We love our dogs. They are treasured family members, our four-legged children, our companions, and our pals. And we love to take them wherever we go. Most dogs live for rides in the car, ears blowing in the wind, great smells to sniff.

But when taking your dog out to run errands, keep in mind that, even on a cool day, your car can overheat your animals and cause heat stroke and even death. So think about these simple tips before deciding to include your dog on an outing.

If you must go into shops that are not animal-friendly, leave your dog at home. Leaving your dog alone in your car, even if it’s in the shade, should never be an option. Even if you think you will only be a minute, it doesn’t take long for a dog to get overheated. If you don’t want to put him at risk, and know you can’t take him inside with you, don’t take him in the first place.

If you bring your dog along, try to use drive-thru’s at banks, drugstores, restaurants and food shops. Your dog is not going to be happy being left alone, even if the day is cool. Many stores are very dog-friendly, so choose those places to do your shopping. Almost all pet shops permit animals, and some of them may even carry the items you wish to purchase.

If other family members are with you, you can bring a travel kennel along and leave your dog in the outside the car with a human companion and the car left on. Make sure the dog has access to water. Never leave a dog in a kennel alone in a place like a parking lot, where passersby can annoy or irritate him.

The best rule is, if you cannot take your dog inside with you, leave him at home. It is safer for him to miss you for an hour or two than to risk his well-being by bringing him along and then leaving him in the car.