Just wondering if anyone has a write-up from a reliable source on acclimating your dog to the heat? I'm having trouble figuring out how hard I can push and when to add distance.

I'd like to work us up to 3 mile walks in the evening. Temps now are high 80's low 90's at dusk. We were doing 2 miles without trouble until the heat descended; backed off to 1 mile this week as Greta looked pretty hot and I wasn't sure. After 10 minutes in the AC she's back to bounding in, out and around though, so maybe I'm just being overly cautious?

I see a guy out running with his GSD around the same time so surely this is possible...

Thanks-

I don't have a write up, to answer your question.

But a few thoughts... Temps here are in the 70s from the 30s about a month ago. And the temps will reach 90s and higher in another month or so. So, the evening three mile walks my bride takes with any one of the dogs needed a bit of management.

My bride carries a few bottles of water and a little collapsible bowl, and if she suspects the dog might need a little refreshment, they stop and take a water break.

If the dog was doing three miles, and the ambient temp has risen, it seems conditioning to the new temps will take a bit of time. If you walk in the heat of the day, serious vigilance. In the evening, perhaps more casual vigilance but the issue in either case has to do with what action are you prepared to take if the dog seems to be overheating? A stop and rest, a water break, a reduction in distance
with gradual distance increase over a week or two until you are at your desired walk.

AC is nice but I'm not all that fond of taking a dog from nice AC to heat of day and starting rigorous exercise. It takes a bit of time to acclimate from cool comfort to outside temps, I think. And conversely, unless the dog is in distress and really needs efforts to cool it down.

And soaking a dog in the heat of the day to cool it isn't a good idea, in my opinion. At least I wouldn't do it to my mutts unless it was a serious heat problem, and I could make sure the soak wouldn't result in increased heat distress.

On the fly and not helpful.

I admit I am a gadget lover. Anyone tried the chillydog vest? https://www.glaciertek.com/chillydog-dog-cooling-vest-black/

Thanks for the initial thoughts, Mike, I have been thinking along the same lines and already broke out my camelbak and travel bowl. Guess I’m looking for some guidance from an athletic point of view maybe? Thinking of contacting the breeder and asking how she deals with training in the heat. I believe she does ipo, weight pull and dock diving with hers-

Another thing to consider in the heat is the surface your walking on.

Blacktop/asphalt is MUCH hotter then concrete.

Sand can also be hot.

As to wetting a dog down I will run the hose on my dog's belly and chest but never the top of the dog.

I know some will wet the whole dog but I think that transfers the heat through the coat.

If you've eve swam in a river of pond with levis on you know what I mean.

Those wet Levis really get hot in the sun.

That coat is for insulation.

Also teach your dog to accept having it's temp taken.

101 is normal for a dog and when it gets up to 104 105 the dog could be in trouble.

Agree about not soaking the top and sides of the hot dog --- just the belly, chest, paws, maybe face.

As Bob says, that fur on the back and sides is insulating and can actually turn into the equivalent of a steam bath when soaked.

Also, never confine a wet dog in a crate ..., he needs air going through his fur.

And needless to say, never a crate in the sun under any circumstances.

I'd never confine a dog in a hot space, wet or not. I always would have liked to have very furry dogs. But because of the heat here and the high humidity of the air i chose smothh-haired ones.
What I've observed on all my dogs is, that the know to choose perfectly well, what is good for them at the moment. Mine sometimes lie in the hot sun for some time, but then they know exactly, when to change to a shadow~plaqce
But this of course only works, if they have the choice tom choose
To let a dog wait for us in a car in plain sun, I think would be awdul and even dangerous for a short-haired dog as well as for a durry one. Same thing for long walks in the heat..

 Quote: Christina Stockinger

I'd never confine a dog in a hot space, wet or not. I always would have liked to have very furry dogs. But because of the heat here and the high humidity of the air i chose smothh-haired ones.
What I've observed on all my dogs is, that the know to choose perfectly well, what is good for them at the moment. Mine sometimes lie in the hot sun for some time, but then they know exactly, when to change to a shadow~plaqce
But this of course only works, if they have the choice tom choose
To let a dog wait for us in a car in plain sun, I think would be awdul and even dangerous for a short-haired dog as well as for a durry one. Same thing for long walks in the heat..

True about a dog finding their own place for comfort.

My dogs will move around the yard to different places for either shade or sun depending on the weather and temperatures.

The only dog I've ever had that I couldn't figure out was one of my two Border Terriers.

He would lay on the black top in crazy heat OR cold. It never seemed to bother him either way.

I've heard that some people put shoes on their dogs for long walks on hot asphalt pr on ice. Sounds weird and funny, but on the other hand also very reasonable, But until now I've never seen a dog wearing shoes, except in finches in a film , which was nuts.

By the way, Slippie is somehow like your Border Collie.. I was afraid she might get a heat stroke, because she seemed to be asleep.I sprayed here a bit with the water hose. After this she chose the dhadow.

Once a dog does have heat stroke they will be more prone to it in the future.