I understood a lot of things intellectually when I got Monkey — namely that there would be a lot of shedding with a rough-coat Saint Bernard. But the thing with understanding something intellectually is … until you’re actually watching the tumbleweeds of dog hair roll across your floor, you just don’t actually get it.

I don’t mind living in a world filled with Monkey hair, especially since I can always vacuum my apartment. (And oh, do I vacuum my apartment.) But my car is a whole other story. Before Monkey, I was the kind of girl whose car was always super clean and smelled really good. Now I’m the girl who rolls the windows down the second a friend sits in the front seat, but still gets the inevitable, “Wow, it … really smells like dog in here.”

Don’t even get me started on the valet last week who was like, “Either you have a really interesting life or you have a really big dog.” And that was just based on the slobber splatters on the exterior. He hadn’t even gotten in the driver’s seat yet.

The thing is: I’m not going to ever pick my car over Monkey. Duh. But I’m not going to lie: It would be kind of nice if it weren’t quite so disgusting in there. And while there’s nothing I can do about the slobber, I figured there at least had to be something I could do about the hair.

Enter the Crypton Throver. What is it? It’s a dog throw, a tarp, a blanket; it’s the solution to keeping my car at least a little cleaner, I hope.

I don’t totally understand how Crypton fabrics work (science!), but basically it’s a magical fabric that is super strong and durable, stain resistant, and also really hard to get dirty or smelly. But how hard to get dirty and smelly is the question. Like, it’s stain resistant, but is it Monkey resistant? I put it to the test.

First of all, this was immediately AFTER a car wash, if that gives you any idea of how much hair was in there before, but they did the best they could and I wanted to start with a “clean” interior that smelled like new car (my car scent of choice).

The Throver is 48 inches by 54 inches, which is the perfect size for my car when the seats are down. (The seats are always down.) I love the Mod Block design, but there are many others available. You can also tell when you touch the fabric how durable it is. Monkey would have a very hard time destroying this.

The real test, though, was whether Monkey would immediately bunch it up into a ball, rendering it useless like he would a blanket or towel. Good news: The Throver is heavy enough that it stayed put for many car trips. And Monkey had no desire to chew on it, eat it, or do anything really except lie down on it.

We’ve only had the Throver in my car for a few weeks now, but so far it’s made a huge difference. Especially on a recent trip to the beach. Monkey gets … sandy. Sorry, let me try that again. Monkey gets SANDY. Like, soooooo much sand. And while the Throver doesn’t help with the fact that Monkey has to go straight from the beach to the groomer, it did help in that I could just carefully take it out of my car, shake it out, and then throw it in the washing machine. Maybe now Monkey will get more trips to the beach.

Dogster scorecard for the Crypton Throver

• Quality: A++. The Throver is made with Crypton fabric, which makes it stain-, moisture-, and odor resistant, and easy to clean.
• Style: Super cute. There are tons of designs to choose from, so you’re likely to find one that fits your personality. Plus, it’s reversible.
• Function: While I will likely just use my Throver as a blanket for Monkey in my car, it absolutely would make an awesome beach or picnic blanket. Or even a great blanket to throw over (throver!) furniture in your house.
• Creativity: It’s a blanket, so let’s not get too carried away, but the idea and multi-purpose functionality make it a winner.
• Value: Throvers range from $70 to $104, so they’re not cheap. But the time and energy it’s already saved me in cleaning my car makes it worth the price. And again, the fact that it has multiple uses makes it a good buy.

Bottom line

The Throver is incredibly durable and will make a great addition to any house that has kids or pets. Especially if those kids or pets are really, really furry.

Read more Dogster reviews:

• Can the Slo-Bowl Stop My Saint Bernard From Gobbling His Food?
• Monkey the Saint Bernard Tries Out BarkBox
• Ace Takes the Lavien Leather Dog Leash Out for a Spin

About the Author: Daisy Barringer grew up in San Francisco and didn’t let the fact that she’s a city girl keep her from getting her dream dog: a Saint Bernard. She and Monkey love to romp in the snow in Tahoe, visit dog-friendly bars, watch 49ers football, and drool. Yup, both of ’em.