Hot dogs

[kipchik]

This is rearing its head again,but apparently in this region over last weekend there has been 25 dogs die in hot cars,another 2 dogs died in a car this week and obviously loads more,perhaps someone would care to enlighten me on WHY somebody would take there dog out in the car then lock it in while they go off enjoying themselves,surely it makes more sense to leave the dog at home with food and water and shelter,WHY take it with you?????????

[conover]

Ours is a rescue dog with problems,especially being left,on his own..it's obviously happened to him so many times before that he goes into panic mode as soon as we get ready to leave..I realise this is not a good enough reason to leave him in a baking hot car and I'm sure people just don't think!! Our dog also rips up the house in panic so we do try to take him with us,but I worry constantly about him,always leave car in the shade where possible and leave a water bowl for him..It's easy to foget how hot it gets in a car ,when you are in an A/C shop...

[kita1]

Even leaving them at home in this weather you have to be careful, I had a rescued GSD that I used to leave in my kitchen, I have a kitchen then a small hallway the width of my back door and then the bathroom. The bathroom door was shut to keep her away from bleach etc.

One day my partner came home to find that she had shut herself in the narrow hallway by getting behind the door to the kitchen and closing it! I never imagined in a hundred years she could do that.

Because the back door was half glass the sun was pouring in, thankfully there was a small gap at the bottom of the door but when he opened it he said that the walls were running with moisture and the heat nearly knocked him over!

She was always shut in the kitchen after that, and I am very careful that doors I want open stay open - tied if necessary.

I don't know to this day how she survived.

I also used to turn the gas and electric off at the mains when I left dogs home alone - it is so easy for them to turn the knobs on the gas cooker or chew through a cable.

It might seem extreme but it can happen in an instant!

I would not dream of leaving a dog in a car - if it destroyes the house it can do the same to the inside of a car!

[Metz]

conover - have you ever tried using a crate while you are out? One of ours used to move things round the house, tried him in a crate ,just while we went shopping at first. He didn't like it but i knew he was safe in there,we then started leaving him free for a small time period, leaving it longer everytime,he's great now ,can leave him in the house ok :o)

[kipchik]

Ours have the run of the house except the lounge,as for the oven, yeah, we too always turn it off at the wall when its not in use!!We will not take them with us when we go out,not worth it if we going off somewhere!

[maggie01]

I leave as many doors open as possible. Pull the blinds down where I know the sun comes in the most and leave them with plenty of water. I feel guilty if I am out for any length of time, but when I come home they are usually asleep ( or at least till they hear the key in the door) and feel cool. I also don't know why people feel the need to walk their dogs when the sun is at it's hottest. I don't know if they think they are being kind or if they are plain stupid. It makes my blood boil to see people walking along in the shorts and little else and taking along is their dog in a fur coat. I f it's possible leave them at home. We have two so that they have a bit of company.

[conover]

metz might try the crate idea, although we dont have a huge problem as one or the other of us is usually home..or when we need to food shop we leave it until later in the day when it's cooler.We have left him for short periods and as long as he can get all over the house he seems ok, , it's if you shut him in anywhere the problems start. It's difficult when you don't know thier history, he is scared of his own shadow poor thing!! Funny thing is he is really at home in the car and doesn't bother at all about being left ,he seems to know we are comiing back We love him to bits despite all his little problems .....