Leaving dogs in the car - your thoughts?

RobinHood

RobinHood

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Just read a thread that mentioned someone leaving a dog in a car for 2 hours and it's made me question what I do with my own dog.

For 10 weeks at a time Ped lives at university with me in a rented house along with my best friend and her dog, Ped's litter brother. Our landlady is more than happy for us to have the dogs however we never leave them in the house unattended. To me leaving 2 young lurchers in a rented house unsupervised is a recipe for disaster!

4 days a week I have lectures that last between one and two hours. During that time Ped waits in the car, sometimes with his brother or sometimes on his own. The car is parked in the shade with the windows down and sunroof open, and he has bones, toys and kongs galore. It's an agricultural college so there are other cars regularly parked in the same area with dogs in and nobody bats an eyelid.

Now I'm struggling to see what's wrong with this, but please tell me if you think it's not acceptable. He doesn't get stressed by it in the slightest, in fact he sees it as his rest time and is always fast asleep when I get back. Is it really that different to leaving a dog in a crate whilst you go out for a few hours?
 
I don't leave my dog in the car, but its up to you what you see as appropriate.

I think it is far to easy for the dog to be stolen.

And dogs can die in a car which only seems warm to us.

The only time i have left a dog in the car was at a show and he was in the back of a van with the boot open and a gate bolted onto the back of the car stopped him getting out. It wasn't hot outside.

I'm just not comfortable with it

I would much rather crate them at home with lots of toys.
 
I never leave my dog in the car ever, he may get stolen is my main concern not heat stroke cos i'd never be that stupid.

I chose pubs where he can come in if going out for a meal, all other occasions he either comes with, stays home or goes to mum's if i'm away longer.

You must do what you think is appropriate for your dog and situation.
 
Robinhood, this was a very stressed, barking toy dog in an urban, very busy, active car park at an exhibition centre and NONE of the windows were open even an inch.
I was so, so angry, as Colleen can tell you! And I took a picture of the car and got its' reg, but the car was leaving by the time we got to an attendant.
We were parked for four hours and this car was there for two at the very least.

I have known a dog to die in a hot car, it was over 20 years ago and people still talk about it, such was the trauma felt by all who were there.

I have taken B to a show or trial but he would be let out every half hour for a leg stretch.

I do know people who compete at shows and trials up and down the UK and Ireland and even to Europe but they all have big ventilated vans or trailers and then, yes, when the dog is travelling it is their rest time and when they are out of the vehicle they know it is time to work. My friends start travelling their pups from very early age to get them used to it.

When I get a small van with an internal cage myself I will take B out and about more places but I don't feel for a dog of his size to leave him in a car for a prolonged period is fair.

Also leaving the windows down for dogs of certain breeds is an invitation to thieves IMO!
 
Thanks for your reply katie. Him being stolen would be my worst nightmare but I'm happy with the security where I leave him.

I saw a sticker on a car once that said "All dogs left in this vehicle are neutered, microchipped and ear tattooed" and I keep meaning to put something similar in mine.

I think deep down I know it's a compromise and it isn't something I'd feel happy doing long term. Thankfully I only have one term left before I graduate so it's only 10 more weeks but I am toying with the idea of getting a crate and leaving him in the house... :confused:.

It's so much easier when I'm home as we have 3 other dogs and they're more than happy mooching about in the house and garden when we're out. The lack of dog flap in this rented house is a PITA! :rolleyes:
 
CaveCanem said:
Robinhood, this was a very stressed, barking toy dog in an urban, very busy, active car park at an exhibition centre and NONE of the windows were open even an inch.
I was so, so angry, as Colleen can tell you! And I took a picture of the car and got its' reg, but the car was leaving by the time we got to an attendant.
We were parked for four hours and this car was there for two at the very least.

I have known a dog to die in a hot car, it was over 20 years ago and people still talk about it, such was the trauma felt by all who were there.

I have taken B to a show or trial but he would be let out every half hour for a leg stretch.

I do know people who compete at shows and trials up and down the UK and Ireland and even to Europe but they all have big ventilated vans or trailers and then, yes, when the dog is travelling it is their rest time and when they are out of the vehicle they know it is time to work. My friends start travelling their pups from very early age to get them used to it.

When I get a small van with an internal cage myself I will take B out and about more places but I don't feel for a dog of his size to leave him in a car for a prolonged period is fair.

Also leaving the windows down for dogs of certain breeds is an invitation to thieves IMO!
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Baaa baaa !

I don't take T with us if I can't take her out . Its simple .

I thought I was going to have to restrain CC from jumping out of the car and ...... well "have words with the 2 girls that left this little dog in the car " ..... what in gods name were they thinking ??
 
Ah you're all digging at my conscience now!

I suppose I need to consider both options

Car
- he's very happy being left in it
- I can pop out and take him for a leg stretch if necessary, although he's usually fast asleep and would rather stay put

- security
- heat not been a problem as it was november and then jan til now, but def a problem in april and and may

House
- better security

- hasn't been crated since he was 3 months old
- might by noisy and annoy the neighbours

I'm worried now that I'm putting him at risk, but on the other hand I'm a bit reluctant to change something he's so chilled about. He knows his routine: yard for few hours, sleep in car for few hours, sleep on bed for few hours, back to yard, then bedtime, but I suppose substituting car for crate in the house wouldn't be too hard.

I'm definitely going to think long and hard about it.
 
I take my og to work with me every day as I got a new job 9 months ago and have had my dog for 2 years, my situation changed and so how i look after my dog has had to change aswell, she is walked in the morning and then let out every hour through the day to come and chat at work with my collegues and sometimes goes out delivering with my partner who also works at the smae place, she has never shown signs of distress and is always very happy and bouncy and loves comig to chat with everyone, i feel that to leave her at home on her own whilst i am at work is very unfair as she has far more interaction through the day at work with me. I would love to have a job where she does not have to stay in the car but unfortunatly i still need to pay the bills and keep her in toys and pigs ears and so it works very well for both of us. I know it is not ideal but she is very much loved, spoilt and cuddled by all at work even if it means she sits in the car during the day. May i also add that i can always see the car and the windows are never closed to the point that she will tootle out of the window go for a wee and jump back in.
 
My dogs come to work with me, so on an occasion I'll stop at the shop or to drop something off on my way home, but never leave them for more than 5-10 minutes. If I know I need to go somewhere straight after work that would mean leaving them in the car for any longer than this than I leave them at home for the day.

I think people need to be sensible. A couple once tried to get the RSPCA involved when I left mine in the car at Badminton HT. Situation was that I was on my own, I had just turned up and was parked a few yards from the toilets (you could probably smell them from my car we were that close).

Now those plastic cube toilets have no room for two dogs and a person no matter how small the dogs are, and when you are on your own what do you do? So I told the car park steward who had just seen me pull up, to keep an eye on my dogs whilst I took a couple of minutes to have a wee. On my return (literally a couple of minutes) the poor car park steward was being grilled by this couple as she tried to explain I was only gone for a minute to have a wee, but according to this couple, I was negligent for leaving them for even a second in the car on thier own.

I was not a happy bunny for being made to feel like a very bad mummy :(
 
Why do some owners insist on bringing their dogs to Tesco/Waitrose etc just to leave them sitting in the car, that really bugs me. I don't leave my dogs in the car normally, as I am paranoid about them being stolen. Have been to lurcher shows and dogs have been stolen from cars. Just won't risk it.
 
blazingsaddles said:
Why do some owners insist on bringing their dogs to Tesco/Waitrose etc just to leave them sitting in the car, that really bugs me. I don't leave my dogs in the car normally, as I am paranoid about them being stolen. Have been to lurcher shows and dogs have been stolen from cars. Just won't risk it.
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It's not always as clear cut as that though. For example this weekend, I'd been to visit a friend and stopped at tesco on the way home to get some lunch/pop to the loo etc so I left him in the car, it's not like I can take him in with me. I don't take him if I'm exclusively going somewhere I can't take him but I couldn't leave him alone in my friends flat to drive 5 miles to the supermarket then drive the 5 miles back to pick him up then go past the very same tesco's to go home.
 
If you are in lectures, do you not have friends who would puppysit? (On different courses?)

I go to an ag college too, but no one seems to bring dogs to lectures (although they all appear on the rugby pitch during training!)

I sympathise with you not wanting to leave him on his own, but I think the crate idea is best. Yes, you graduate soon, but are you planning on taking the dog to work too?
 
I rarely leave my dogs in the car, but have called in at the shop on the way back from dogtraining and left them in the car. So I would leave them for about 20 mins max. if i needed to be longer than that then i would leave them at home
 
Sorry Annette4, should have been clearer.. I've been shopping, seen a dog in car, returned, dog still there over an hour later! I really want to go and say hello to lonesome dog but know this will probably just wind him/her up! Thats probably what frustrates me - this inane urge to meet and greet every dog I see!
 
I won't leave mine in the car purely because she is so theft-attractive - my Micra is sixteen this year and not exactly known for its security features. The daft sod would happily go away with anyone too and not kick up a fuss.

She stays at home while I'm at lectures, although admittedly my uni is a 45 minute drive each way and I have to park in a city centre. :p

Theft issues aside I wouldn't be comfortable leaving her for that long anyway; what looks like a shady spot can be a sun trap an hour later. I parked up for an hour and a half yesterday and had to open all of the windows before I could drive off, damn thing was like an oven.
 
I have 2 cars, a 4x4 you can see into and a van, u cannot see into the van at all and it has crates inside.
I never have to leave my dogs at all, luckily working in a vets means I can take my dogs in to work and OH works from home so he is always here when im at work, if we both leave together all dogs are fiine to be left for any length of time un crated except baby rescue, I now have to get back for her and she is crated, but it's rare Im gone more than a few hours.

If I did leave dogs in car it would be to pop into the shop or B&Q and it will be with the doggy van, and for no longer than 20 mins.
I will pop to the shop on my way back from work with rotti and akita in 4x4, but Im literally 4 mins it that, and NO MAN would be brave enough to go within a foot of the car ;) because they would be eaten:D but I would never leave my whippets in the car ever! because I would be terrified they would be stolen, if the rotti is with them, I will leave them in her capable care:D for the shop run, otherwise never!
The shaggy lurch and the pointer would both eat someone if they attempted to get in the car too, but the whippeys would not.

My worst fear obs other than hot weather, is someone knicking them:(
I persoanlly have nothing against dogs being left in cars if theya re not stressed and it's not hot, I would jdut panick if it where mine, for any length of time and on ful view to the world.
 
Harper_Gal said:
If you are in lectures, do you not have friends who would puppysit? (On different courses?)

I go to an ag college too, but no one seems to bring dogs to lectures (although they all appear on the rugby pitch during training!)

I sympathise with you not wanting to leave him on his own, but I think the crate idea is best. Yes, you graduate soon, but are you planning on taking the dog to work too?
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Probably 1 in 4 cars here has a dog or dogs in and once the stroppy site manager has gone home the social areas and IT rooms are full of them :).

Yes when I'm not at uni he comes to work with me from 7 til 6 at an equestrian centre. He watches me muck out, accompanies me on every trip up the muck heap and even collects rubbish off the parking field after a show. In the afternoons he sleeps in the office or if there's a show on he patrols the seating area for dropped chips- hard life hey :cool:.

I think my plan is to buy a large crate (he's definitely outgrown his puppy crate!) and accustom him to it whilst I'm home over easter.

Thanks everyone for your input :)
 
There will always be people that leaving a dog in the car for a very short time is wrong.

I take my three with me where ever I go. They are happy to be with me and would rather that then being left at home for hours on end.

They get long walks and freedom around the yard. When I have to leave them they are left in the kennels.

They have plenty of water and food and fresh air.
 
I leave Daisy in the car at the stables as I dont allow her to run around whilst im turning out etc, I dont park in the main yard i park at the end of my stable block so she sits on the centre console and watches me and i can see her, i then take her for a good off the lead run. The only problem is if one of the cats comes to sit on the bonnet then the car start rocking lol

I do pop into shops with Daisy in the car and will leave her for a few mins no one can see her as we had the windows blacked out in our 4x4 specifically for that reason.
 
I used to leave jack in the car if I popped into the shops on the way back from the park but only for 20 mins max.

At the end of the day they're your dogs and only you know if you're being fair on them or not....if they're not distressed and not hot and are getting out for a leg stretch I don't see the problem.
 
Mine are with me all day, they might be in the back of the Land Rover if I'm in the office but it has an open back and they can see all that is going on. They are out if I'm with sheep, walked three times during my working day. If I had to leave them in the car all day I just don't bring them to work, I have a kennel with a secure open run so they get walked before work then stay there till I get home, If I'm going to be longer than 5 hours my parents go down and walk them. They are out fom the minute I get home until bed time when they go back to the kennel - It's as close as I can get to perfect. I hate to see dogs shut in cars all day, we have a lot of staff in the main office building who a few years ago could take dogs into the offices but due to H&S dogs are barred from the buildings so they now stay in cars for up to 4 hours at a time. I'd rather see us provide secure kennels on site as this isn't a good advert for an Animal science based workplace!
 
What Cayla said - if the dog is not stressed and the day is not hot, I see nothing wrong with it. My dog loves sitting in the back of the car watching the world go by. I'd not leave him for 5 minutes on a hot sunny day though.
 
i do not see a problem leaving dogs in cars (as long as it is not hot). at the weekends ours come with us every where, they love going in the car, they are in a big cage and the boot window and side ones are open and they have water. they would much rather be with us and wait in the car than be left at home and miss out on all the attention from other people.

but we do not have the worry of being stolen (live in the channel islands) if we lived in england, my concern would be theft -either dogs or car! but if it is a safe place, then it should be fine. if people really want to steal your dog, it could be done from your house or while on a walk.....
 
I have left dog in the car before. If we have been out for a walk then I remember I have no milk etc I will park up in Tesco's to buy it. She's perfectly happy and because I am so rural it would be a 45 min round trip to take her home then go back into town then drive home again. The car is alarmed and the sunroof open- she would not fit through the sunroof and I can't see how anyone would steel her without attracting a LOT of attention. I have also left her in the car these last two weeks because she's not allowed to go for walks due to her limp so she's been coming along for a few little journies to the shops etc so that she gets out of the house and it stops her going stir crazy. I think as long as peeps are sensible about not doing it when the outside temp is about 15 degrees (apparently cars can be 10 degrees plus warmer) and the dog has access to water- its ok.
 
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