# dog in a car in cool or chilly weather



## justme17 (Nov 7, 2007)

I always read about hot weather and cars but not cold. Could somebody please tell me what is the maximum length of time I can leave my German Shepherd in the car in 30-40 degree weather in November with the windows down as far as possible? Thank you.


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## cascabel (Sep 25, 2007)

Why would you leave you dog in the car with the windows all the way down? If it's cold, then you would want to leave the windows all the way up, with maybe one cracked just a tad. 

When I travel to shows and have to leave the pup in the car for an hour or so in cold weather, I just make sure that she has lots of blankets and sometimes her coat if it's really cold.


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

At 30-40 degrees, my dogs would be sunbathing or - if I let them - going for a swim.

I guess it depends on the dog, but it wouldn't seem like a healthy, adult German Shepherd, protected from the winds, would suffer in those kinds of temperatures.


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## battlemonkey (Oct 14, 2007)

I agree. Just throw a blanket in the back seat and let him snuggle... As long as you're not gone for too long and what breed of dog it is.


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## justme17 (Nov 7, 2007)

cascabel said:


> Why would you leave you dog in the car with the windows all the way down? If it's cold, then you would want to leave the windows all the way up, with maybe one cracked just a tad.


Did I say "all the way down"? I said "as far as possible" and by that I meant the windows would be down far enough so she would not get out. My concern is she would get hot, not cold, inside a car parked in 30-40 degree weather outside the car. So if someone could tell me - 15, 20, 30 minutes - is an hour maximum abusive in that weather? Again, I am not talking about hot weather; I am talking about 30-40 degrees.

I'm just asking for information here because there is no official chart stating temperatures and corresponding maximum times. And there really needs to be one. People always say it's just common sense, but all the dogs dying in cars every year is a firm indicator that common sense does not exist. 

I appreciate any help. Thanks!


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## RBark (Sep 10, 2007)

justme17 said:


> Did I say "all the way down"? I said "as far as possible" and by that I meant the windows would be down far enough so she would not get out. My concern is she would get hot, not cold, inside a car parked in 30-40 degree weather outside the car. So if someone could tell me - 15, 20, 30 minutes - is an hour maximum abusive in that weather? Again, I am not talking about hot weather; I am talking about 30-40 degrees.
> 
> I'm just asking for information here because there is no official chart stating temperatures and corresponding maximum times. And there really needs to be one. People always say it's just common sense, but all the dogs dying in cars every year is a firm indicator that common sense does not exist.
> 
> I appreciate any help. Thanks!


Your dogs body heat won't increase the interior car temp even 1 degree. He can stay there until he starves to death. Even if he warmed up the car, he is not going to warm a 40 degree car to 80 degrees.

But I'd question why you would keep it in the car for a hour, though. I only leave my dog in the car for 10 minutes. If I need to shop for a while I just leave him home.


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## Lonewolfblue (Oct 28, 2007)

Personally I don't believe in leaving a dog in a car except to maybe take a quick pitstop at a store, as in max of 5-10 minutes. If you are going somewhere where you will be longer, leave the dog at home or in his kennel. They would do much better. And never leave them in a car on a hot day. On cool or cold days, usually the car will hold some heat for a short period, but a car will very quickly heat up in the sun.


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## Nargle (Oct 1, 2007)

Personally in the winter, I don't think temperature is so much of a problem as maybe someone coming along and abusing/stealing your dog! If you've got your windows down as far as you can before your dog can escape, I'm pretty sure that's open wide enough to slip your arm into the window and unlock the door. People steal dogs all the time, it's not that uncommon. You can resell the dog for a lot of money, and so stealing a purebred dog is like stealing $200+. And stealing isn't the only concern... There are plenty of terribly mean evil people out there, and I wouldn't doubt someone would be willing to torture your helpless dog while she can't defend herself. Think of what could happen if they just flicked a lit cigarette butt into your car to burn her? And that's nothing compaired to what some people have done.

So.. dispite the temperature, I would never leave my dog all alone and exposed like that. It's a much better idea to just leave her home if you need to be gone longer then just a quick run inside to pay for gas or pick up something quick. There's no reason to take your dog along with you if you're going shopping and she can't come in. Maybe in the winter you should just leave your windows rolled up while you go inside real quick, that would be ideal. It really doesn't make sense to me to leave the windows down in that kind of weather... She isn't going to suffocate, and it might actually keep her warmer by keeping the wind off of her. As for the chart of the maximum time you can leave her in the car based on temperature.. I think it's not really so much the maximum time you can leave her in the car you should worry about, so much as it should be what's the shortest amount of time you're able to leave her in the car alone?


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

There's another concern with leaving a dog in the car with the window partially opened. (This isn't directed just at the OP.)

Some (not very smart) people will see a dog in a car and want to pet it. Some normally very friendly dogs, like every dog I've owned, will see a stranger's hand entering a car window, view it as a threat, and chomp on it. My lab was so protective of 'his' vehicle, that he would probably have dragged the stranger in through the open window and finished him off.

In this litigious society, I simply wouldn't risk it.

Oh, and Esther ate the rear seatbelts in my van when she was younger and rowdier.


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