Rivian's R2 Can Now Watch Your Dog From an App. Tesla Gives You Dog Mode, and the Back Seat Is on You
By EV Bandit | Updated October 9, 2026
Rivian's latest software update lets R2 owners check on a pet from the app and lets R1 and R2 owners switch Pet Mode on after they have walked away. Tesla owners get a different, simpler tool, and it covers the climate, not the upholstery.
The news landed October 7. Electrek reported that Rivian's update 2026.36 adds Pet Cam for the R2 and remote Pet Mode control for both the R1T/R1S and the R2. The R2 camera feature was previewed in June, when The Drive first described it. Now it is shipping, and it sets a bar that every pet owner with an EV will start measuring their own car against.
What changed
Pet Cam uses the R2's interior camera, which Rivian calls a high-definition RGB unit. Owners can open a live stream from the Gear Guard section of the app, with a cabin-temperature badge on screen, or rely on periodic still images on the app dashboard and phone lock screen. Anyone inside the vehicle can end the stream with one tap on the center display, according to Electrek.
It is not free. Electrek reports that Rivian's Connect+ page lists remote camera livestreaming at $14.99 a month or $149.99 a year, capped at one hour per day, and that interior viewing works only with Pet Mode switched on. Rivian's page also says the feature "is not to be used for people." The Drive's June report adds the design logic: Pet Cam activates only when the car detects a pet, and Rivian's chief software officer Wassym Bensaid said, "If there's a human, the feature will not be on."
The quieter change is remote Pet Mode. Until now it had to be turned on before you left the vehicle. Electrek says it can now be enabled from the app after you have walked away, with a confirmation prompt before either turning it on or off. R1 owners do not get Pet Cam; The Drive reported in June that the R1 uses an infrared camera.
"If there's a human, the feature will not be on."Rivian Chief Software Officer Wassym Bensaid, to The Drive, June 2026
Where Tesla stands
Tesla's equivalent is Dog Mode. Not a Tesla App's guide describes it this way: it holds the cabin at the temperature you set while you are away, and the center screen shows a dog image, the cabin temperature, and the message "My driver will be back soon." You activate it from inside the car by choosing Dog in the climate menu and then leaving. It only starts above 20% charge, and the app sends a notification when the battery hits 20%. Starting to drive turns it off. The guide says no Premium Connectivity subscription is needed for notifications or app control.
Put side by side, the gap is specific rather than total:
| Capability | Rivian R2 | Rivian R1 | Tesla Dog Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holds cabin climate while parked | Yes (Pet Mode) | Yes (Pet Mode) | Yes |
| Turn it on after you have left the car | Yes, from the app | Yes, from the app | No: activate from inside the car, per Not a Tesla App's guide |
| Live view of the pet | Pet Cam, listed as a paid Connect+ feature | No | No equivalent described in the guide |
| Message for passers-by | Not covered by our sources | Not covered by our sources | Screen shows dog image and cabin temperature |
| Battery floor | Not covered by our sources | Not covered by our sources | Starts above 20%, alerts you at 20% |
Pets are having a week across the industry, in fact. On October 3, Electrek and Not a Tesla App both reported that Elon Musk said Tesla's main nighttime goal for its driving software is "making sure that we don't run over pets when they're hard to see at night," with the example of "grey kittens on grey tarmac in the dark." Two very different companies, one very consistent customer: the dog in the back seat.
What this means for Tesla owners
Nothing in Rivian's update changes what your Model 3 or Model Y can do tomorrow. Dog Mode is still a climate tool, and the guide's own advice is not to leave pets unattended for long stretches. What the news does is clarify the division of labour. The software keeps the cabin comfortable. Everything physical, the seat, the door panel, the claws, the mud, is still a hardware problem. These three things are the ones that come up most.
1. Cover the seat, not just the cushion
A hammock-style cover is the baseline: it spans the rear bench, flaps up the door side, and clips round the headrests. The Dog Seat Cover for Pets ($69.99) has velcro slits for seatbelts, a non-slip surface and rubber backing with seat anchors, and the listing says it wipes down with a damp cloth. It is the sensible first purchase for a Model 3 or Model Y with one medium dog.
2. Big dog? Size up deliberately
If the dog is large or the back seat doubles as a family bench, two other listings step up. The Dog Seat Cover with Step-down ($120.00, Black) is the oversize option, with a polyester body, a PU coating and a non-slip backing with silicone dots. The listing carries its own caution to be careful using it on white seats, so read that before you buy for a light interior.
The Tesla Dog Seat Car Cover in Light Grey is a hammock with side flaps, a window panel so the dog can see forward, and a seatbelt included. It is available in X-Large at $149.99. Both options are Model 3 and Model Y friendly; neither is a replacement for a crate or a restraint, and the listings do not claim to be.
See the Step-down Cover See the X-Large Cover
3. The door panel nobody covers
A dog that stands at the window shreds the door card. The Dog Car Door Protectors ($54.99) are a 600D Oxford cover, about 26 in wide by 23 in high per the listing, held on with window anchors, suction cups and 3M hook-and-loop tape. Be aware that this one is on backorder right now, and the listing is for 2018-2023 cars. If you own a newer Model Y, check fitment before you order.
The honest bottom line
These products solve different jobs from Dog Mode and from a camera. A seat cover does nothing for temperature, and Dog Mode does nothing for upholstery. Neither one makes it safe to leave an animal for long periods. What the Rivian news really shows is where the competition is heading: more control from the app, more visibility into the cabin. Until Tesla follows, the physical protection is the part you can fix this weekend.
Related reading from us: Tesla's $145 pet liner and what actually fits your back seat and Rivian R2 owners, four months in.
What does your dog's setup look like? Post it in our 170,000-member Tesla Model Y Owners group. The pet threads there beat any buyer guide, including ours.
Sources
- Electrek: Rivian's software update 2026.36 adds Pet Cam for R2 (Oct 7, 2026)
- The Drive: Rivian R2 is getting a Pet Cam (Jun 9, 2026)
- Not a Tesla App: Tesla Dog Mode, what it does and how it works
- Electrek: Musk explains why Tesla Robotaxi is not running at night (Oct 3, 2026)
- Not a Tesla App: Musk says FSD's top night driving goal is avoiding pets (Oct 3, 2026)
Prices and availability checked October 9, 2026. Fitment follows each listing's stated years; confirm for your build before ordering.