Would you ever leave dog in car overnight?

[Righttoo]

I am thinking on friends/family driveway, or small quiet hotel?

I remember my parents doing this occasionally but not sure if’s considered an ok thing to do.

we live in Scotland so not many warm nights where heat is too much. Wouldn’t do it then obviously

@sunsetsandboardwalks why can't dogs be left alone?

No, that would be horrible.

Theft :much less likely from a locked car

Too hot? In Scotland? At night?

Why would the dog be in a crate during the day?

The dog can be in the car and still in earshot.

Aww poor thing. Wouldn't it be distressed and wonder where you were?

You can't be bonded with it to do that.

No. My dog would hate this and would bark loudly enough to keep everyone awake until we let him out. I also think it’s cruel unless it’s an emergency situation where you all have to sleep in the car and you’re in there with her.

The OP has already stated that the dog didn't like the tent, but read happy in the car. Listen to the dog.

I think the dog needs to be within earshot. I can imagine a scenario where a car would be. I’d still be very wary of it - mostly due to the possibility of theft.

@LameBorzoi - if the dog is happy in the car and OP sleeps with it then that's fine.

Leaving a dog alone in a car overnight in a strange place is outright unkind. You can argue that show and working dog owners do it as much as you like - doesn't make it any better.

That's separation anxiety. Competing dogs that have been trained to feel safe in the car don't do that.

Why would the dog be in a crate during the day?

Because it can't go in the house as there are other animals.

In Scotland? Are you having a laugh? I had to de-ice my windscreen 2 weeks ago

People are so ridiculous about their dogs. Until the current craze dogs slept in kennels. Utterly bonkers anthropomorphism of animals.

Can't she stay in your room?

Dogs are being stolen from cars

We have a very large car boot.
When we took ddog camping one year she slept in car boot which was parked next to our tent.
It was northern and coastal so not hot, front windows opened about 2 inches. She was very settled and I had no concerns. She was nearer to us than if she’d been at home in the kitchen.

If the dog is in the car, the dog isn't in a strange place.

If the dog is happier there, why is it unkind?

Honestly, the UK has such low expectations of dogs. It's amazing what they can do when given the opportunity.

But that's nothing like the scenario in the OP.

As a PP says, what will the OP do with their dog during the day? They can't leave their dog in a car all night and all day?

And if this is in Scotland in winter I think it would be far too cold to not be cruel, leaving aside the risk of theft.

Id say find a dog-friendly holiday cottage nearby or bring stair gates and keep the pets separate in the relatives house

My first dog would have loved to sleep in the car, my second would have been a nervous wreck. Personally if your dogs happy I can’t see what the issue is.

I was walking my dog late one night last Winter when I saw movement in a car as we walked past . It frightened the life out of me . The car was steamed up and I could see something moving but I couldn’t see anyone’s head. After reading this I guess it must have been a dog . It was a cold night to be left out though

@LameBorzoi it's not just about the dog being happy though - it's about the risks of something going wrong.

As someone said, it was cold enough the other night for cars to need defrosting in Scotland and there was even snow on the ground in places.

I imagine OP doesn't have a nice, warm, temperature controlled vehicle - it's just a bog standard car which could get very cold overnight - especially now it's dark early and light late.

Absolutely not.

No, it might get too hot or too cold (too cold more likely in Scotland).

I like my dog to sleep in an area with proper ventilation & a temperature that can be controlled.

We used to do lots of things. People also used to tie their dogs up in their gardens in metal chains, or let them roam the neighbourhood unattended.

We know better so we should do better.

I agree. They are animals not newborn babies ffs!

I don’t have a dog but I’ve seen it plenty at drive-up camp sites in the summer.

I’ve seen it once outside a hotel too, but I reported the car to reception because it had me in a rage.

In short: it’s fine if you’re right there with them, I think.