One of the most unexpected sounds of summer is the noise of dogs in a parking lot. Usually found in cars which have their windows open a crack, these animals tend to bark at any passers by they might find. As they are dogs, and not people, it is impossible to know exactly what they want, though one can assume that getting out of the car is probably their top priority.
It certainly would be on the top of my list if I was a dog. A parked car gets hot, especially if you have a black interior, something that I've found equipped on most modern models. Every car I've ever owned turns into something of an oven so long as the sun is out and the temperature breaks into the warm range. Even cracking the window doesn't really help that much, since it's working against the much more powerful effects of the sun.
Naturally, there are going to be reasons to take a dog along with you, such as taking it to the vet or any other dog-related appointment. You might even want to take it along to buy dog food, since some pet stores do allow you to take your favorite animal along with you. Family vacations also make a degree of sense, and in general I'm not going to say there's anything wrong with taking a dog on some kind of trip with you.
However, it's the leaving it in the car while you go shopping that bugs me. The primary reason is the health reasons, dogs get hot, and when they get hot they run the risk of heat stroke. Makes sense, the interior is getting hot, and the dog's natural heat regulation isn't going to help when all of the air surrounding them is also hot, as well as the seat they're sitting on. It's just going to be a canine torture chamber, which explains why so many dogs bark and paw at the windows in these lots.
Why is the dog even there? Leaving it at home when you go shopping is going to be better for both of you, since home isn't going to be as hot as the car and there isn't really a disadvantage to just leaving it in the house as you run errands. If you have a dog related appointment and absolutely have to run errands, why not do that during the appointment? It's not like you're planning to be with the animal the whole day anyway, vet visits and grooming take time, and it's just generally better for everyone if the dog isn't kept in a hot car while you do what needs to be done.
It is annoying to passers by to hear these dogs barking, but personally I have nothing against the dogs themselves. They're doing everything in their power to get out of the trap they're in. No, I'm much more annoyed with the people who couldn't leave their dogs at home where they belong. I find myself wondering why anyone would even want to bring their dog on these errands.
It could be a misguided sense of love, since you want to be with the animal as much as possible. It's a nice thought, but if you're shopping you're not with it anyway, and all the while it's getting increasingly hot and increasingly at risk of serious health problems, even death. It could be that the dog likes going for car rides, and that's entirely possible. They do not, however, like sitting in the car while you conduct your errands, that much is obvious. It's better for everyone if they are left at home, where it's safe.
