How to keep Fido safe and cool in the car

Dear Tom and Ray: Like many dog owners, I often run errands in my car with my pooch in my vehicle. I also often leave my dog in the car when I have to attend an event or meeting -- especially if I'm en route to the local park afterward for a nice romp with Fido. However, in the warmer months I can't do this, as temperatures get too dangerously hot for dogs. Is there some sort of portable generator/air-conditioning system I can set up to run off my battery (or a battery system I can easily devise) that won't bring unusual attention to my vehicle, so that Fido can remain cool while I'm stuck inside another dog-unfriendly building? I own a sedan and a pickup truck with a cap over the bed, but I would be willing to buy a different passenger vehicle if there's a solution to this dilemma. Deby

Ray: First of all, good for you for being aware of the dangers of leaving dogs in closed-up cars. Even when it might not seem that hot out to YOU, the inside of your car can quickly heat up to life-threatening temperatures for your dog.

Tom: I'm not sure I would try to "rig" an air-conditioning system for Fido. In the event that it fails for any reason, he'll still be locked in a hot car and will quickly be in mortal danger. So I think I'd go for an "open-air," low-tech approach.

Ray: I think your pickup truck is the perfect vehicle for it. You've got a cap on it already, which is great. It'll provide some protection from direct sun as well as rain. And lots of caps come with sliding windows on the sides (if yours doesn't, get one that does), so that'll provide some cross-ventilation.

Tom: Here's what I'd do when leaving Fido in the back of the truck (and, by the way, all of these are requirements, not options): First, park in the shade. Then open both of the cap's windows (you might need screens to keep him from jumping out if he's a small dog), open the back lift-gate window and open the truck's tailgate. That gives the dog air from three sides -- one of them wide open.

Ray: Lay down some indoor-outdoor carpet on the floor of the bed. This not only gives him something soft to lie on, but it provides some insulation from the pickup truck's bed, which is metal and conducts heat.

Tom: Make sure he has plenty of water. Get an unspillable bowl and make sure it's full every time you leave him.

Ray: Leave him a favorite toy or a good bone to chew on, to limit boredom. Bored dogs find trouble.

Tom: And then rig a leash to the front of the pickup's bed (the farthest spot from the tailgate). Fix it so he has enough leash to wander around the back of the truck, and even lie down near the tailgate, where it's open to the outdoors.