mike gawlik wrote 08/01/2006 11:54 AM Heat and where the dog stays at home #110658 - 08/01/2006 11:54 AM
mike gawlik Webboard User Reg: 12-08-2005 Posts: 20 Loc: Offline	Hello everyone. I do not know about you, but here in WI, the heat for the past few days has been excruciating!!. Very hot and humid indeed. What we have been doing is keeping Blitz in the air conditioned rooms (no central, only room conditioners)when we leave and when we go to sleep. The only problem is that these are not the rooms that we would normally keep him in when we leave. We are only doing it now as they are the ony rooms with cool air. Do others do the same? What is the normal temp to keep dogs out of the heat even when they are inside? Just wondering as I know he wants to play, but going outside to the car makes me sweat and I feel bad about not excercising him in this heat, but I want him to be safe.
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alice oliver wrote 08/01/2006 12:21 PM Re: Heat and where the dog stays at home [Re: mike gawlik ] #110659 - 08/01/2006 12:21 PM
alice oliver Webboard User Reg: 09-14-2005 Posts: 843 Loc: Offline	dogs do not tolerate heat as well as humans do. they can't perspire like we do, they just have their tongues and their feet to expell heat from their bodies. if you are uncomfortable, it is definitely too warm out to exercise your dog. dogs do die of heat prostration, so you are right to keep him in the a/c. if you don't want him thinking the a/c room is his regular den, you could also put a wading pool of cold water out in the yard for him to lie down in, in the shade. you can also hose off his groin and abdomen with cold water. you can also soak him down and turn a fan on him (natural a/c). when we've had severe heat waves, i've wrapped my dogs in sopping wet towels and turned a box fan on them. if there is no shade outside, he should not be outside, even if wet. if you can, exercise him very early in the morning before it gets hot. do not take him out in a car and leave him in there, even in the shade, even with the windows open. cars are doggie deathtraps in the summer. working Mastiff
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Wendy Lefebvre wrote 08/01/2006 02:11 PM Re: Heat and where the dog stays at home [Re: mike gawlik ] #110660 - 08/01/2006 02:11 PM
Wendy Lefebvre Webboard User Reg: 12-08-2005 Posts: 1271 Loc: Stoney Creek , Ontario, Canada Offline	Its hot around here too....44 with the humidex....(I am in Canada, don't forget <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> ) I DO NOT walk Tucker at all during the day....not only am I worried about just the oppressive heat getting to him, but I would think even just walking on the pavement must be uncomfortable for him. I walk him around 9:30 at night, and no fetch at all, but I still try to make sure he gets the ants out of his pants. I don't leave him outside at all, just take him out to pee, then right back in. If we do have to be outside, i soak him down with the hose or bring him in the pool to make sure he stays cool, then he lies down in the shade. We have central air, so he's more than comfortable during the day. Don't complain....TRAIN!!!
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Red Thomas wrote 08/01/2006 07:57 PM Re: Heat and where the dog stays at home [Re: Wendy Lefebvre ] #110661 - 08/01/2006 07:57 PM
Red Thomas Webboard User Reg: 11-04-2005 Posts: 199 Loc: Mesa, AZ Offline	I'm not trying to start a flame war here. That said I have some strong feelings about the issue. I keep Jäger with me year round, if I'm out working in 115° weather Jäger's there too. Coyotes, Desert Kit Foxes, and other fur bearing animals thrive in desert conditions as well as the great white north. As the owner I have a moral obligation to look at the urine color, check on him for signs of heat injury, consider the dog's age/health, and ensure palatable water is available. I don't mistake my desire for the comfort of A/C with the need (mine or the dog's) for A/C. Military working dogs and family mutts thrived for millennia before the advent of A/C. Don't sell you or your dog's ability to survive discomfort short. And yes, I'm looking at the heat index, we have a humid season in the Sonoran desert too. Red Thomas Mesa, AZ
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ann freier wrote 08/01/2006 08:22 PM Re: Heat and where the dog stays at home [Re: Red Thomas ] #110662 - 08/01/2006 08:22 PM
ann freier Webboard User Reg: 11-20-2005 Posts: 673 Loc: NE Nebraska Offline	i think this is a more than needed discussion, as i've wondered myself about working my pup in the heat we've had here lately--heat index of 110 F. what i've done, is take him out for a couple of short sessions after the sun goes down, and one medium session in the a.m.. he's in central air the rest of the time. i have wondered, however, if he was kenneled outside w/shade, plenty of h2o, and whatever breeze may be available, if that wouldn't actually be more useful in terms of him being acclimatized to the heat, thus more able to work in it. as it is, he gets hot pretty quickly, but is too young (6 mo) and too drivey to know when to slow down, so i err on the side of caution w/him. what do you guys think?
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alice oliver wrote 08/01/2006 08:28 PM Re: Heat and where the dog stays at home [Re: ann freier ] #110663 - 08/01/2006 08:28 PM
alice oliver Webboard User Reg: 09-14-2005 Posts: 843 Loc: Offline	a dog that doesn't know when to quit is a danger to himself in the heat. my dog's breeder lost her prize stud dog that way a couple of summers ago. he was a hard-driving dog, working in the florida heat, and would not stop. he died on the way to the vet hospital. some dogs have to be protected from themselves. working Mastiff
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Mara Jessup wrote 08/01/2006 08:32 PM Re: Heat and where the dog stays at home [Re: Red Thomas ] #110664 - 08/01/2006 08:32 PM
Mara Jessup Webboard User Reg: 12-28-2005 Posts: 2316 Loc: Offline	My dog's heat tolerence goes up as the summer progresses. I worked her on sheep mornings and evenings this past weekend when it got down to 80-85 w/high humidity. She didn't work for too long, and has water nearby to cool off in when she's done. I keep a close eye on her, and don't let her over work, and she still has spunk and bounce on the walk back home. I do believe that exercising in heat is a case of "know thy dog", and using common sense as to your dog's activity level and heat tolerence. As to AC, part of my house has it, and part doesn't. My dog spends about equal time in both. K-9 Knitter
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Bruce Hart wrote 08/01/2006 08:33 PM Re: Heat and where the dog stays at home [Re: mike gawlik ] #110665 - 08/01/2006 08:33 PM
Bruce Hart Webboard User Reg: 12-30-2005 Posts: 23 Loc: Arkansas Offline	I've been concerned about the heat also. My dog has shade and water,but I'm still concerned. She's a black sheppard,and stays under the R.V. in a hole in the dirt that she has dug. Today I had to take her to the vet for a skin problem that was diagnosed as an allergy,which she's never had before.Thankfully, there were no mites,but I'm not sure what to do,she's always stayed outside untill my daughter and I get home. She's seems to get very upset in the house alone.In fact you can't hardly go outside without her,she hears the door knob, and is there in a flash. We live in Arkanas so we have hot summers, but this summer is something else. Any suggestions?
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Red Thomas wrote 08/01/2006 08:47 PM Re: Heat and where the dog stays at home [Re: alice oliver ] #110666 - 08/01/2006 08:47 PM
Red Thomas Webboard User Reg: 11-04-2005 Posts: 199 Loc: Mesa, AZ Offline	Anne: I think you're doing it fine, you're considering the dog's age, local conditions, and the fact that he's designed to be wearing a fur coat. You're exercising reasonable caution and acclimating the dog. Bully for you. Alice: I know humans who don't know when to quit. A fellow Master Gunner got heat stroke and wasn't discovered for hours. One minute he's with you and the next he thinks he's standing on Range 42 in Graff. A minute later and he's back with you. I'm willing to bet more people die of heat injuries than dogs each year. That's why I said the owner has a moral obligation to watch the dog, just like leaders have an obligation to watch their soldiers. As a side note don't immerse a dog (or person) with heat stroke in ice water to lower body temp. When I was on the trail I saw a very healthy 20 year old man go into cardiac arrest and died because of it. Red Thomas Mesa, AZ
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Bobbi-jo Cefalo wrote 08/01/2006 08:55 PM Re: Heat and where the dog stays at home [Re: Bruce Hart ] #110667 - 08/01/2006 08:55 PM
Bobbi-jo Cefalo Webboard User Reg: 04-30-2006 Posts: 24 Loc: Haverhill, Ma Offline	I too, err on the side of caution. If I know its going to be really hot on a certain day, i will take my dogs with me. Other than that, they stay in a room with A/C. We had a dog come in with a temp of 105 (normal for a dog is 100.5- 101.5 degrees), by pacing and "walking" up the side of his ourdoor run. He does alot of nervous activity, so no one thought any thing of it. He was ok after we hosed him down with VERY cold water and kept taking his temp and made him stay in a cage with a cool fan. Please, everyone, be very cautious in the heat- it can and does kill dogs.... " I've been concerned about the heat also. My dog has shade and water,but I'm still concerned. She's a black sheppard,and stays under the R.V. in a hole in the dirt that she has dug." (quote from prev poster) I suggest that you have someone check on her and also leave her a pool, in the shade, which she can lay down in to get cool. That said- enjoy the rest of the summer!
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