What do you do with your dog when you have to go shopping for food?

[Giggles]

So for those of you who are SINGLE and have pets, how do you handle it when you go grocery shopping? What do you do with the dog? Especially on aa hot day? 

Even a few minutes in a hot auto can kill an animal here in Phoenix. I would never leave her in the car around here, but even on a nice summer day in a "cooler climate' the car temperatures can reach temps 30 degrees above what they are outside.

I don't have an a/c that I can run, on my portable power station, but I'm thinking that might be the only solution...to buy a small A/C unit and keep it on when I have to run into the grocery store for 5 minutes.

Or, wait...I have seen grocery stores here in AZ where you can pick up food if you order it online They do the shopping for you.  Do they do that all over now? if they do, that will solve all my problems. I'm happy to pay a little more to avoid keeping my dog in a hot car.

Thank God...ok, problem solved. Whew!

Nevermind....

 

[Ravella and X]

I used the Wal-Mart shopping app all last year, at Wal-Marts all over Nevada. Its pretty handy to schedule your pick up for early morning and overnight in the parking lot the night before. I also love that I can just add stuff to my list when I think of it and not check out until I'm ready -- days or weeks later.

I don't have a pet for this very reason (and a few more good reasons). However, I do make friends with some dogs camping here and there, and when I do, I enjoy hanging with them while their owner does non-doggo-friendly stuff. I'm sure other people do this to get their pet fix, too

 

[MrNoodly]

More and more often I see people bringing their pets into stores.

 

[Giggles]

I used the Wal-Mart shopping app all last year, at Wal-Marts  all over Nevada. Its pretty handy to schedule your pick up for early morning and overnight in the parking lot the night before...

Thank you!

 

[Giggles]

More and more often I see people bringing their pets into stores.

Really? Even grocery stores? Wow. I've seen them at Home Depot...but never at a grocery store. Thanks!

 

[lab_nomad]

In the summer, if I had my dog with me and needed to go to the store, I would just leave the car running with the A/C on. I had 2 keys, so I was able to lock the door, but if you don’t have a spare key, leave the door unlocked, maybe? I was in a small town where you could do that and not worry.

If you’re in a van and you have window covers, it shouldn’t be a problem if you’re not in there a lon time. I find that larger vehicles don’t heat up or cool down as fast, so if you’re keeping the sun out, you should be OK.

But, yeah, doing pick up is your best option.

 

[WanderingRose]

I grocery shop early in the morning, leaving the windows down, go with a list, get in and get out.

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

Leave all the windows down in the car, give the dags some air.

 

[highdesertranger]

I use to go early in the morning, park in the shade, and leave the windows down. Of course I would not be in an area where it was super hot.

Highdesertranger

 

[user 423]

Really? Even grocery stores?  I've seen them at Home Depot...but never at a grocery store.

More and more you see them in Wal-marts and most WMs have grocery sections.

I've seen dogs riding in the carts as people shopped. Lots of abuse of the 'service/comfort animal' ploy.

 

[RoamerRV428]

Cool you got your answer.

online order and pick up and IN and OUT fast and NO time wasted at a stupid grocery store. Love it.

 

[bullfrog]

Where I live many just use the internet as there are no stores. Online shopping has made it really simple to be a hermit! One person has an app here that reads bar codes as she cooks she simply scans them with her smart phone and the UPS truck delivers them a few days later!

 

[BelgianPup]

Some stores are getting fed up with the fake service dog ploy.

Go shopping after dark?

Trade dog-sitting services with other campers?

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

So for those of you who are SINGLE and have pets, how do you handle it when you go grocery shopping? What do you do with the dog? Especially on aa hot day? . . .

For hot days I shop early in the morning, before it gets hot (before sunrise if possible).

I hadn't thought off calling in and picking up groceries, might have to try it.  Unfortunately, I'm kind of picky about the quality of my fresh produce and that is a lot of my diet.  Do you get good stuff when some teenage kid is picking it out?

 

[Ravella and X]

I'm picky about my produce, too, and sometimes get something I would have passed on in person. But overall, the not-teenaged shoppers do a good job for me. Most of them seem to be between 30-60 years old. I take the chance in exchange for the awesome convinence of shopping by app.

I let walmart make substitutions if they're out of something in my order. Sometimes the shoppers are particularly bad at substituting, but I never complain. I choose to laugh instead and either try to find a way to use what the chose, or give it away. Overall, the substitutions are entertaining

 

[outermostsoul2]

Some stores are getting fed up with the fake service dog ploy.

Go shopping after dark?

Trade dog-sitting services with other campers?

coolest new thing is climate controlled pet stations that are outside a store where your dog can stay in comfort and after each use there is some kind of sanitary spray device.  Sadly the only place I have seen this is outside the new Albertsons yuppie grocery I cant afford to shop at in Boise.

 

[desert_sailing]

Use it as a prop for tricks?

 

[LERCA]

I don’t know. I left my dog in the car after a trip with her to Petco and I had to go to the bathroom (bladder infection) so I ran in left her in the car and was out in probably 7 minutes. It was 70F outside and the woman in the car next to me went crazy, called me a f****** b***** and said she called the sheriff. Of course they didn’t show. I grew up in a hot climate AND my parents had a place in Palm Springs where I spent the summers. I know not to leave a dog or child in a hot car. I’d go as soon as the market opened or right before they closed (usually it’s still hot though) This dog has a heart condition and she can’t take any heat at all.

 

[Happy Camper]

Every time I'm in Walmart I see the online order shoppers getting things together. You see them go outside and load it up in the car as well, depending on the person that ordered it and their preferences. It's very convenient.

Most supermarkets have this option, trying to adapt and stay competitive with each other and walmart.

If you move around a lot, you can even use walmart and set up the pickup either early or late, and spend the night. Options are good.

There's a cool "Traveling for food" thread. Why not traveling for groceries? Lol

 

[Malamute]

So for those of you who are SINGLE and have pets, how do you handle it when you go grocery shopping? What do you do with the dog? Especially on aa hot day?... 

 Easy. I start the Honda generator in the cargo box which in turn runs the window AC unit in the rear side window, check to be sure the compressor kicks in, then go shopping. I keep the window unit set at 61 degrees, its usually cold inside the 4runner.

 I think Ill get a thermal alert this summer, but so far Ive never had a problem with the generator and window AC.

 BTW, I started the Honda a few days ago after it sitting in the cargo box all winter on the back of the 4runner, 5th pull and it was purring. I think its been 5 months or so since it was running, Im not sure if it had ethanol gas or not. I havent used any treatment in it nor drained the carb, run it dry or anything else, it just works.