Do you leave your dogs in the car?

[slleipnir]

If you have your dog with you, will you go into a store and leave him/her in the car? If so, how long is the longest you're gone?

I know people who come into my work for a couple hours and leave their dogs in their cars...I may go into a store for like 5 minutes tops...Then again, I won't take them with me if I know I'm going shopping or whatever..

[animal_rescue]

We hardly ever take our dogs anywhere, mainly because we know we'd have to leave them in the car if we do...

[sammy101]

no.Its way to hot here,and i'm afraid of dog-nappings.It doesnt take long for a dog to overheat in a car,even with the windows open.If we take them out,we go somewhere where they can come with us. They love car rides

[Alysser]

WHEN IM IN THE CAR WITH HER! I am afriad of Dog nappers and overheating. Sometimes in the winter it gets TO COLD! So no, I don't unless someone is with her.

[CagneyDog]

It rarely gets too hot to have a dog in the car here so we usually bring Cagney. He is usually in there for under an hour but he's been in the car up to 2.5 hours before. He loves car rides.

[BC_MoM]

Rarely.. mostly because of all the dog nappers around here.

[cali]

it depends on the temp. if its to hot we wont, nor if its too cold but if it is in between we will take sometimes Happy or Misty. Happy has waited in the van for a couple of hours before, we never leave Misty for to long just because she gets into trouble, Happy just sits on the front seat or she will curl up in the back which has coated windows so its cooler. we are very very careful about the temps though to ensure they dont overheat or freeze

[ParNone]

When the sun's not shining and the temperature's okay, most definitely. I took Oz with me just the other night, when I went to Sears, then to the Grocery Store. I feel a lil' safer at nighttime with him in the car. He stayed alone in the car for less then 30 mins at each stop. If I was gonna be hours shopping, I probably wouldn't take him, but I think he enjoys going on short errands with me.

I can't imagine anybody dognapping him. The level of noise he can make, could wake the dead. Breaking a window to get to him, would trigger quite a ruckus from him, I think. I can just see him drowning out the car alarm.

Par...

[chocolatepuppy]

I rarely take the pups anywhere with me anymore, but I did leave Lacey in my locked truck for about 5 minutes once. I could see her the whole time though.

[ramanth]

Depends on the weather conditions. If it's not too hot or cold, I feel comfortable running a 5 minute errand (ie, into the bank to use an ATM).

For the most part, if I know it's going to take me awhile, I leave her home or go shopping right after work.

[pnance]

Depends on weather and time. If it's not to hot/cold I've left mine in the car while I ran into a store. At most they've been left for 10 minutes. If I know I'm going shopping they don't go, this is only if I've taken them somewhere else and just needed to pick something up on the way home.

[sandragonfly]

never have to! because crayola is my precious service dog, he can go into restaurants, stores, almost anywhere with me.

but if I get or have a 'family' dog, I still wouldn't want depend on weather or time - in case of emergencies! maybe I'm being non-sensly tense leaving them in anywhere (except my home) but I wouldn't want leave them alone, helpless, forgotten for so long in case I'm thrown into hospital. that would be the worst thing I'll wake up to!

[Toby's my baby]

No, if they come with us somewhere, which is usually only to the vet, or classes, then they only sit in the car for like 5 min. tops, if we have to run into a store to get something, but usually someone stays in the car with them.

[luvofallhorses]

It depends on the weather...we never take them anywhere if it's blazing hot or too cold outside.

[lv4dogs]

I do but only under certain conditions. I will take the dogs with me on errands if it is not too hot or cold out and only if I'm going to be in the store for under 20ish minutes.
If I go somewhere where my dogs can be seen from the store (like a window seat in a dinner or the like) I will still bring them even if I will be a little longer because I would be able to see them.

You'd be surprised at the amount of stores & the such my dogs can go into though. So they come with me more often than a lot of people would think. A few of my friends own stores & allow my dogs inside, a lot of my shopping is done at pet stores & they are welcome there too, my friend who owns her own hair salon allows my dogs there when I go, my dogs are allowed in a few bars too (obviously I only allow them to come when it's not busy and even then I rarely go anyways). Pretty much the only time I have to leave them at home is when I go grocery shopping.

I lock my car & turn on the alarm and if Raustyk is with me I still lock & alarm my car but you would have to be really stupid & have a LOT of guts to mess with my car with her in it... you'll know why before you even get near my car. She is VERY protective of my vehicles.