• We recently leased a Model 3 to use for a 40,000-mile long-term test.
• We're utilizing all of the cool features that Teslas provide, and one of our favorites is the climate-control option called Dog mode.
• The idea for Dog mode actually came from someone tweeting at Tesla CEO Elon Musk requesting a climate-control mode for dogs left in cars.*

We recently acquired a Tesla Model 3 so that we can perform a long-term, 40,000-mile test, and we're having a blast so far. Teslas have all kinds of fun and helpful features, including one of our personal favorites, Dog mode. Our office is extremely dog-friendly, and there's rarely a day when one of our staffers' furry friends isn't roaming around discovering all sorts of new smells.

Dog mode is a climate control feature that leaves the car's air conditioning or heater on when owners leave their pets in their Tesla. It's accessed through the climate-control settings. You simply select the fan icon at the bottom of the 15-inch screen and select "Dog" on the far right under the "Keep Climate On" settings. Then, when you exit your Model 3, a message is displayed that reads: "My owner will be back soon. Don't worry! The heater [or A/C] is on and it's XX degrees." The temperature stays where you set it for as long as you are away from the car, which is one of the benefits of having a giant battery pack onboard.

If the owner is gone for long periods of time and the Model 3's battery goes below 20 percent, a push notification goes to the owner's phone to prompt them to get back to their pet.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk's Twitter activity is prolific and well known, so it's appropriate that the idea for Dog mode came from a Tesla fan responding to one of his tweets. Twitter user @nynex responded to one of Musk's tweets inquiring: "Can you put a dog mode on the Tesla Model 3. Where the music plays and the ac is on, with a display on screen saying 'I'm fine my owner will be right back'?" Musk replied simply with "Yes."

We will continue testing Tesla's features and will have more stories soon about our new long-termer's features, modes, and settings. Special thanks to C/D editor-in-chief Sharon Carty's dog, Pepper, for assisting us in trying out Dog mode. She’s a 15/10 good girl.