Yesterday afternoon, about 3pm, I was coming out of our local supermarket when I saw this car with a staff in the back and there was not a single window open!

How hot was it yesterday?

I was just about to go back into the shop to get them to announce it over the PA, but then the moron returned.

The dog looked so hot.

I said to her that she needs to leave a window open, her response what that she was only in there 2 minutes!

The idiot then had the nerve to look disgsuted with me - a few choice words were delivered in her direction!

Hi, unfortunetly this sort of thing happens alot, and for some reason the owners dont like to be told? what would they prefer coming back to their car to a dead dog? just because they think it is ok? Poor dogs cant open the windows and doors how would they feel?

roxie buster and babys mum xx

Its disgusting in this heat :(
Good on you for having some choice words with them, probably wont do any good but none the less it has to be said.

Just leaving a window open would make no difference either........

why would you want to take your dog shopping with you anyway?

I sometimes go into the supermarket or local shop on my way home from the park or beach to save detouring.  I am only ever in the shop for 2 mins and if there is a queue I don't nother.  I pu the air con on full blast usually when in the car in the summer so it is only every off for the 2 mins I am away and my dog is fine.  I would never specifically take her to the shops though, only if I am nipping in quickly.

my partner has printed me stickers which  stick onto the window stating i have taken there registration number and breed and will be reporting them ,hopefullly it makes them see sence,would you leave your baby in the car ??

i went to thorpe park a couple of weeks ago, and when i returned to my car about 4pm, i passed a car that had a westie in the boot! why on earth would you take your dog to thorpe park?..some people

becky

Ah, but people do leave their babies in the car.  I've seen them in Morrisons car park sleeping in their car seats.  No dog on guard either :(

CG

If people are on holiday away from home, and have taken their dog with them, what are they meant to do with it when they go out for the day?

I'm afraid I have no sympathy!  If you decide to take your dog/dogs on holiday with you, you make d*** sure they are not left in the car on a hot day!  Someone either stays with the dog at the car or you arrange for someone else to look after it.

Belgian Bonkers you speak 100% truth and I completely agree!!!

If you have a dog its your responsibility if you take them on holiday, we always take out girl to Newquay Cornwall and when we want some drinks, a new tattoo or a trip to the shops, I would never ever ever dream of leaving her in the car, its completely irrisponsible and shouldnt even be done for 1 minute even if you are nipping in, minutes is all it takes for a dog to suffocate and die.
I remember a story about a man who left his 3 or 4 Staffords in his van and he was just 'popping' in a shop as most claim....2 of them died  from heatstroke :( You can never gurantee you will be 2 mo's so why risk it?
Same as people who tie their dogs up outside shops? Whats the point of taking them just to leave them? Go to the shop and then walk them when you get home!

Same as people who tie their dogs up outside shops? Whats the point of taking them just to leave them?

I would disagree with that.
Whilst leaving a dog in a car on a sunny day is a big mistake, and very dangerous for the dog even if only for a couple of minutes, I don't see much harm in leaving them tied up outside a shop, while you pop in for a minute.
If i didn't do this my dog wouldn't get such good long walks a couple of days a week, as i on those days  I walk into town, pop into a bank or shop for 1 or 2 minutes, (not proper shopping, the kind of shopping where you just need to get one item from the chemist or such like), then we can go for a great walk down by the river. If i had to walk into town, then come back for him i would not have time to take him for a very long walk that day.
My dog is a crossbreed so not much chance of someone stealing him as he has no monetary value to anyone else, and when i tie him up he just sits down and waits until i come back, he is no more distressed than when he is sitting in the garden for a few minutes. (I do always make sure he is tied up safely away from traffic, as the shops i am talking about are in a pedestrianised area.)

i would never leave my dog in a car or tied up outside the shop, dog theft is getting worse all the time and there are plenty of people who would steal your dog to sell it for a few quid pedigree or not, you wouldnt leave a small child unattended outside a shop so why leave a dog, my dogs are my kids and so are treated in the same way i would treat children if i had any.

what about the senario of if someone was spiteful to your dog whilst outside, then he/she bit them to protect itself, who would be punished for that - the dog i think!

I still dont agree with it , when you take on a dog you know you have to walk them and you have to make the time for them its your responsibility as you are the owner!
I work a 7 hour day everyday apart from every third week and my boyfriend works longer sometimes and we both have most weekends off, the dogs are always walked by myself afterwork for at least an hour or 2 for Mitz and 15 mo's for Turbo as he is a puppy, so what excuse does someone have that isnt working?
If you dont have the time to give a dog a proper walk then maybe your life isnt suited to a dog and this is meant in the nicest way possible to people who think that a dog walking into town and being left at different places tied up is a good walk? A good walk is a hour round the streets, or an hour or 2 over a field or lake, not 30 mins into town or shops or whatever, tied up and then back home again, thats not a proper walk or stimulation a dog needs to be healthy physically and mentally.

I understand if an older person cant walk for miles, but then again get a dog suited to minimul walking or dont have a dog, a dog is for an active person with a lot of time to spare (often your whole spare time lol ) to walk and exercise and train the dogs.
Too many people I see turn up at the co op and tie their dog up for ages come out and thats the dogs walk for the day, so sad :(

Lots of dogs seem happy enough when sitting there but will snap at strangers, if a child was to wander over could you trust your dog not too react? and theirs the possibility of being stolen, not worth the risk IMHO.

Edited - Mandy your dead right there and not enough people see it that way.

> went to thorpe park a couple of weeks ago, and when i returned to my car about 4pm, i passed a car that had a westie in the boot! why on earth would you take your dog to thorpe park?..some people
>
>

i went to the safari park a couple of weeks ago, was brill and they provide kennels! you can take your dog along to the park and kennel it for free for the day, so you can nip back and see it, make sure its ok etc, brilliant idea i thought, they don't get left at home alone nor in a hot car!

The wildlife park at Kincraig has kennels to do exactly the same.  Fab idea.  More places should do the same.

Thats an excellent idea :)

Actually I dont entirely agree with you about walks into the town, as they do provide good oppertunities for socialisation with all kinds of people, prams shopping trolleys and the like. Physical exercise is important but a 30 minute walk into the town can have different benefits.JMHO

i cant belive that in this day and age people are still doing this.
The number of accounments at champ shows about dogs left in cars makes me sick.
There really is no need.

I agree SatinCollie that they are good as a means of a quick trip out, but people who use that as their one main walk is bang out of order in my eyes.
I take my girl to shops she is allowed in and walk her round blocks for social visits, but I would never ever take her to the shop thats less then 15 mins away, tie her up outside and come back home and say ''Yeah, I think shes tired out thats her done for the day'' Could you honestly say your collies would be happy with just a walk to the shops lol !! Or any dog for that matter apart from some toy breeds where thats all they need, but a walk to the shop unless its over an hour away isnt a walk IMHO and dogs shouldnt be tied up outside shops in the first place as many do it when its hot or when its even raining ad the poor dog is outside tied up in the rain or blazing heat, not fair at all.

>walks into the town, as they do provide good oppertunities for socialisation with all kinds of people, prams shopping trolleys and the like

Absolutely right, which is why the GDBA encourage it so much. Walks are for the development of the dog's mind just as much as its body - and for pups, even more so.

>Ort any dog for that matter apart from some toy breeds where thats all they need, but a walk to the shop unless its over an hour away isnt a walk IMHO

What about older dogs? They do far better on several short walks than a couple of extensive ones. 20 minutes at a time just about suits my 13 year old, with her arthritis.

Im shocked that some people still support tying up dogs outside shops?
Just go to the shop and then walk the dog, if you havent got the time dont have a dog as you obviously dont have the time to commit to a dog, simple in my eyes.

JG - Yeah thats true of older ones absolutly but what about your younger ones? would they be happy with a quick trip to the shops, tied up and brought back home knowing thats their walk for the day, would that be a good enough walk for you for a 2 yrs + dog? All I know is I wouldnt have a house left if I considered that a dog walk, and tying up outside shops is just obviously so horrible for some dogs and they whine and howl and shiver, poor things.

>would they be happy with a quick trip to the shops, tied up and brought back home

And what if they were on restricted exercise following surgery? What about dogs with HD? You must take care not to make too many sweeping statements, Rach. All dogs and all owners have different circumstances. It would be cruel to make my old dog walk for over an hour a couple of times a day, the way you think all dogs should be, or their owners shouldn't have them, even though the owners may play lots of games with them at home and they get their exercise that way.

>tying up outside shops is just obviously so horrible for some dogs and they whine and howl and shiver, poor things.

What about the well-trained ones who lie down and wait quietly? They don't think it's horrible. 

I did say some dogs, not all of course, I think its because I see so many dogs tied up and most whine at the co op where we are, guess why? Right next to a busy bus stop and peopel leave their dogs tied up less then 7 feet from the bus stop!

Ok Ill make it clear now Im speaking about normal dogs of an age of around 2+, older dogs, smaller and puppy dogs need less of course, Im meaning the healthy dogs who need exercise and people still consider their walk done after a quick trip to the shops, its just not fair in my opinion but of course not everyone will agree with me! lol :)

JG stop editing your post! lol I cant keep up wth you lol

I fully understand and appreaciate where you are coming from but just look at it my way for mo, older dog with arthritis, fair enough no one in their right mind would let them walk miles, hydrotherapy or small bits of exerceise much better 100% agree.
Smaller dogs/puppies or injured/recently operated dogs - Same applies as above
Healthy dogs and healthy owners - No excuse for not walkking them properley with good long walks filled with mental and physical exercise thats my way of thinking and I think its pretty fair!

It is actually part of the Kennel Club Good Citizens Gold Award to train your dog to be left for between 2 -5 mins either in a room or  tied up as it would be outside a shop. It doesnt have to sit like a statue to pass(Not a formal stay) but it does need to be happy and quiet to be left for a short amount of time.

> If people are on holiday away from home, and have taken their dog with them, what are they meant to do with it when they go out for the day?

If they know they are likely to be out for a full day then they should make provisions for the dog.  Leaving it in the car is not acceptable, unless it's a cool day (and no sunshine) and they plan to come back regularly to wlak the dog.  And how many people going on a day trip - or perhaps to thorpe park - will leave it every hour or two to walk their dog?

I have been on holiday with one of my dogs before, and I did leave him, but I went knowing I had him with me to take care of - the longest he was left was a couple of hours - if that - while I visited a sled dog centre; and I actually refused to go in unless they would allow me to move the car up there as it was sunny and there wasn't a shady enough spot to park (or safe enough).  In the end they said that as long as I thought my fiesta could manage the track to the centre - which they only went up in land rovers - then I could park him in a fully shaded layby off the track, which I did.

If people want daytrips then IMO, they should look for accomodation for the dog - either kennels back home or kennels near where they are staying.

> Healthy dogs and healthy owners - No excuse for not walkking them properley with good long walks filled with mental and physical exercise thats my way of thinking and I think its pretty fair!

lol, try taking my Mastiff on a long walk - you'll need to be strong aswell as healthy because you'll have to carry him home :)
I know he's not an adult and he has ED, but he just doesn't like a lot of exercise in 1 go, he never has and I'm sure he never will.

Each dog is an individual, they all have individual exercise needs, some need more than others. A walk is something we give our dogs to exercise them, if they are getting thier exercise elsewhere, ie, swimming in the sea, playing football/active games etc.. then a long walk is not needed.

Today I got a lift home with the kids from school, it was a 3&half minute trip, the car windows are broken and wont go down, the air con is up the shoot, but the normal blowers do blow a bit af warm air through the car, in that short space of time I felt sick & dizzy with the heat and the kids were moaning how hot they were. I can't imagine what goes on in somebody's head for them to be able to shut thier dog in a car on a sunny day :(

Rather than have such a short trip in the car in this heat, I'd have walked! Much cooler!

I'd never leave my dogs unattended in a car or outside a shop, they're far too precious to me.

This is a reply to Rach, who said i walk the dog into town tie him up and bring him back and call that a walk - i don't do that. I just think it is not the same to tie up a dog outside a shop, compared to leaving it in a hot car which could actuall cause it to suffocate!
I think Rach is too quick to make statements not having read the post.
I didn't say 15 minutes to shops then 15 minutes back, dog walked. I actually said we would then go on to the other side of town for a long walk along the river with swimming and playing. My dog gets a 45-60 minute run in the morning for physical exercise, a 2 hour walk (which may on one or two days a week include walking the 20 minutes into town and the 20 minutes back from town on a lead through people and traffic, very good for his training) in the middle of the day this would include some sort of play activity and training on and off-lead, this walk would be to different places to avoid boredom, and a 30 minute walk/ play in the woods or the park in the evening.
As you know nothing about my dog and his exercise routine i think it was rather rude to say i just walk him to the local shop, tie him up and bring him back. I don't actually do that, and that isn't what i said in my original post.
You may fear your dog being stolen or teased, but where i am talking about leaving him is in a pleasant pedestrian area, where people would not allow a dog to be teased. My dog is impecably behaved with strangers, a child or anyone else wandering up to him would not be snapped at. I think there is an awful lot of paranoia about dogs being stolen, i haven't heard of any crossbreed being stolen in this area, and as he is only left for a maximum of 2 minutes there would have to be a very opportune thief to do that!

What about the well-trained ones who lie down and wait quietly? They don't think it's horrible.

I'm surprised at you JG. These dogs are of course the ones MOST likely to get *stolen*. Each and every day dogs are stolen that have been tied outside shops. I get regular e-mails every day from some of the charities dealing with lost dogs and it's always the same -dog stolen from outside shop, dog stolen from parked car...... It just isn't worth the risk. There are lots of ways to get in short walks without taking the dog to a shop. Or if you have to, take a second person to wait outside. I'd no more leave a dog outside a shop than I would a baby in a pram. Same risks.

And if you go on holiday then yes you make arrangements. We're off to the World Show in 3 weeks. I will not leave my dog unattended in my mum's flat as it will be a strange place for her and although she never chews or causes any damage, I cannot be sure she would not make a noise. So we decided long ago that for the little shopping we will have time for, both of us has to go and one person waits outside the shop with the dog. If there weren't two of us I either wouldn't shop or would not take a dog. It's just forward planning. (The Swedish KC has even recognised this, and if you want to visit the show on a different day to the one you are showing, they will on this occasion allow you to bring the dog back in with you so it doesn't risk being left in a hot car or similar. Excellent I think.)

I think there is an awful lot of paranoia about dogs being stolen, i haven't heard of any crossbreed being stolen in this area, and as he is only left for a maximum of 2 minutes there would have to be a very opportune thief to do that!

Crossbreeds are stolen just as much as pedigrees, as they are stolen for ransom. One was stolen here in our small place not long ago, from a parked car.

i think the bottom line is if you want to take on a dog you take on everything that dog requires, if you only have 10 minutes a day to walk a dog get one that requires little exercise there are breeds to suit all sorts of lifestyles. i have 14 dogs and all mine go out 3 times a day, i am up at 5am for first toilet duties and they all go to bed between 10-11pm, my whole day is spent with my dogs and i wouldnt have it any other way, they are my babies and i love them ALL, my life is dedicated to my fourlegged kids!!! :)

personally under NO circumstances would i leave any of my dogs in a hot car or outside a shop!

>What about the well-trained ones who lie down and wait quietly? They don't think it's horrible.
>I'm surprised at you JG. These dogs are of course the ones MOST likely to get *stolen*.

My point was that the dogs don't find it horrible as Rach claimed, not that it was necessarily wise to do it.

That said, you should see the number of dogs tied the length of the railings near our village newsagents each morning, after their early morning's long walk around the fields, while the owners buy their daily paper on the way home!

a dog is for an active person with a lot of time to spare (often your whole spare time lol ) to walk and exercise and train the dogs. Rach85 do you have a lot of time to spare?(3-4 hrs a day is not a lot of time) You say people shouldn't have a dog if they don't have time to stimulate their dogs yet you freely admit that your dogs are alone 7hrs a day that along with 8hrs alone over night is 15hrs per day of boredom (kongs etc last upto an hour) Are you saying your situation is better than that of an owner who spends ALL waking hours with their dog? When homing my puppies I know which home I would choose.
Angela

>That said, you should see the number of dogs tied the length of the railings near our village newsagents each morning, after their early morning's long walk around the fields, while the owners buy their daily paper on the way home!

same in my village, I often walk the boys to the shops and back on a sunday morning to pick up the paper and some bread etc (the rare sundays that is that we dont have a show!), we go through a park so they can do their business they are tied up for a matter of minutes and I can keep an eye on them out the shop window.  Yes "shock horror" its only a half hour round trip walk but on Sundays they have a nice 2 hour + walk in the afternoon either on foot or on bike. 

Rach85 do you have a lot of time to spare?(3-4 hrs a day is not a lot of time) You say people shouldn't have a dog if they don't have time to stimulate their dogs yet you freely admit that your dogs are alone 7hrs a day that along with 8hrs alone over night is 15hrs per day of boredom

Have to admit, I thought the same :-(

I don't leave my dogs in the car when it is sunny and hot but have done on cooler days simply because Britain is so dog unfriendly now - try finding anywhere to eat inside nowadays where they will let dogs in - now I have frozen my a** off in a beer garden on many occasions so the dogs can join us, but pub gardens in the rain is above and beyond the call of duty IMHO. If we are on holiday in summer and on a very rare occasion have to leave the dogs in the car in town then we look for a multi storey car park and park there as they are generally much cooler than the external temperature. We never leave them for long ( 1 hour max). In the past on holiday I have booked them into a local kennels for the day and picked them up at night if we couldn't take them with us on that days outing. There used to be a great one near Alton Towers and our dogs were left there a few times while we took the children to the park.
As for leaving them tied outside a shop - well if we had a shop........., but if you know the area and are nipping in to buy a paper then I don't think its a huge problem.

I had the dog warden knock on my door today to see if I knew who's car it was in the car park, that had a large, very hairy, very distressed collie inside with one window down about half an inch, as you probably all know it was scorching today. I didn't know who the car belonged too, so off the dog warden went, came back with the police and broke into the car to get the poor dog out. Absolutely crazy and cruel of that owner.. who'll now be having to get his/her car repaired.. Good.

Lucky someone found him- you wonder at the mentality of these people, hope it costs a fortune to repair!

I didn't know who the car belonged too, so off the dog warden went, came back with the police and broke into the car to get the poor dog out. Absolutely crazy and cruel of that owner.. who'll now be having to get his/her car repaired.. Good.

Brilliant!!!  I think we need some radio or tv adverts to remind these (really stupid) people of the dangers of dehydration and heat when leaving a dog in a car. You would think it was common sense, but boy do we have a lot out there with none. :-D

As for leaving dogs outside shops, people have been doing that since well before I was a child, it is something I would never do, never dream of doing it, not just because of thefts, children may tease, a dog fight could happen (as recently) the older dogs are not so bad, but the younger you can see their little faces watching apprehensively every person coming out of the shop looking for their owner, I've often felt sorry for them.

Way back as children we would go to the local village shop and our Collies were never on lead (different times :-) ) but one of us would always stand outside with them whilst the others went into the shop, I don't think we were taught that, we just did it.

I TOTALLY see the issue with leaving dogs in hot cars but fail to see the problem with leaving a dog tied outside of a shop for a few minutes. And yes, i agree with those who combine a nice walk with popping to the shops on the way back. I myself do it. I can see the dog from inside the shop and its for a few minutes while i pick up a loaf of bread so really, whats the danger?!!!!
Again, i think too many people live in the fear that something might happen. If i worried about every awful thing that could happen to me (or my dog) i'd never get out of bed. Its about risk assesment and leaving a dog for 2 minutes outside a shop where you can see him is not a major risk IMO.

Having left a dog tied up outside a shop for 2 minutes and returned to find someone trying to untie her lead, I would never leave a dog tied up outside ever again. The woman thought that she had been abandoned, or so she said. The dog was only left for 2 minutes, not 2 hours!

I have left dogs in the car whilst nippiong in for something, but I find the shadiest spot I can, leave the windows open, and am only gone for a maximum of 5 minutes. If there is a queue I just walk out of the shop.

Fred's Mum,

The danger is while you are picking out your loaf of bread or finding the right change to pay for your purchase the next time you look up your dog could be gone.   

It's a risk you are comfortable taking - I think these days most of us would not.  I live in a low crime area but there have still been dog thefts and I cringe every time I see someone tie a dog up outside my local supermarket.

Again, i think too many people live in the fear that something might happen

Better to be safe than sorry though don't you think? I've also seen some teenagers trying to take a lab that was left tied outside a supermarket, lukily someone who knew the dogs owner interviened and then the rest of us gathered around, not that we should have been guarding someone elses dog, but the owners neighbour then stood with the dog until the owner returned, in my 'local' supermarket you can not see the outside entrance passed the fruit and veg department so the owner had no clue. 

I must say your very brave to leave your entire poodle outside a shop with all the poodle cross breeding going on, in some areas your dog would be gone, you obviously feel safe where you live, but it only takes a second.

dipdipdaisy - unbelievably, yes, people do leave their baby's in cars. I called the Police a few years back when I saw a red faced sweating baby left sleeping in a car in the full sun. It makes my blood boil! There is no excuse for that level of stupidity! Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Just a quick reply to defend myself against those implying my dogs have 15 hours of boredom a day.

Its 100% untrue!!, you dont know anything about my living situations apart from what you see on here and how sad to make someone feel bad for not tying their dog up outside a shop! Maybe I should tie my pedigree entire stafford outside a shop and see how long he lasts?????

My puppy is crated of course! Who wouldnt crate a 14 week old puppy with live wires and glass hanging around? I fear for anyone who doesnt crate their puppy when they are that young :(
Mitz is only crated during the day and never at night and never at weekends so dont know where you got 15 or more hours of boredom? Her crate is for a dog the size of a St Bernard and she has many kongs and chewy toys to keep her happy and a water bowl, I may not be there as much during the day but it sounds like my dogs STILL get walked more then those who do have all the time in the world so think some people have their morals back to front as my dogs are walked more and I work, how does that work?
As I said before Mastiffs dont need much and I said this on another thread my bro had a mastiff and I fully understand the workings of giant breeds as I have been around them since I was 7 years old!!

Please dont start individual attacks on me, I simply stated my view which is allowed and I will defend it.

>those implying my dogs have 15 hours of boredom a day.

You're out at work for 7 hours, and (presumably) asleep for about 8 hours at night. Simple arithmetic means that's 15 hours when your dogs aren't getting input from you ...

>my dogs STILL get walked more then those who do have all the time in the world

There's more to a dog's life than just walks.

Its a pretty big bit of it tho isnt it? and you cant deny my dogs are walked more then enough, they get walked and I play with them in the garden every night also and train them, brush them, the list goes on! As I said before my dogs are my life and Im not always away for 7 hours, I said this before again but people just take the bits they want to remember I suppose?!

Im not even bothered what people think anymore my dogs are happy, well trained, well socialised, friendly and well fed and bery well walked and I would never be put in a dangerous situstion(tied up)  or a deadly one (in a hot car) and thats what matters most.