I saw what sounds like a great tip on another board which I'm going to try. The person said they freeze water in 1 or 2 liter soda bottles then toss them in the crates before they go to training. I think this is going to be a monster of a summer here. I was out tracking this morning at 7:30 & it really was too late. On my way home I checked the temp at 8:30 - it was 90F.

Here in Las Vegas the daytime temps are already in the low 100's (but it's a dry heat!).

My dog Nickie is all black - we do our mile walk early in the morning around 6 when the temps are 80 or below. I don't restrict how much water he can have when we get back home (he is panting but not to excess).

In the evening we used to play fetch but now it is too hot for him - he will run after the ball once, maybe twice and then ignore it. However, he still wants to be outside - just walks around and sniffs everything that he has sniffed before a thousand times!

I've noticed on the weekend that he wants nothing to do with being out in the sun in the middle of the day - he will head to the patio or the shade of a tree if I'm not ready to take him back in the house. When you touch his back, his black fur feels like it's ready to burst into flames!

In the house, I keep a box fan turned on for him about 6 feet in front of his crate to help circulate the air, plus ceiling fans in every room to help the air conditioning.

That article posted above (with permission) is the best I have seen, and it also explains the science behind not soaking a dog's fur and thinking it will cool him off ... of course, duh!, the wet outside fur just turns into a hot and dense insulater that keeps the inner fur and skin from cooling.

I'm glad I read that through, and I'm going to pass it along.

To all:

Very interesting little 'discussion.'

My black GSD seems to like the sun. Even on hot days she seems to prefer being in the sun - not allowed for any thing like a prolonged period of time.

Big fan and air flow seems to get them all back to a less stressed disposition after a bit of effort.

I think I'll be a bit more disciplined with the use of a hose.

Thanks to all.

With my Dobes, also black..hehe...we try to keep excercise during the cooler parts of the day, but it doesn't always happen that way. A trick we learned for a quick cool-off is to remove the dog to a shady spot, soak the belly and chest, as already mentioned, also the paws and the inside if the ears with cool water. We also soak a white towel in cool water and drape it over the dog's back. It's the same premise as the 'cool-down' jackets that Greyhounds use. Because it's white it doesn't absorb the heat so much, and the dissipation of the water mimics sweating. It dries pretty fast though, so we keep soaking the towel and applying it until the dog has cooled. All the while, we offer the dog a few sips of tepid water periodicly. It's absorbed more readily by the body at this temp. It's an old trick that's worked pretty well for us.

 Quote:

Conditioning...more info please? The problem with Cape Cod's weather is that it can be 50 one day, 90 the next. Honestly. And that is what's been happening. Around here, we keep our sweaters out all summer, used just as often as our swim suits and shorts. Could this be the issue? Any advice on how to condition him to variable temps?

 Quote:

Advice? Knowledge? Personal experiences? Thanks!

Hope you don't mind a post from a non-black coated dog! My dog has a good double coat and is kennelled in the snow during the winter during the day. Summer can be quite an adjustment.

Living in the southern Canadian Rockies, our temps seem very similar to yours. It cools off at night and can be cold any day of the summer. That said temps of 95 degrees are also standard in the summer heat waves.

I notice that my dog will be stinkin' hot at 70 degrees in the spring, but in the fall when he is aclimatized it is no big deal. I notice with summer conditioning comes a marked improvement in heat tollerance.

Like others we save our hard work (search practices) for decent temps when possible. If it going to be hot, I might adjust our goals and timelines. That said I exercise my dog in the heat of the day quite often but just walking not fetching for example. I am lucky enough to have many icy streams for the dog to cool in most of the summer although this can be a problem later in the year.

I have no a/c. He just gets used to it. No kiddy pool either. Self cools when he needs to, as many have posted. Unfortunatley swamp water and mud puddles are quite attractive to my dog when he needs to cool off

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/farwesttoller/Picture003.jpg

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/farwesttoller/Picture012.jpg


I also notice that my dog does not sleep well when it is warm at night. Tonnes of panting, pacing, staring, and flopping down in various spots. He is not a great sleeper anyways though.

I also think he has improved with age in how he handles the heat. More stamina comes with age. Puppies are hyper, but can lack the stamina of a two yr old for example.

Mine does not drink enough. In the winter his water bowl can go untouched for days. (Eats a lot of snow, but didin't think this was very hydrating) In the summer he does drink when hot(taught a "get a drink" command) and try to "bring that horse to water" every chance I can in the bush. I also add water to his raw when i think he needs some extra. Also sometimes feed frozen in the summer, he seems okay with that.

I also notice my dog's coat fades in the summer, I would ASS-ume this is like a persons hair going lighter?

Cheers,

Jennifer,

Yes, animal hair does get bleached lighter from the sun...it's very apparent in black animals who turn a weird reddish-orange color. Not always very attractive.

Amber,

Another fellow St. Louisian! I've noticed True is doing a lot of panting as well. My area of California is similiar to yours weather-wise so I've just assumed he hasn't gotten fully acclimated yet. Thanks for posting this...I've been a bit concerned about him over-doing it on hot days so it's good to know what to do if he overheats.

Jennifer, that 2nd pic looks like a very content, in heaven, happy, dirty dog.


While on the subject of do's and don'ts for cooling dogs I thought I would add 1 more thing. All here probably already know this, but I thought it would be important for future searches sake.

Remember to not leave a dog unattended in a car for a long period even if the a/c is running. I'm pretty sure there is a thread on here where a fella' left his dog in his SUV and the a/c took a dump while he was gone and the dog died.

If you've ever gone swimming in a pond,river,lake with Levis on, think about how hot it got when you got out and sat in the sun. The heat is transfered directly to the skin through the wet Levis. Same with a dog's coat.
Even if you get to the shade, the heat still transfers much faster on a wet coat.
I can't think of any reason to wet down more then feet and belly!