Woof, Tesla cars will get a canine-friendly ‘dog mode’ this week

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While most of the media attention for Tesla recently has been on the new Summon+ mode, which will let your Tesla follow you like a browbeaten family pet, there’s also a more pet-friendly feature coming this week.

“Dog Mode” will keep the inside of your Tesla comfortable for your canine pal, keeping your pooch in the lap of luxury with the AC blasting and soft music to keep little Fluffy calm. You know what happens to her bowels when she’s agitated – you don’t want that on your nice comfortable Tesla seats.

The feature is yet another that was born on Twitter. Back in October, one Twitter user broached the idea to Elon, who responded positively and apparently the team got right on it because the new mode is coming this week.

Yes

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 20, 2018

“Dog Mode” will also leverage the dashboard screen, displaying the internal temperature with a message informing passers-by that the owner will be right back and that the dog is safe. That should stop anyone thinking they need to smash the car window to rescue the fluffer. This is likely an extension of the existing Cabin Overheat Protection feature, which stops the internal temperature of a Tesla’s cabin from going above a set temperature.

With the American Veterinary Medical Association saying hundreds of dogs die from heat exhaustion every year, it’s nice to see some proactive steps from a carmaker.

Tesla’s “Sentry Mode” will also be rolling out this week, which leverages all eight of a Tesla’s outward-facing cameras to act like a car alarm and 360-degree dashcam. Unlucky owners on the receiving end of hit-and-run drivers should hopefully get some footage to find the guilty party. Oh, and it’ll also blast classical music if the car detects forced entry.

Rock on Amadeus!

What do you think? Should Tesla be spending its time on other features? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.