easier with an extra pair of hands (although we managed fine alone). Unusually, this doesn’t use a mesh. Instead, it has telescopic poles that extend sideways and upwards. Two clamps attach it easily to the rear headrests, and its high mount means the parcel shelf can still be used. It lost points because it clashed with the central seatbelt mounting in the Discovery, but it could be used in the Astra. There was an irritating buzz during the road test, however. This alternative to a harness will look after your interior as well as your dog. It could even be used for a cat or other pet. It’s pricey, but it feels like a quality item, with a soft interior and plenty of zips and roll-up flaps to give various options for nervous animals. It can be folded for easy storage when not being used. Just like baby seats, it has tethers to attach it to the car’s Isofix mountings, and the maker claims it has been crash tested, too. Multi Adjustable fittings and modular design makes it suitable for most vehicles (fits most vehicles with headrests)

Travall is so confident with the guard that they offer a lifetime guarantee against any manufacturing defects, so if anything does go wrong you're covered. Given that there are no extra attachments involved, this model may not be suitable for larger breeds because the guard can slip out of position if not braced and tightened correctly. It may also leave indentations in the ceiling’s upholstery if you tighten it too much when fitting.

Assembling the dog guard isn't difficult or time-consuming; it was pretty easy and took about 20 minutes in total. However, the design of the guard and the components makes putting it together harder than it needs to be in some ways. For example, build quality is reasonable for the price but the plastic hooks didn't stay hooked on the headrest when we tried to screw in the screws, so it was a matter of trying to hold the hook through the guard while also turning the screw cap - which isn't attached to the screw, so something the cap just ended up spinning but not turning the screw. In this article, we’ve researched and sourced a variety of highly praised rear dog guards that we think are the most effective, adjustable and convenient. Read on for the lowdown. In the car we used, there's a small gap above the guard, but a dog couldn't get through there (we hope). Although, a very determined dog might be able to pull at the guard because its only points of attachment are at the bottom - meaning the top of the guard moves a bit. The instructions do tell you to tighten it as much as possible though so it doesn't move.

Once in place, it is fairly stable and does the job. There is some rattling over potholed country roads, but that's a fact of country life. Only a car specific guard would avoid this, like the Travall dog guard. So while the rattle is a bit annoying, its more important that I can use it in a variety of cars and remove it easily. The metal sections, which hold the guard in place, slot into the rubber seal of the boot. We left the guard in place during the six weeks we tested it, but if you do need to remove it then it's very easy. The guard has no sharp edges, so scratching yourself, your car or your dog won't be an issue. There are cheaper universal guards on the market, but the RAC is more adaptable and a better fit for the three cars we tested it in. So if you want to switch a dog guard to different cars, this will do the job. Alternatively, if your dog is less anxious travelling on a seat than in the boot, the RAC dog harness and seat belt connector would work well. Some planning is required to establish the best position for the guard, i.e. making sure it's the right way up (with the RAC label easy to read), with or without the extensions, and - if with extensions - how they should be attached. It can be done by one person, though it's a bit fiddly. But it's definitely easier with two people the first time it's fitted.One that's done, it's a case of figuring out which screws you need to use. Six screws are supplied, but they come in pairs of three different lengths. We opted for the longest screws but, after attachment, these turned out to be too long. It wasn't tough to remove the guard but it's a bit of an unnecessary faff. Using the medium length screws, we pushed them through the holes in the pole on the dog guard and then screwed them into the hooks around the headrests.