Leaving dogs in the car.

I would never leave my dog in the car for an extended period.  Hot or cold or perfect temperature.  I think the longest I have ever left Rose in the car was maybe 10 minutes.  Colton never gets left in the car unless I am just running to pay for gas.  He would tear things up. 

I never ever leave Giz in the car unless it's just for a secound to run inside the gas station. If I'm goinging somewhere and I know dogs are not allowed there I will not bring my dog with me. Even if I'm traveling I'll be with my boyfriend and I'll send him inside as I walk Giz around outside while we waite. I just couldn't do it. Thats why I felt so sorry for thoes little chi's

I just don't trust to leave them in the car long.  That time I left Rose for maybe 10 minutes was a last minute stop that I just had to make.  Normally, I won't take her with me if she'll have to sit in the car.  I worry about her getting stolen, or her tearing things up, or all kinds of things.  As much as she loves car rides, the worry isn't worth it.

Aside from weather I don't feel comfortable leaving Gingerbread alone in the car because he could be stolen.

If it's a decent day out - maybe no warmer than 60-65 at most - and I can park in shade in a reasonably quiet area so I can leave the windows partly open, I've left Sammy for up to 20-25 minutes.  Our behaviorist actually recommended bringing him along rather than having to leave him alone due to his SA tendencies - esp if it was only short trips or he would be left more than once a day, etc.  But, I would never leave him too long because if he got all frustrated or anxious in the car and destroyed it, that's not helping the situation, so I do everything not to let it get to that point. 

I don't get the concept of taking your dog in a car in the first place.  The only time April goes in car is to the groomer, or once in a blue moon to the dog store where she can get out and walk around.  But to just take them to sit in the car while you go to the store? what is the point?

It is my understanding that the interior of a car can heat up between 30-40 degrees in less than a half hour's time, even with the windows down an inch or so. 
 
I lived in Virginia Beach several years ago and had gone to the mall while my son was in morning preschool.  This was in April, when temps are already hitting near 90 degrees.  I went into the mall at 10:00, it was already almost 80.  There was a car parked in what I suppose they thought was shade provided by a little scrawny tree, and a GSD was inside.  Windows were down about an inch.  I left the mall at 11:30 and the car and dog was still there.  When I went in, the dog was quiet, just sitting there watching people go by, but when I left the sun was beating down on that car and the dog was barking and lunging at people going by.  I stopped a mall "security" guy and he said there was nothing he could do.  I took down the plate number, description of the car, location, and went to the preschool and called Animal Control.  I was so upset I was in tears worrying about that dog. 
 
Now living in Michigan, I still see it all the time.  No, it's not always super-hot here, but it can still be incredibly warm inside a car, even with windows cracked.  I called AC here once on somebody who left these two boxers in the car with windows down about 2 inches in the Meijer parking lot for at least an hour.  There was no shade anywhere.  Again, the dogs were barking, lunging at the windows, and I don't think their tongues could have hung any further out of their mouths.  It was probably 75 degrees out that day.
 
I understand the need for socialization or work on separation anxiety, but dogs can suffer from heat exhaustion and die as quickly as kids locked in a hot car.  It's a horrible way to go.

My dogs have waited in the car before. The most recent was last week. Me and my fiancee were taking them to the park and we were going to eat dinner there. So the dogs waited in the car while we ran into a resturaunt to grab some dinner to go. I would never leave them for more than 15 minutes alone in the car and would never leave them if it is warmer than 80 degrees outside.

I completely agree that it gets unbearably hot in a car very quickly.  That is why one should use common sense - if the car is too hot for you to sit without a/c or windows open then it is too hot for your dog. period.  And usually even if you can be somewhat comfortable it may still be too hot.  Leave water in the car.  Park in the shade.  Open the windows a bit.  Yes if it's 100 degrees in the car 15 minutes can be too much.  But if it's only 60 or 70 outside, the inside of the car shouldn't be much warmer right away without the sun shining on it. And obviously more than 30 minutes or so, depending on weather, is asking for trouble - like those people sharismom posted about, leaving dogs for an hour or two while they went into the mall is cruelty when it's 80 or 90 and hotter in the car.
 
Auburn - there are times when it is easier, more convenient, or necessary to leave the dog in the car for a bit.  As I posted, it is easier for me to bring Sammy for a quick trip to get milk than it is to get him into his crate and all settled down for a 15 minute trip.  Easier for both of us.  And once I had to take him to the vet for a check-up and needed to run into the store next to the vet's office.  No point for me to go all the way home to drop him off and leave him alone.  He just doesn't do well alone and he may never be truly okay with being left alone.  Yes he is is alright when I come home from work, but after 8 hours alone I will not crate him again in the evening if I need to run out and I can't leave him out of the crate.  So he comes along. 

If I spot dogs left alone in a hot car for more than five minutes, I call the police or local animal control.

There are times when you might have a dog with you, and be unable to take it inside a building, but that's why they make solar blankets.  www.cleanrun.com  You can then leave the dog in the car, at a trial, or seminar, for example, and the blanket will keep the interior of the vehicle 10-15 degrees cooler. 
Under ordinary circumstances, I take my dogs wherever I go - if they aren't welcome, I don't leave them in the car, I leave them safe at home with their doggy daddy.

If I spot dogs left alone in a hot car for more than five minutes, I call the police or local animal control.

 
Sometimes at the Petsmart dog showings, dogs misbehave and are aggressive to others, e.g my Sassy.  Yes, I put her in the car (minivan) and I leave the car running and the a/c on.  eople still come by the car, look inside the car, and shake their heads.  It might be perceived that it is hot inside the car.  Thank goodness no one called the police because that would have been a total waste of an emergency resource.

ORIGINAL: spiritdogs

but that's why they make solar blankets.  [linkhttp://www.cleanrun.com ]www.cleanrun.com [/link] You can then leave the dog in the car, at a trial, or seminar, for example, and the blanket will keep the interior of the vehicle 10-15 degrees cooler. 

But this makes it sound like someone could leave a dog on a 90 degreee day in a car all day and think this will keep their dog protected, which I doubt is the case.  I know that's not what you meant by any means, but there are of course people who might misinterpret this.  In any event, I could not find this product on this site, even though I searched for it, to read the details about it.  Maybe I wasn't looking correctly?

If I spot dogs left alone in a hot car for more than five minutes, I call the police or local animal control.

What do you consider hot? 60? 80?
I don't recall where you are from, I guess "hot" means different things to different people.  I'd be curious to know around what temp you would do this.

Anyway - will go try to google the solar blankets to see if it's something I would like for Sammy - do you have one and about how much were they?
 
ETA - spiritdogs - is this product what you meant?  [linkhttp://www.cleanrun.com/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=388&CFID=1501998&CFTOKEN=70700519]http://www.cleanrun.com/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=388&CFID=1501998&CFTOKEN=70700519[/link]
Do you just use it to cover your windows?
 

It's really funny that you posted this, because I was just thinking about posting this yesterday.  Just like every subject, I think it depends on what's in the best interest of the dog.  When it's even slightly hot, leaving your dog in the car is out of the question.  Cars can and will heat up very quickly and that chance should never be taken.  There are too many horror stories.  I have and will call authorities if I believe that the dog is suffering from heat exhaustion, and I have also sat somewhere and watched a dog to make sure that the owners come out before it does get really bad. If it's hot enough that you have to leave your sunroof, or windows cracked more than an inch or two then you're also opening yourself up to the possibility of a kid sticking their hand in there to pet the dog, or of it getting stolen.  If a dog barks, growls at others, then it's probably not a constructive atmosphere for them and is probably teaching a lot of bad behaviors....then the owners say "why does my dog bark so much."  And theft is always a serious possibility, so dogs should never be left in the car in an environment would make theft easy...night time, abandoned parking lots, alleys, etc.  Those are the rules that I believe apply to most dogs and situations, however...
 
In my case, my dog goes with me in the car fairly often, except for the summer.  I even joke around with her and refer to fall, winter and spring as "car riding season."  If I'm running errands or stopping by a friends house, she goes with me, and waits in the car.  She lays down in my seat for the majority of the time, and occasionally pops up to view the action, then lays back down.  She doesn't destroy anything or bark at anyone.  Although I crate trained her as a puppy, she doesn't need to be crated anymore.  So, when I leave her at home, she just lays on the couch and is bored to tears until I come home.  She doesn't chew on bones, or entertain herself.  But if I take her with me, she gets a little change of scenery, and a little more time with her mommy.  She doesn't think that car rides are the coolest thing in the world, but it's definitely more stimulating than the couch.  Although no one has ever called animal control on me, nor had reason to do so,  I have had people say "i feel bad that she's in the car" or "bring her in the house."  Why?  I don't want to bring my sheddy dog into their dog-free house, or have to make sure that they put the cat-food up.  Or if they had dogs, we'd have to go thru the ritual of introducing my dog with theirs.  I try to explain to some people that she's perfectly content out there but they think that's odd.  Yes, she'd rather be playing frisbee, or eating steak, but in comparison to leaving her at home, she's fine!  It's a small adventure, but one that I believe she is thankful for.  Other than worrying about her getting stolen (which could also happen from my apartment) she has been travelling with me for 7 years and so far, so good. It depends on the dog!

What do you consider hot? 60? 80?
I don't recall where you are from, I guess "hot" means different things to different people.  I'd be curious to know around what temp you would do this.

 
I agree that hot and cold feel differently to people from different climates.  However, if the inside temp. of a car heats up an additional 30-40 degrees, even with windows cracked an inch or so, wouldn't 60 degrees become 90-100 degrees regardless?  Is any dog comfortable at that level of temperature, especially if the air isn't really circulating, for longer than a few minutes?  [sm=2cents.gif]