Are You Aware Of the Pet Mode Offered By Tesla- The Dog Mode?

Photo Credit: Car And Driver The self-driving mode in Tesla is quite a popular mode but have you heard of Tesla pet mode? The company introduced a feature a while ago that allows you to travel with your pet on a warm day. There is a setting for climate control in Tesla dog mode by which a comfortable temperature can be set before leaving your dog inside the car for a short period. There is a display that shows the passerby the dog is fine and the owner’s return time. Photo Credit: CNET

What is Tesla Dog Mode or Pet Mode?

Tesla dog mode controls the climate automatically inside the car when you are away and your dog is inside the car by regulating the ideal temperature. For instance, on the way home on a summer day, you need to pick up groceries from a supermarket but the pets are not allowed inside, nor can you leave your pet unattended in the heat, that's when the dog mode comes handy. You can leave your pets inside the car for a short period of time without worrying if your pet will be cold or hot as you can keep an eye on the temperature of the car with an app. You can monitor your pets if they are comfortable and using the interior camera, you can check on the feeds. To run the dog mode, your Tesla car engine does not have to be on as they are electric and also there is no need to adjust the AC manually. The car will use the right temperature, all you need to do is to set a temperature. To prevent the interior of the car from heating up over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, Tesla extended a previous function in 2018. This new pet mode is no different. With the addition of a programmable fixed temperature point for the system to maintain, dog mode uses the same sensors as that feature. However, it was actually not Tesla's idea at all; it was included in 2019 at the request of a Tesla owner who had tweeted the desire. Photo Credit: Not A Tesla App

Does dog mode have any drawbacks?

Like any technology, the dog mode too has some downsides that you need to be aware of before using them.

• Do Not use dog mode and sentry mode at once as it is most likely that your pet will be the one sending out the sentry notifications.
• You need to be aware of animal protection laws, if anybody from the police department sees your dog sitting inside the car on a hot day but misses noticing the dog mode on, they will interrogate you. In many cases, a local person may also come to the dogs rescue, again not noticing the dog mode on by breaking the car’s window to bring the dog outside from the soaring heat inside.
• Be sure to remember the laws if you want to save yourself from this kind of a scenario. You can put up signs on the car that are big enough to be noticed while leaving your pet inside the car for a brief period. Do not leave your pets too long unattended in the car.
• Update the software in the car to the latest one and before using it practically, test it so that the app is not malfunctioning and the pet is safe. In case you feel there is a problem with the app, even a minor one, do not use it until it's secure.

How to deal with low battery?

Once the tesla charger goes below 20%, you will immediately receive a notification to check your pet as the battery is running low. Though you do not need to pay extra for these tesla features, cell coverage is needed. Photo Credit: WhichCar The dog mode can be turned on only if the battery is above 20% charge and according to FindMyElectric, the battery usage will be about four miles per hour. So if your battery is already low, it's only sensible to take your pet along rather than leaving it inside the car.