Dog, car, hot day and me needing the loo'

[JBJ]

Just wondering how to get around this happening again basically! Last week, I was travelling home from a camping trip - just me and my 2yo dog. It was a blisteringly hot day, dog was in his crate and the air con was on. However, a 1.5 hour journey on the motorway turned into a 3.5 hour one due to traffic. I was absolutely dying for a wee but couldn't work out a way to stop at the services and go without leaving him in the car, which I obviously couldn't do. Annoyingly, I had a portaloo in the back of the car, but way too much other stuff in there to be able to access it without unpacking the whole car. Anyway, I didn't stop and wet myself about 5 minutes from my house

Don't want to be in that situation ever again, obviously! But I often travel alone with the dog and I can't work out what to do. If I were in a town or village, I would look for a public loo, but I was on the M42 and options were limited by the time the traffic started moving.

What do other line traveller dog owners do? Thanks in advance :)

leave the windows open a bit, go to the loo as fast as possible.

or if there's an out of the way area, park there & have a wild wee.

I took the dog into the family loo at Gloucester services last summer... It was far too hot to leave her in the car, it was an emergency 7hr journey and she had to come with me as DH was traveling away for work.

I'll await the complaints on here, but there was no alternative unless you wanted me to pee in the car park.

It was far too hot to leave him at all. My wild wee days are in the past - I'm disabled and would end up falling over and not being able to get up 🤣

Surely taking the dog into the services is your only option? Must be better than peeing your pants.

They're not allowed in though are they? I would if the loo was anywhere near the entrance, but I know the services on that stretch and they're all a fair trek through the inside area. Can't imagine security wouldn't stop me

take the dog in, rather than wet myself. And I’m a master of a stealth wee - I’ve wee’d in the hedge at ikea carpark before with no one noticing…..

Lots of strange posts tonight

Not sure what's strange about it? The post about leaving the dog in the car just got me wondering what people do about unplanned loo breaks when travelling alone with a dog on a hot day :)

At a risk of being flamed, I would have just left him in the car with the window cracked for the time it would take to dash in for a pee....

Unfortunately I walk with a stick and am not the fastest person, so would've taken me longer than most

Was the dog in a crate? Pretty sure you could have left them with the boot and windows open in the time it took you to have a wee??

There must be a wee/poo poster on the rampage tonight.

You've lost me? I'm not on the rampage, it was a genuine question!

I would have taken the dog in with me. If someone tried to stop me, I'd have explained that any further delay would result in a puddle right where I stood.

Absolutely not. In blazing sunshine, no shade, risk of car / dog /contents of car being stolen? Not worth the risk.

Yeah I think I will if I'm ever in that situation again. It's times like this I regret getting rid of my caravan!

Many places let dogs in the main areas these days. Mine is a moron and reactive so I wouldn't choose to take her in if I could avoid it. Usually DH and I take it in turns to walk her round the car park / nip in to the loo and shop etc.

Use the petrol station, they almost always have a loo in them at services for a quick dash in!

Didn't even think about that! I never fill up at motorway services so I don't think I've ever set foot in one to notice they have a loo

Read the rest of the posts on the forum…

Moto services say you can take a dog in if you have no other option

https://moto-way.com/2022/07/keeping-dogs-safe-at-moto/#:~:text=Dogs%20must%20be%20well%20behaved,our%20brand%20restaurants%20or%20shops.&text=Is%20my%20Guide%20dog%20allowed,full%20access%20to%20the%20building.

Not come across any other toilet related posts, but then I haven't really looked on many of the other topics tonight. Sorry if my genuine post has offended you

Keep a bed pan in the car then you just need to empty out a door.

Buy some incontinence pads and wear just in case.Then you can just pee in the car.

Not ideal but if most other options don’t work 🤷‍♀️

Fab, thank you :)