Is there a safe way....

Taqroy

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To leave your dog in the car in the summer? I'm thinking about buying one of these and a crate fan for when/if I need to leave a dog in my car this summer (in the case that I have back to back classes with separate dogs). But I'm concerned that there wouldn't be enough air moving through the car to keep them cool in our 90+ temps. Is it doable? I know we have people on Chaz who have to leave their dogs in vehicles for agility trials, or to go to class, or to take one dog out, so how do you do it?
 
The only way I'd leave a dog in the car in the summer is if the AC was running, and if I was able to check on them while it was running.

My car has two key fobs, so I am able to have the AC running, lock the doors, and still be able to get back into my car (or so I would imagine, I've never actually tried :p)
 
The only way I'd leave a dog in the car in the summer is if the AC was running, and if I was able to check on them while it was running.

My car has two key fobs, so I am able to have the AC running, lock the doors, and still be able to get back into my car (or so I would imagine, I've never actually tried :p)

That's pretty much where I'm at. It would be SO NICE to be able to sign up for back to back classes though....lol.

I'm looking at cooling mats/jackets, do you think those in conjunction with air flow would be workable?

Oh and I'm not talking about all day or anything - I think at most it would be 2 hours in the car.
 
What time do you think the classes would be?

I know at our training club in the evenings people would do it all the time. Crated, fan and open hatch. The dogs always seemed fine but they weren't in direct sunlight and the sun was on it's way down. I would think shade would be doable to.
 
When I'd leave dogs in the car during a lesson, they'd be crated with doors and windows open in the shade. At one trial I've been to that I left him in the car, it was with a fan on his crate and in a parking garage, and it was at least 10-15 degrees cooler in the parking garage.

Actually, when I was traveling with a trainer friend, she had one of the things you linked to. However, it only let in some air, and was used when it was cooler outside, not during the summer. I would not use it in the summer.
 
Can you not just crate one dog inside while the other is in class?

Possibly, for the indoor classes. Tipper's got a major malfunction with me walking away from her and working with another dog while she's crated though. Right now I'm looking at two outdoor hiking classes so crating inside wouldn't be an option.
 
You can buy big tarps that hang over an open hatch that are made to deflect sunlight...or something. One of my dog friends in PA used one for classes.
 
What time do you think the classes would be?

I know at our training club in the evenings people would do it all the time. Crated, fan and open hatch. The dogs always seemed fine but they weren't in direct sunlight and the sun was on it's way down. I would think shade would be doable to.

Probably afternoon - 2:30 on I would think. I'm not absolutely positive I could find shade every time I needed to....that might be something that's a deal breaker.

Actually, when I was traveling with a trainer friend, she had one of the things you linked to. However, it only let in some air, and was used when it was cooler outside, not during the summer. I would not use it in the summer.

Because it pulls in hot air right? That makes sense, although I kind of thought that as long as you were circulating air instead of letting it stagnate and heat up in your car it would be....better?
 
^^yep, I'd get those silver tarps to block the windows, they really do help. I think cooling vest would help. I was going to suggest frozen water bottles switched out halfway through, but outside far from the car could be difficult
 
The only way I would do it is if I could leave the hatch completely open. I'm worried about people stealing my dogs then, so I would padlock their crates. I also had this fabulous idea for a wireless thermometer that sent the reading to your phone via bluetooth... and then I googled it and found this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bluetooth-Digital-LCD-Thermometer-Temp-Wireless-Monitoring-Android-System-/251080339195

I want it... I can't seem to find what the range would be though.

I was thinking that with windows partway down, hatch open, fan going, and a cooling pad and/or jacket it *should* be ok. But I don't want to test my theory on a dog. If I had the thermometer I could test most of it and not put anyone in harm's way.....

(Also, not to be paranoid but I bet if someone wanted my dog bad enough they'd take the entire padlocked crate. >.<)
 
I was thinking that with windows partway down, hatch open, fan going, and a cooling pad and/or jacket it *should* be ok. But I don't want to test my theory on a dog. If I had the thermometer I could test most of it and not put anyone in harm's way.....

(Also, not to be paranoid but I bet if someone wanted my dog bad enough they'd take the entire padlocked crate. >.<)

I would also hope that someone would notice that!! You can get outdoor digital wireless thermometers at any store for like $15.. you can test it that way!
 
We park in the shade during training and leave the hatch open and as many doors as we can, with all windows down and one or two fans. I also will wet the dogs down on their bellies and backs with cool water before putting them in, in place of cooling mats/jackets which we don't have yet.
 
I dunno, just read up on first aid for heat stroke...it can happen mighty quick in any case...
 
The only way I'd leave a dog in the car in the summer is if the AC was running, and if I was able to check on them while it was running.

My car has two key fobs, so I am able to have the AC running, lock the doors, and still be able to get back into my car (or so I would imagine, I've never actually tried :p)

Same here. My fob and key separate, so I've left the key in the car with the AC running and locked it using the fob, then unlocked with the fob when I'm ready to get back into the car. I actually had to do this last year when baby Payton was with me and I had to take Auggie to Banfield for his UTI... juggling the baby dog in one arm and trying to get Auggie to pee (and carrying the tray for a free catch in the other hand) finally got to be too much so I put Payton in his crate in the locked, running car until I could get Auggie to pee. But I was never more than maybe 30 feet away. I dunno if I'd leave them in the car for an extended period of time unless I was right there and could keep checking on them...
 
We leave the car running, crate fans, and keep water/ice available when possible. I'm always a bit nervous and checking constantly though because I had a friend lose two dogs in her van when the car died and she didn't check until they were dead, this was during a sch session in Virginia in the summer with two dogo canarios.
 
Be careful using the cooling jackets though. If they dry out or warm up when you are not there it can actually make the dog hotter than before. I'm not sure I would risk doing back to back classes in the summer if you have to leave one in the vehicle.
 

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