There are ways that you can indeed keep dogs safely in a car on a hot summer day. Dog sport competitors often need to have their dogs crated in their vehicles all day during competitions and this includes the summer time when it is hot out. People who are participating in dog sports love their dogs enough to spend lots of time and money to participate in these fun activities in which they can enjoy with their four legged companions. So they have found many ways to can help our furry friends be comfortable on a hot summer day... even in a car!
There are various reasons someone may need to leave their dogs in the car on a hot summer day:
Traveling
Camping
Participating in Dog Sports or Dog Seminars
Vehicle Breaks Down
Hunting Trips
Playing with or training multiple dogs individually at a park
Get locked out of your vehicle
How is it possible to keep dogs not just from overheating but comfortable in the car?
Investing in a great set up and various products make all the difference. Below is a variety of equipment that is often used to keep dogs in the car safely.
Aluminet Shade Cloths- This is a must have if you are ever going to end up needing to leave your dogs in a car on hot sunny days. Aluminet shade cloths may make you look like a crazy person if you are not at a dog event, but they truly make a massive difference. I will sometimes go sit in my car during competitions as it is often cooler in my car on a hot summer day with an aluminet shade cloth on my vehicle than being outside somewhere in the shade!
Crates- safely allows you to have windows all the way down without needing to worry about dogs jumping out of vehicle. Here are some things you should have for your crate setup:
-water bowl
-a place to hang a fan
-well ventilated
-lockable
Temperature Monitoring System- Some people choose to get temperature monitoring systems that will alert them as a back up. Just running your A/C on is great on a hot day, but you shouldn't rely on this solely. Sometimes the A/C in your car may stop working and if you are not monitoring the vehicle and are gone for a long time on a hot summer day, the vehicle could heat up to dangerous, or deadly, temperatures. So always having back ups is important. Some popular options for a temperature monitoring system are: Sensor Push, Waggle, and Govee. Most of these monitoring systems are run on Bluetooth so the range is not super large, so make sure you can get within range easily to check every so often. There are some temperature monitoring systems that run off of cell-service, so you can check them wherever you are.
Remote Start Systems- These can be great if needed to turn the car on. But there are a variety of remote starts that will tell you the temperature inside the vehicle so you can monitor. Again, make sure you have some sort of temperaturing monitoring system in place just in case the A/C in your car goes out.
BreezeGuard- These can help keep dogs safely in the car if they are not crated while you have the windows all the way down. *These will not hold up to a dog who is really trying to get out of the car. These are also nice to prevent people from putting their hands in your car if dogs are crated and the windows are rolled all the way down.
Dog Car
-Typically SUV or Van so you are able to have a hatch that opens up for a lot of air flow and ventilation
-Vents in back row if keeping dogs in hatch
-Big enough for crates in vehicle + other supplies needed for trip/activity
At the end of the day, be mindful and watch for signs of distress such as:
Excessive panting
Excessive drooling
Vomiting/diarrhea
Disorientation
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