# Do you bring your dog to "work"?



## GSDBESTK9 (Mar 26, 2002)

I don't mean into your office per say. But I've heard of people who bring their dog(s) to work and just leave it in the car. That way the dog can be let out during breaks. I've heard this specially from people with puppies. I've never done it but was curious to know how many people do it. I guess I wouldn't mind doing it in the winter time, but I don't know if during the summer time? Would it be safe during the summer time if the car was parked in the shade with all the windows open?


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I've brought dogs into work a few times for socialization, either on a lunch break (I live a few blocks away so I can take them home), or they have a vet appt so I go get them at lunch and let them stay until we leave. We're not allowed to have dogs in our buildings though.

Once or twice I think I've had Nikon in the car. DH used to work here too and our shifts overlapped, so he would drop me off in the morning, then come in the afternoon with the car and have Nikon in the crate, then I'd take Nikon out for a walk on campus after work, drive home, and come back later to pick up DH. I'm not comfortable with it in the summer though, even with windows down. This was when it was 55 max.


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## Little Red (Jan 10, 2009)

I never leave animals in the car. Never, ever. Not even for a minute while I rush into a store. I have heard too many horror stories about dogs dying because someone was detained longer than they expected or forgot they had their dog with them. You never know. But of course I live in a very warm climate. (sunny Los Angeles)


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## ahlamarana (Sep 22, 2008)

I bring my dog to work with me often, he stays crated in the car and I take him out to play every couple of hours. I haven't decided whether or not to bring him once the weather warms up. I work from 3am to 1pm, so not during the hottest part of the day. I also keep a 12 volt fan in the car that I can point at the crate if there is no breeze. 

I have seen dogs crated in the car in the shade with windows/doors open during all day seminars in the summer with no problems.


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## Branca's Mom (Mar 26, 2003)

I'm lucky. I've always been able to bring my dogs into work, every day if I want. They have a dog bed behind my desk and everyone here is a dog lover. I just have to get out the vacuum more than normal but worth it.

Would I leave them in the car? We don't have any shade trees here so no way. I MIGHT consider leaving a dog in the car for the workday in the summer if I was able to park under a giant shady tree and could <u>safely</u> leave the windows cracked pretty good.. Otherwise, no way. WAY too hot. Anytime it is more than 70 degrees I won't leave the dog in a car for more than a few minutes in the sun. Even with the window shade, tinted windows and crate fans and water in the crate I just don't think it is safe. Automobiles heat up so fast! Dogs can tolerate the cold fine. Heat, not so much!


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## angelas (Aug 23, 2003)

I never do.

My dad is retired and Shania follows him everywhere. She even goes golfing with him almost every day during the spring/summer. Sitting in the car just doesn't compare no matter how much she loves car rides.

I can't take her into the office. We have several employees who are severely allergic to dog dander. It's not fair to them to have to put up with an allergy attack and trip to the hospital just for me to bring her.

I've been tempted to bring her to a meeting and leave her in the car but I never know if the meeting will be 1 or 3 hrs long.


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## sleachy (Aug 10, 2001)

When Tooz was a puppy, I was a bartender and worked nights. She would howl in the crate and annoy my roommates so I ended up taking her to work and leaving her in the Jeep. It worked out great...she only ate one visor!

Nowadays, I have my own pet sitting business so she comes with me every day even thru the summer. If its brutally hot and humid (upper 90s), I do leave her home because it's no fun to sit in the Jeep in that kind of weather. I have all the windows down, I put a sun visor in the windshield, and I make every effort to park in the shade. Each morning, I load up fresh water. In the summer months, I fill a gallon jug half way full, freeze it, then add fresh water on top. I take her swimming at the hotest time of the day if the schedule allows. For winter months, we are talking wool blankies and things to snuggle into. 

On the days that I do leave her home, I still find myself saying "you wait here" when I get out of the Jeep! What's worse than that is returning to the Jeep and she isn't in the back! Gives me a small panic attack every time!

I should also add...I never leave her somewhere I can't see her. I am PARANOID someone will steal her though most people tend to avoid a vehicle with a German shepherd in it.


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

I've had to do it with various dogs over the years but never in the heat of the summer. And I don't have a car, I have a truck with an insulated fiber glass topper so it doesn't get nearly as hot back there as a car and I have sliders and screens on the windows so my dogs can't get out and it would be more difficult for someone to get in. 

I would worry about leaving a pup in a car and in a crate in the heat, even with the windows down.


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## littledmc17 (Apr 9, 2008)

Nope never
I am lucky to be able to go home at lunch 
so its never been an issue 
If i had to I could call my dad to go over and let them out

If I have the dogs with me and I have to go to PO or convienence store, bank, gett gas absolutely I'd leave them in the car
all 4 windows down 1/2 way for aire


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## bergwanderkennels (Mar 26, 2009)

Over here in Germany during the winter I take them every where here in the summer only cloudy days do they come with me. 
I have had some great grooming customers use to let me bring my GSD Hella into her house while i groomed her dogs!


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## tony123 (Mar 1, 2009)

My boss offered to let me bring Dharma, understanding her need for every socialization opportunity. She came one day and all went well. On the second day, she had two accidents in the office. That put an end to it for awhile. I knew she wasn't 100% dependable yet. My fault. 

My boss was nice enough, and offered that we try again in a month or so.

It would make me so happy to have her at work!


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

I work from home at this point, so both of the girls are "at work" with me on a daily basis. *laughs*

That said, they've both been to work with DH. They get to go with him when he's working short days, such as the day before a long weekend, when there are special events going on, or when I'm able to be there as well. If it's both of us, I tend to get volunteered for things in his office, but I'm also able to watch the girls and take them out for play time every so often.

The most recent time in DH's office was last Friday, as we had to go to household goods in the afternoon, which required both of us to be there and made it a short day. Ronja got to come and she had a great time. Two of the guys in his office LOVE dogs - one's had to rehome his Dobe because his elderly mother moved in due to health reason, and the other is waiting until he retires to get a dog. So they were both playing with her.

I would not take a dog to work just to leave him/her in the car. 

I've left my dogs in the car, but never more than about half an hour. Usually, if they're in the car, it's because we've stopped somewhere for soda or something to eat, and it's a quick in-and-out trip while they wait in the back of the vehicle. 

I would not leave a dog for any length of time in a car in summer, especially in front of a place of business. Even with all the windows down, it can get pretty hot in a car - over 120 degrees on a day where it's only 85 outside! (We've measured it.) 

Aside from getting hot in the car, I would worry that someone would steal my dogs if all the windows were all the way down. Or that someone would call police, break my windows, etc. because my dogs are in the vehicle.

I've had police called on me once for "abusing my dog" by leaving her in the car. It was in the mid-80s, I was parked in the shade, rear windows down, water bowl in the back, dog soaking wet (we'd just come back from the park where she'd been swimming), sign on rear window with a toll-free number to call me in case of a dog emergency. Yet some do-gooder felt that my dog was being "abused" and called police. (Police, incidentally, apologized for bothering me.)


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

The only time I have brought my pets to work is when they needed some type of veterinary care. I also get to watch/assist if they have a surgical procedure done.


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## Jessica H (Mar 14, 2009)

I have brought Dozer a few times and he was unbelievably good! He is so calm and laid back and nothing phases him. He has been socialized A LOT. He just laid near my desk which is near a door that people walk by constantly and he just watched people walk by. I think I am going to start bringing him more since he was so well behaved.

I would NEVER leave a dog in the car that long especially in the summer. I have left him in the car a few times while I am in a store but it was about 45 degrees out, I left the windows slightly cracked and the longest was about 15 minutes. I would also worry about him ruining something and someone stealing him. I do not think leaving a dog in the car while working is a good idea at all. Dogs and children die from that.


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## debbiebrown (Apr 13, 2002)

i am very lucky that i can bring my dogs to my workplace. they can come inside with me. i especially like this with the young dogs, its great socialization they get to meet a new person every half hour or so.
even if i couldn't bring them in, if for some reason i had to bring them and leave them in the car for a certain amount of time i would. i am able to take enough breaks to get them out, etc. if the weather was extremely hot, i would have to do something else, probably leave them home and take a lunch break or something.

debbie


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## ozzymama (Jan 17, 2005)

Mine have come to work with me. They lay under my desk and chew on veal shanks. The problem is finding grass for potty breaks.
I wouldn't leave them in the car, they do stay in the car if we're out and about and I run into like a convenience store to grab something - usually bottles of water for them ROFL! Or if I can't pay at the pump and have to run into the gas station. I don't take them anywhere I can't supervise them. If I can't supervise them, they are better off at home.


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## Catu (Sep 6, 2007)

When I lived in Calama my work was my car, I worked house to house. So Diabla used to ride with me everywhere with train/play breaks every hour. Remember too than back then I had to move to my mother house and Diabla was not living with me so it was the only way to spend enough daily time with her. It not only worked, there were a lot of uality time together.

Now I'm back in college I take her with me if I have only one class that morning/afternoon and I'm returning home to lunch to leave/pick her. Winter already arrived here, with cold and rain so temps is not a problem to leave her in the car nor will be until october.

I do prefer 500% times to bring her to the college and work and train there in the soccer camps or the botanic garden thn to take walks near home. Too many loose dogs that had actually attacked her twice ruining a year and a half of socialization. Because of that, if I can't take her with me I prefer to play in the backyard than walking her.


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## pjindy00 (Feb 19, 2007)

When I worked at a small tack shop I brought my dog on occassion, but that was a couple years ago. Since then I haven't really had a job where I could bring my dogs in with me, and leaving them crated in the car is worse than leaving them crated at home (temp wise anyways). So, no, I don't bring my dogs with me as it's not really an option. I can't bring my dog to school, either, because it's in the city and I don't drive in, so that's not an option either (not that I would leave them in the car anyways). If I'm on a trip and stop somewhere for lunch or something I'll leave the dogs in the car, but that's about the longest time unattended, and I try to get a seat where I can see the car.


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## Drakegsd (Sep 18, 2005)

Cremlin was raised out of my truck till she turned a year... I am single and I worked fairly long hours so I did not have an option of leaving her at home. I got her in early July and she came to work with me every single day. We have trees in the parking lot and I made sure I was always parked under one of them. My windows were roleld down all the way and my tailgate was open at all times. I also had reflective shades hanging over the roof of the vehicle, windshield and one was making a canopy over the raised tailgate. I have a temperature gauge in my truck that displays the temperature in the vehicle on my keychain - even during the warmest days the temp in my truck stayed reasonable. 

My dogs are used to be in the vehicle for long period of time as we often spend 8-10 hours at training so that really wasnt a big deal in my opinion.


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