Do you leave your dog in the car?

cassadee7 · 04-23-2011, 02:53 PM

When you bring your dog out on errands with you, do you ever leave them alone in your car? Say you are taking them to a pet store or a class and you need to stop for groceries... do you? And if so, are they loose? Crated? Windows up or down?

I ask because over the winter it was easy. If Saber was with me and I had to go somewhere dogs were not allowed, I just put her in the back of the car in her crate with a Nylabone and she was fine. Now it is warming up, and I would love to keep bringing her along when I have things to do, but don't want to leave her in the car because she may get too warm. So she stays home more

Is there a good solution for this?

**Cassidy's Mom** · 04-23-2011, 02:57 PM

We take our dogs and leave them in the car all the time, but we do check the weather before we leave to see if it's safe to do so. I don't do it with my car ever because I have an Audi A3 with the open sky system, a large expanse of glass on the roof that heats up my car very quickly, no matter what the weather is. But the SUV has tinted windows, and if we park in the shade and leave the windows partly open to let a breeze through it's often cooler in the car than it is outside.

If I lived in a very warm area, especially with high humidity, I would not even consider it, but we're close to the SF Bay.

Emoore · 04-23-2011, 02:58 PM

I don't leave my dogs in the car when the temperature is over about 60 degrees.

I was doing a long road trip with the dogs one summer and I HAD to stop and use the bathroom. There's a security feature on the car where you can't leave it running with the doors locked, so I ran the A/C full blast for several minutes to get it nice and frosty in the car, locked the doors, and dashed in to use the bathroom. I set world records for speed-peeing, ran back out to the car, and it was already hot in there when I got back.

DonP · 04-23-2011, 03:02 PM

I always leave the windows wide open for her. I know she'll stay in the truck and I don't want anyone to tease her.

GSD07 · 04-23-2011, 03:07 PM

I never do.

cassadee7 · 04-23-2011, 03:12 PM

It gets hot here so fast Oksana. (BTW would love to walk with Anton again!)

I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving the windows open much. Someone could reach in and who knows what might happen? Someone posted on the forum once about being in a store and looking out the window seeing someone HUGGING their GSD through the car window!

**JKlatsky** · 04-23-2011, 03:20 PM

Here in Florida most of the year I will not leave them in the car unless they are in crates with water and I can leave the back of the truck open and all the windows down and I'm parked in a shady spot. In the hot part of summer we also use fans and ice.

And I don't love doing that at a place like a Grocery Store Parking Lot because of all the people around that could mess with the dogs. So...no. Not really.

Of course I am also lucky that all my dogs are Florida born and raised. They don't tend to keep much coat and are all reasonably able to deal with the heat.

Mac's Mom · 04-23-2011, 03:44 PM

We take Mac with us everywhere we go. And when running errands, we crack the windows and leave him in the car.

sit,stay · 04-23-2011, 04:05 PM

I only do it in the winter, and even then I won't do it if the temp. is below 20 degrees.
Sheilah

crisp · 04-23-2011, 04:07 PM

I do it in the summer also. Even when temp is at 80/90 degrees. But I have a remote start, so I lock the car, crank the a/c and start the car from outside. Errands have to be under 20 min or the car shuts off.

04-23-2011, 02:53 PM	#1 (permalink)
cassadee7 Elite Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: WA Posts: 1,254	Do you leave your dog in the car? When you bring your dog out on errands with you, do you ever leave them alone in your car? Say you are taking them to a pet store or a class and you need to stop for groceries... do you? And if so, are they loose? Crated? Windows up or down? I ask because over the winter it was easy. If Saber was with me and I had to go somewhere dogs were not allowed, I just put her in the back of the car in her crate with a Nylabone and she was fine. Now it is warming up, and I would love to keep bringing her along when I have things to do, but don't want to leave her in the car because she may get too warm. So she stays home more Is there a good solution for this? __________________ Shawn Mom to five kids and Speedy the Wonderdog, (toy poodle/pom mix), 13 years old "Saber" Jette vom Wildhaus CGC 11/09/10

04-23-2011, 02:57 PM	#2 (permalink)
Cassidy's Mom No Stinkin' Leashes Moderator Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: SF Bay Area Posts: 24,959	We take our dogs and leave them in the car all the time, but we do check the weather before we leave to see if it's safe to do so. I don't do it with my car ever because I have an Audi A3 with the open sky system, a large expanse of glass on the roof that heats up my car very quickly, no matter what the weather is. But the SUV has tinted windows, and if we park in the shade and leave the windows partly open to let a breeze through it's often cooler in the car than it is outside. If I lived in a very warm area, especially with high humidity, I would not even consider it, but we're close to the SF Bay. __________________ -Debbie- Dena 9/12/04-10/4/08 Forever would have been too short Keefer 8/25/05 Halo 11/9/08 Cassidy 6/8/00-10/4/04

04-23-2011, 02:58 PM	#3 (permalink)
Emoore Crowned Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: North DFW, TX Posts: 9,215	I don't leave my dogs in the car when the temperature is over about 60 degrees. I was doing a long road trip with the dogs one summer and I HAD to stop and use the bathroom. There's a security feature on the car where you can't leave it running with the doors locked, so I ran the A/C full blast for several minutes to get it nice and frosty in the car, locked the doors, and dashed in to use the bathroom. I set world records for speed-peeing, ran back out to the car, and it was already hot in there when I got back. __________________ Rocky vom Backyard- 10 years young Kopper vom Felssclucht Bach - 17 months At the Bridge: Cash van der Animal Shelter 2006-2010

04-23-2011, 03:07 PM	#5 (permalink)
GSD07 Elite Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: USA Posts: 1,763	I never do. __________________

04-23-2011, 03:12 PM	#6 (permalink)
cassadee7 Elite Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: WA Posts: 1,254	It gets hot here so fast Oksana. (BTW would love to walk with Anton again!) I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving the windows open much. Someone could reach in and who knows what might happen? Someone posted on the forum once about being in a store and looking out the window seeing someone HUGGING their GSD through the car window! __________________ Shawn Mom to five kids and Speedy the Wonderdog, (toy poodle/pom mix), 13 years old "Saber" Jette vom Wildhaus CGC 11/09/10

04-23-2011, 03:02 PM	#4 (permalink)
DonP Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 217	I always leave the windows wide open for her. I know she'll stay in the truck and I don't want anyone to tease her.

04-23-2011, 03:20 PM	#7 (permalink)
JKlatsky Moderator Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Riverview, FL Posts: 2,985	Here in Florida most of the year I will not leave them in the car unless they are in crates with water and I can leave the back of the truck open and all the windows down and I'm parked in a shady spot. In the hot part of summer we also use fans and ice. And I don't love doing that at a place like a Grocery Store Parking Lot because of all the people around that could mess with the dogs. So...no. Not really. Of course I am also lucky that all my dogs are Florida born and raised. They don't tend to keep much coat and are all reasonably able to deal with the heat. __________________ Argos vom Eisernen Loewen VPG1, CGC, TC 3-3-07 Bianka vom Eisernen Loewen BH, CGC, TC 1-3-08 Cade vom Eisernen Loewen CGC 3-25-09 D'Artagnan (Tag) vom Eisernen Loewen 2-2-10 G Aiko von Burkndeiros SchH 3, IPO3, FH, TC, KKL2 9-17-02

04-23-2011, 03:44 PM	#8 (permalink)
Mac's Mom Knighted Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Midwest Posts: 2,035	We take Mac with us everywhere we go. And when running errands, we crack the windows and leave him in the car.

04-23-2011, 04:05 PM	#9 (permalink)
sit,stay Knighted Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Idaho Posts: 2,056	I only do it in the winter, and even then I won't do it if the temp. is below 20 degrees. Sheilah

04-23-2011, 04:07 PM	#10 (permalink)
crisp Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Palatine IL Posts: 492	I do it in the summer also. Even when temp is at 80/90 degrees. But I have a remote start, so I lock the car, crank the a/c and start the car from outside. Errands have to be under 20 min or the car shuts off. __________________ chris and clark (whelped 07/18/2008)

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