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Tesla owners with dogs may already know that they can’t use Dog Mode when their vehicles are under 20 percent state of charge, but if you don’t, it’s a critical thing to know. However, there’s always a hack. A tip from EVSpeedy lets drivers activate Dog Mode even when their cars are below 20 percent state of charge, with one simple trick that will still let you walk away and do what you need to do while keeping your pup comfortable.

First of all, an intro: Dog Mode lets users keep their A/C on when walking away from the car, so dogs can safely stay in the vehicle, even when it’s hot outside. The mode also displays a message to passersby to let them know the A/C is on and the dog is safe. Although EVSpeedy’s tip for this week points out how users can work around their low-charged vehicles to activate Dog Mode, you may also have to handwrite this message for passersby when using the workaround, since the normal message won’t show on the screen.

Read this week’s Tesla Pro Tip from EVSpeedy.com below to learn how to use “Dog Mode,” even when your vehicle is under 20 percent charged.

Dog Mode Workaround

This is a workaround for Dog Mode not working with the state of charge under 20 percent. You can put the car in neutral in your safety menu and manually apply the parking brake. This will allow Dog Mode to activate, even if the state of charge is below 20 percent, ensuring that your pet remains comfortable and safe while you are away. Then you can go and do the things you need to do. Just remember to manually lock the car because it will not automatically do so. If you also want to let passersby know that your dog is safe and the cars is in Dog Mode, you can do so by opening the drawing app and writing the message there.

Originally posted on EVANNEX. Written by Peter McGuthrie.

Editor’s note: That’s an interesting trick. Of course, the car isn’t then in “Dog Mode,” but it’s effectively the same thing since the air conditioner is staying on while you are away from the car. Also, full disclosure: I’m not sure if there are any risks to this workaround.