Can I Leave My Dog in the Car?
Can I Leave My Dog in the Car?
In everyday life, dog owners are often faced with the question: "Can I leave my dog in the car?" It is crucial to think about this carefully, especially in the summer or on hot days. Ideally, the dog should wait for its owner in a quiet and cool environment at home. If you have no choice but to leave the dog in the car, you should definitely take the necessary precautions.
In just 10 minutes, the temperature builds up inside the car.
When a car is parked in the sun, the sun's rays from the windows heat the car. Since the heat cannot escape through closed windows, the interior of the car becomes much warmer than the ambient temperature in a short period. This happens even if it's not too hot outside. A car can warm up to 46 °C in an hour, starting from an outside temperature of about 20°C in the sun. When there is an outside temperature of about 30 ° C, in half an hour the temperature goes up to 46 ° C, which is fatal for the dog. If the weather is too hot in the summer, the car can reach a life-threatening heat for the dog in 10 minutes. Therefore, even a short visit to the grocery store, where you stop to buy something, could be life-threatening for the dog waiting in the car.
Shades change quickly and unfortunately do not provide safe protection against the overheating of vehicle. A car parked in the shade can be exposed to the scorching sun in a short time. The longer a car stays parked – even in the shade – the warmer the inside of the car gets. The car indeed remains cool longer in a shaded parking lot than if it's in direct sun. But you still shouldn't risk your dog getting heatstroke. The same goes for tinted windows. These can be helpful, but are not a viable solution to leaving your dog in the car longer.
What should you pay attention to when leaving your dog in the car?
If you have no choice but to have your dog wait in the car for a short time, you need to take some precautions. Dogs can easily spend a certain time in the car in cold weather, but you should not leave your dog in the car in summer. Even just 5 minutes can pose a health hazard to your best friend. Even in seasons other than summer, the temperature in the car can be too hot for dogs. Tinted films on the windows help to slow down the heat increase in the vehicle. If you need to leave your dog in the car, definitely look for a shady parking spot. Open the vehicle windows and leave enough cold water for the dog to drink. If you're going to be out for more than a few minutes, take your dog with you. If there is no way for you to do this, put off your work.
I saw an unfamiliar dog in a locked and overheated car. What should I do?
When you see a closed dog in a car in hot weather, act immediately! For instance, if the car is in front of a supermarket, make an announcement to call the owner. If this fails, call the police or the fire department. These institutions can save the dog from the car and protect him from overheating. The police will take care of everything with the dog owner. If there is an acute danger to the dog's life, you are allowed to break the car window and take the dog out. However, it should be very clear that there are symptoms of heatstroke and the accompanying acute life-threatening danger. Before breaking the windows, be sure to capture the situation on video using your phone's camera. Alternatively, you can find a witness. This ensures your own safety, so that you can prove that the damage you have done to the vehicle was really necessary. The police should nevertheless be informed in any case.
Best help: How can you protect your dog from heatstroke?
Being locked in a car isn't the only thing dangerous for dogs in hot weather. Activities performed in the heat, such as cycling or long walking tours, can cause heatstroke in dogs, even if they still seem tolerable by the owner. Likewise, it is dangerous for the dog to stay in stuffy, overheated rooms. To protect your dog when the weather is hot, you should do your activities in the cooler morning and evening hours. Always take with you a sufficient amount of drinking water. A travel water bottle and a small drinking container can be ideal. Remember that most dogs tolerate heat much less than humans. Do not leave your dog alone in the car in the summer, even for a short time. Dogs must not engage in activities that require excessive action when the temperature is high, but should rest in the shade or better still in a cool house. Keep plenty of fresh drinking water. If your dog's hair is long and thick, consult your veterinarian. Especially in elderly or sick animals, shortening their hair in the summer can make your dog's life easier. Fresh drinking water is essential for morning and evening walks. If you have a dog that loves to play with water, you can check whether there is such a possibility of cooling off with some water and make the walk more exciting for your faithful furry friend. This way, you can ensure that your dog does not suffer from heatstroke and survive the hot days of the year unharmed.
