Is it OK to leave a dog in the car in a supermarket car park in winter?

[Thedogandfox]

I'm a dog novice, so please don't shout at me if no. I have never done it, but wonder if I could. He has a water bowl in the back, and I would obv leave a window a bit open.

yes but don't leave the keys - i hate fecking joyrider dogs

I'm fecked if I know! I think it's ok to leave your children in the car, with a bit of food and water if you must, but I think the RSPCA might pull you if you leave a dog in there.

Depends if he likes the car - my dog comes with me everywhere and he thinks the car is his second home. It starts to get too warm about March so after that I don't.

My dog has separation anxiety so he much prefers the car to being left at home. He particularly barks at night so we take him to restaurants sometimes and leave the car outside.

Last week he was outside the Indian restaurant while we were totally visible inside the window.

The RSPCA will not be interested in winter.

It also depends on type of dog, people instantly worry that the dog is going to over heat, but what about being too cold. My dog is fine in the car, doesn't get too hot or too cold in this weather, but i have dogs board with me and some,(jack russell and whippets etc) wouldn't be ok in te car as they would get too cold. I certainly wouldn't leave the window open in this weather as the draft could prove to be fatal.

Lol, Sheherezade, ours is a speed freak anyway so he's not having the keys.

He would have a better life if he could accompany me rather than only going out specifically for country walks. We could nip into parks en route to places, etc.

People with good-looking dogs tell me they worry about theft, but ours is ugly, so hopefully won't be nicked. Although in fact he is well-bred, so a dog connoisseur might break into the car to get him.

I work as a Countryside Ranger (Part time)so my dogs come to work with me. They have to spend some time in the car, while I pop into meetings and in to see farmers, but are also out and about on footpaths and in our works depot. So I leave them in the car regularly. They always have water and warm blankets. My youngster is only 5mths so does have a coat when its cold, but having seen him rootling about in the snow and enjoying playing out in it for ages I don't think the cold bothers him (he is a Border Terrier X) so I think he's pretty hardy. When its hot in the summer they have to stay at home though, but with the summers we have lately thats not often! I did build it up gardually with them so they are used to it and made sure they were happy with it before I left them. My younster has a crate in the boot with my other dog next to him, when I can trust him not to chew his way out of the car I'll leave him out of his crate but at the moment he's teething on everything!

I do, occasionally, for about 5-10 mins, with the window slightly open (but no water).

I have learnt from experience only to leave him in the boot and behind a dog guard. I once left him in a hatchback car and came back to find him sitting in the driver's seat beeping the horn with a crowd of unlookers around him.

onlookers, not unlookers

I would for a short period.

My mum was a HV and used to take our dalmation with her in the car for company (unless it was hot). The dog loved driving around. The mothers and children liked going out to say hello to her.

Can't you put him in the child seat on the trolley?

sure he will be fine for an hour - leave front window slightly open for air