Tesla Dog Mode: How Does It Work?

A Tesla owner claims that the EV manufacturer makes the most dog-friendly vehicle on the market. Kim Java (@itskimjava), who regularly uploads electric car reviews, posted a day’s outing she took with her dog in her Tesla. Throughout the viral TikTok, she films the two of them making several stops, which included a parked Dog Mode session, and some self-driving action that allowed her to interact with her pup during their shared commute.

Java begins her clip by recording herself walking out of her house with her fluffy dog in tow. In the driveway sits a red and black two-tone Tesla Model Y. A text overlay reads: “POV: You found the perfect dog car,” which is an assertion she reinforces in the video’s caption. 

“Our puppy loves driving,” Java writes.

Following this, the video then cuts to her assisting the pooch in her EV’s front seat. While some folks may take one gander at the EV’s white interior and shudder to think what would happen to it if it was exposed to canine activity, Java is nonplussed. She films herself cracking open the car’s door and sitting inside the vehicle, happily greeting her enthusiastic pup upon doing so.

Afterward, Java and her pup go on a drive and she pets her companion with one hand as her other rests in her lap; the Tesla’s Full Self-Driving mode does the rest.

Following this she pulls up in a Starbucks drive-thru and gives her dog a pup cup before taking a sip of her own beverage. Then, she heads to a pharmacy drive-thru, her dog climbing over her as she nabs a few bags of prescriptions.

Java continues with her errands, but this time, she needs to leave the car. It’s raining outside, and the Tesla’s FSD brings her to a parking lot where Java comes to a complete stop. After parking, she shows her pup some affection and then engages the car’s Dog Mode, which displays a message on its large infotainment screen to any concerned pedestrians. “My driver will be back soon. Don’t worry! The A/C is on and it’s 73℉,” it reads.

Dog In the Car During a Target Run

While her pup patiently waits in the EV, she heads inside of Target to get some shopping done. And even though her pet is alone inside of the vehicle, that doesn’t mean she can’t check on them. As she pushes her cart throughout the retail location, she fishes out her phone and launches her mobile Tesla app. The car provides a live stream of its interior, where Java can see her dog planted in her driver’s seat, looking out the window. This functionality allows her and other Tesla owners to monitor their pets when they have to leave them alone in the car. “11:03am Puppy Cabin Cam,” Java pens, indicating when she began her Target shopping.

---

---

FROM THE TRENDING NEWS DESK

Viral bits from across the social media landscape

Our team of experts tracks what's trending so you don't have to—from viral videos to online debates that have everyone talking.

After checking out what looks like some clothing, Java pushes her cart out of the store and waits at the front of the Target. Here, she fires up her Tesla app again, which provides an aerial view of the parking lot her vehicle’s in. 

A red arrow indicates her car’s location, and a message toward the bottom of her screen suggests she’s utilizing Full Self-Driving in order to summon her car to where she’s at.

Then, Java films herself waiting outside as her red Tesla arrives at the front of the store.

Another camera in the back of the vehicle shows her dog sitting in the passenger’s seat as their eyes dart around the parking lot. The bottom portion of Java’s video records her waiting for her Full Self-Driving Tesla to approach her. Then she opens the front passenger door of her Tesla, and begins smooching her puppy on the cheek as they jump up to embrace their owner.

Is Tesla a Good Dog Car?

When we imagine dog cars, we think of something rugged, muddy, and reliable. Something with all-wheel drive that you can steer into the woods.

More day-to-day, dog cars are ideally lived-in, older; you don’t mind a wet dog shaking-off a long creekside walk inside one. If you are lucky enough to have a two-car homefront, it’s rarely the new car that gets the brunt of Fido’s backseat barrel rolls.

Now Trending

‘It’s Been Going On For Hours’: Tesla Driver Says His Touchscreen Won’t Respond. It’s Not Just Him

America Has Completely Blown Any Sort Of EV Transition

This Solar EV Was Touted As A Revolution. It’s Now Being Sold For Under $1,000

Acura RSX Teased: Here’s Our Best Look Yet At The New Tesla Model Y Rival

But Teslas offer an alternative for dog lovers who want to integrate their canine companions into their daily errands. Besides a deceptively roomy interior, Dog Mode allows you to hop in and out of strip mall stops without concern for the weather.

A study that monitored dogs’ heart rates found they were overall more relaxed in EVs because of their smoother and quieter rides.

But drivers have reported Dog Mode failures, and critics are concerned that it may create an over-reliance on technology for owners as culture shifts from dogs as outdoor companions to dogs as decorations.

How Does Dog Mode Work?

Java’s Target run can be viewed as a testament to the efficacy of Tesla’s Dog Mode. The feature is one that appears to have been created as a response to a sad statistic. Hundreds of animals die each and every year from heatstroke because they’re left in hot cars. In fact, many states have laws in place that make it illegal for people to leave their animals inside of their vehicle. And there have been cases where onlookers have smashed car windows to save panting dogs left inside hot cars. Moreover, a Washington law may actually protect concerned individuals who do so in the interest of protecting an animal’s life.

Dog Mode, as Java demonstrates in her video, informs individuals passing by that the dog is in no danger. Additionally, the car keeps its air conditioning on in order to maintain the temperature inside of the cabin.

This way, animals aren’t trapped inside what is effectively a greenhouse on wheels, which could cause heat-related injuries, delirium, and even death. Insurance provider State Farm writes that these fatalities are “avoidable.”

And one needn’t own a Tesla to have similar functionality, either. Offerings from Hyundai, Nissan, Ford, and Lucid have their own versions of this same cabin climate regulating technology.

InsideEVs has reached out to Java via email for further comment.

 

Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox.

 

back

Subscribe For more info, read our Privacy Policy & Terms of Use.

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Insideevs.com?

Take our 3 minute survey.

- The InsideEVs team