Puppies and Adjusting to heat....

JagerMonster · 06-08-2008, 09:40 AM

I read in the health forum about how older dobes were adjusting to the heat wave....(90's all weekend until about mid week here). Jager loves to be outside but I noticed that even when though he was in the shade the majority of the time (half hour) and had water it did affect him. Read in another post about getting him a pool to jump in and out of but wondered how everyone was letting their little ones go out in the heat??? and for how long??? and did it increase over time??? exercising at night?? Today he is getting 10 minutes max probably twice today....probably a walk on the trail mid afternoon which is in the woods....and a lot of inside play time....a cool walk on the treadmill.....any other ideas to keep his mind off of being outside constantly???

I have spent the last couple of days in and out of the house as someone HAS to be outside! he he he since we are still in potty training mode, I won't deny taking him out but not good on the electric bill with A/C.

Thanks in advance for your help...just trying to do this right!

JagerMonster · 06-08-2008, 09:46 AM

Oh I should add that this is quite a change as last week we were still getting frost warnings!

I also do training three times a day too....

faber · 06-08-2008, 09:56 AM

Good idea for a post!- I'll be interested in hearing everyones ideas of handling this. Thank you.

**Luvbirds59** · 06-08-2008, 10:03 AM

Yesterday I ran Petey along the side of a river so he could jump in at will, and then let him swim in the pond....we stayed out only about 45 minutes and then he was zonked the rest of the day. I will take him up to the same place later today and repeat.

Carol & Petey!
ox

**ellenm** · 06-08-2008, 11:13 AM

My guys aren't puppies, but I get them out EARLY for exercise if I'm going to let them run. I grab my coffee and head out about 7:30 a.m. Otherwise, I leash walk them where I can get home once tongues are hanging out.....takes only about 20 min of neighborhood stroll if in this GA heat!

I'm lucky in that I can rent my obedience building (has A/C) for training my guys. I went there yesterday, and going back at 1pm today. Too hard to try to beat the heat for training and Rex needs about 45 minutes of work on his new skills.

I think you need to just watch your dog....some acclimate to heat better than others. In general, keep your sessions short and head back into the A/C with this heat wave!

**lyngr** · 06-08-2008, 11:25 AM

Cinny does not tolerate heat/humidity (she's 6). On a day like today (95 and humid) we go out for very very very brief sessions.. just a few ball tosses (with a bit longer early morning or evening).

Normally, we'd go out 3 times a day for aprox 15 minutes each.. Lately, it's more like 6 times a day for 5 minutes each.

On the suggestion of others, I invested in a kool coat which seems to work very well (it's made of chamois and you soak it in ice water).

**reisende** · 06-08-2008, 12:42 PM

it's an average of 90F in the day all year round here. we just have to deal with it - hoping for cloudy days (cooler and manageable 78F), or taking him to the park to play catch only after 5.30pm, and usually again at 10 or 11pm, in the dark. I don't wake early enough to beat the heat!!

(thanks to el nino, cloudy days are getting quite common, yay!)

**doberkim** · 06-08-2008, 01:30 PM

im not a huge fan of the heat (or more importantly the humidity) so we don't do much during the hot daytime peaks. yesterday it got near 100, and i had a BBQ at my house - tyler spent the entire time in my bedroom with the AC on him, and rah and berlin were outside - i made sure they had shade, had a baby pool to play in, and plenty of water (they drank and ate ice out of the drink tubs to the amusement of everyone there), and they are still exhausted today.

my central air doesnt get installed for 4 days - right now all three of my dogs cannot even bear to move, not that i can blame them. neither can i! its almost 90 in my house. nj is trying to kill us!

Dobemom2b · 06-08-2008, 01:45 PM

The cooling blankets work great for inside, outside and especially in the car.

**Jenny** · 06-08-2008, 02:38 PM

We took the dogs to the desert today - it was kinda early about 8 am when we started. By the time we finished the trail it was 84 degrees (no humidity) - in my book that isn't hot. Usually at night when we walk the ait temp is still close to 90 - but the sun is almost set & isn't blazing down on us. I guess living in phx you just get used to doing things in the early am or late pm.