Leaving dogs in cars is dangerous all year round, even winter, study shows

I've decided I won't leave Clover alone in the car again, not even for a few minutes. It isn't something that happens often anyway but I think not having her travelling in the car on a hot day is unrealistic. We like to travel to places that are more exciting than my city so on a summers day it will be very hot on our way back. I'll open the window and give her water before we set off and she'll be okay. We don't want to over-domesticate dogs more than we already have, although Clover does have her own downstairs shower (literally nobody else uses it so by default it's hers) and endless supply of Ostrich treats.
 
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Its not news that cars get hot especially of there is ot a window open but like everything jn life you just need to take sensible precautions.
In 34 yrs of having my dogs in my cars I haven't had any with heat stroke or stolen, my first dog almost lived in my car, he came to work with me e eryfay and the car was a mobile kennel the drivers window was open and he jumped in and out as he wanted whilst I was working at the yard, if he was told to stay in there he would, the back seat was folded down and he had a bed and a bean bag, never an issue.
All my dogs since have spent long periods unsupervised in the cars, if they are in the car where I was/am working or studying when they get out for a stretch whenever I get a break rather than being left at home for 8 plus hrs each day.
When I lived in a mobile for 6 yrs they would have been at risk of hear stroke in the morning ile with no one to keep an eye on them, it's not so easy to move a mobile onto the shed. They had a run outside but whilst remote it was an area with some risk of dog theft.
 
I’m at an agility show today, it’s sunny and windy. Vehicles around me, as far as the eye can see, are covered in silver blankets, dogs are in cages, back and side doors are open. There’s a car next to me with all the windows down, the boot open, a dog in a crate and nobody with it. I would hazard a guess that most vehicles are left unlocked (mine IS locked, but the windows are down).

I would think there’s more chance of dogs being nicked at agility show than overheating, but you’d be brave to stick your hand in with some of these dogs!
 
HopOnTrot said:
We have a 7 seater estate car and most of the time smallest child goes in the boot, but in very hot weather evening with air con/windows open it gets very hot.

Not sure how relevant this is to anything as the dogs usually go in the front with the air con 😆
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You're not really a feral child of dog-owning parents unless you have travelled home in the boot. In fact, just thinking, I got left in the car myself quite a lot as a child. Indeed, my mother will sometimes still get out of the car, lock it and walk off without me.
 
CorvusCorax said:
You're not really a feral child of dog-owning parents unless you have travelled home in the boot. In fact, just thinking, I got left in the car myself quite a lot as a child. Indeed, my mother will sometimes still get out of the car, lock it and walk off without me.
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Or your being taken to Badminton in the 90s when it was price per car for entry 🤣
 
So many times of being left in the car by my Dad (so he could go to the pub) with a packet of crisps and a lemonade, with stern instructions to not touch the handbrake (one suspects not for my safety!)
And don't even get me started on the family holidays where we were tucked up in sleeping bags on the floor of the work van to travel 😂
 
Ditchjumper2 said:
Best that all agility is banned then ! Most dogs spend the majority of the day in the car. Well ventilated and covered in silver sheeting too. Dogs in their cool coats. Far worse issues out there.
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Dog sports in general, mine spend flyball days in a well ventilated, covered van between races.
 
CorvusCorax said:
You're not really a feral child of dog-owning parents unless you have travelled home in the boot. In fact, just thinking, I got left in the car myself quite a lot as a child. Indeed, my mother will sometimes still get out of the car, lock it and walk off without me.
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Yep, outside pubs, if we were lucky our dad's mate would send out a Coke and a packet of crisps each.
 
Clodagh said:
If you can’t leave your dogs at home as it’s cruel, and can’t take them in your car as it’s cruel are you only ever allowed, for the whole of the dogs span, to go to places you can take it with you? On foot!?
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You've clearly not been keeping up with the thread in the tack room: option C is to take your dogs with you via a horse-drawn wagon 😁
 
stangs said:
You've clearly not been keeping up with the thread in the tack room: option C is to take your dogs with you via a horse-drawn wagon 😁
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Of course! Silly me. Is that not cruel to the horse? And maybe the dog? And I bet their suspension is rubbish, what about my bum?
 
The researchers can try telling our lot that they can't go on holiday or to man-trailing any more. We live in the arse end of nowhere with nothing happening within about 20 miles either direction.
 
CrunchieBoi said:
The researchers can try telling our lot that they can't go on holiday or to man-trailing any more. We live in the arse end of nowhere with nothing happening within about 20 miles either direction.
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Can you imagine what it's like in parts of the USA, Australia or even Europe! I'm friends with a woman who rents a camper and drives from the west to the east coast of the USA for competitions, she imports her dogs from Europe, their heads haven't fallen off.
 
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