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 :)

Better to ask for forgiveness than permission. I’d have taken the dog in.

I’ve always taken ddog in the loo when I had no other option except leave her outside or in a hot car.

Thanks for posting this OP. I hadn't thought of petrol stations and have learnt that MOTO have already thought of your dilemma

Petrol station?
That's what I've done in this situation before.
Not a full on service station but just nip into the petrol station, have a pee and come back. Leave the dog in the car with windows cracked for the 5 mins I'd be in there.
Car is cool from having air con on and petrol stations all have covers over so in the shade. Plus it's clearly not somewhere you will be in for hours so I don't think it's wrong or that people would comment.

I sympathise because it is difficult when you have a dog in the car and it's hot.

Today I got petrol and needed bread and milk so wasn't going g to be long I locked her in the car with the widows slightly open.

I think they have relaxed the rules a bit in most having realised that fewer people are willing to leave their dog unattended in a car, or tied outside, at all these days.

Get a support jacket for dog and you can take it in.

In that scenario I would leave the dog in the car and open the windows half way. Or stop on a country road and pee at side of the car

I don't have a dog but when I was a kid we used to tie our dog up outside places like shops if we needed to nip in and they weren't allowed. I regularly see dogs left outside our local coop, I think I would do this rather than wet myself.

If it's an emergency then take the dog in to the loo with you. Hopefully you would be in before anyone stops you.

Most services I've been in let you take your dog with you. Mines small and she can come in the loo no problem. I've had glares but generally from people who have no idea she's allowed in there with me. I usually carry her so she doesn't get trodden on and from yesterday's experiences at a service area she actually has better manners then some of the people visiting

Honestly just take dog into services and I’d ask a security guard or anyone who worked there if they could hold dog for 2 mins whilst I go for a wee!!! Or leave in car parked shade and leg it into the loo at warp speed. Really you’re not going to be more than 5 mins max max are you. You can buy those little clip on battery fans you could clip onto back of chair and leave running. Another option is to get one of those combination lock collars and leads and you could lock dog up outside services and tell a member of staff dog is there and you are going for a wee.

Agree with others’ - take dog in and if anyone asks just explain you are travelling alone and can't leave in car. I doubt anyone will mind!

i would say it was a service dog if anyone asked

I wouldn't risk my dog being stolen by leaving them outside a shop. There's a lot of dog theft now, especially desirable breeds.

Also, they would hate being in a crowded place without me and might be distressed.

This. Or take ddog out for a walj and tie him up outside while you nip to the loo. Why would you wet yourself?

It wasn't a bloody choice! Genuinely didn't realise services were ok with dogs and by the time I got off the motorway, I was 5 or 6 minutes from home and thought I could make it. Wasn't leaving my dog in the car for any amount of time when the thermometer in there was telling me it was 30 degrees outside and have never left him tied up so no idea how he would react to that. Thanks for your input though. Don't feel ashamed enough already honest.

Invest in travel johns for the car

I take my dog into public loos of challenged say you can't leave him in a hot car

park in the shade
leave the windows open
take the dog in with you if you can physically manage

Take a funnel and an empty bottle.

I'd take my dog in either me if no other option but he is a small dog that I can put under my arm!

Alternatively I'd have pulled off at the next junction and looked for a quiet side road.

I noticed at Gloucester services loads of dogs were in there.

I get you OP, I've been in your situation before. I would have used a petrol station, or just taken the dog with me and explained if anybody asked. It happened to me once and the security guard wouldn't let me take my dog inside, but he showed me where I could fix the leash outside in the shade and kept an eye on him until I returned. In my experience, people are usually understanding and they don't want the animal to suffer any more than you do.

I have a new car now and can lock it while running with the AC on to keep the dog cool. Extremely useful.

Check on the internet but many services let dogs in for you to use the loo. Can't remember the chain that runs Leigh Delamere on the M4 but they certainly do. You can't access anywhere else but has been a useful thing the last eighteen months.