[Drewtini]

Greetings All, brand spanking-new member here with no dogs to my name - we have fish. I'm a lifelong asthmatic who's also a diehard (get it?) animal lover, and dog lover in particular, and to that end I've started down the road of allergy shots. I'm about 6 months into the treatment, am already seeing remarkable improvement in allergic response, and with any luck in another 18 months or so I'll be ready to start a life of picking up doodoo.

I've spent time with Dobies in the past and really fell in love with them, so I'm here to start digging around a bit more to see if I'm a fit for them and they for me.

Do any locals, or those who simply have that level of breed knowledge, have thoughts on how Dobes cope with the Okanagan climate? We can have heat waves up to about ~35C (95F) and cold snaps to ~-15C (5F) here in Summerland, with relatively low humidity year-round. I've found occasional mention of Dobes finding that heat more challenging than the cold, is this a concern locally?

I think this is relevant because I expect to be the primary care for a larger breed of dog and I lead an active lifestyle with lots of hiking, mountain biking, snowshoeing and x-c skiing. I never ride at peak heat of summer days, but even so the heat can be draining for those of us with sweat glands, so I'd want to feel comfortable asking a dog to participate.

 

[melbrod]

Cold can be a problem--but you can always put coats on them. If they are moving actively, with a coat on in cold weather, they should be OK. Standing around, not so much. I might be concerned about a long hike in the lower range of temps you mention, simply because if your dog does start to get cold, you may have a ways to go before you can get back to a warm spot. And wind chill can be a factor on how comfortable your dog can be on winter hikes, too. And just in case you don’t know, people hate dogs on groomed cross country ski trails.

Heat--yes, they tend to poop out on you at about 80. They have no undercoat, so the temperature of their outside fur is what is up against their skin--and mine can get almost hot to touch in the sunlight. If they have access to water (lakes, streams) that they can wade in regularly, they will be happier hiking in the heat (a lot of them refuse to swim, just wade in and maybe lie down in shallow water.) Or you can carry water and wet them down frequently (ears, tummy, chest in particular) to help them stay cooler, especially in a climate with low humidity. There are also coats they make for the summer which you wet down--evaporative cooling helps cool the dog down. But those don’t work very well in high humidity and can dry out pretty quickly too. Dobes can be real wimps in hot weather--always heading for the shade and collapsing to pant for awhile.

Mountain biking at a steady speed might be too much for them in hot weather.

 

[Drewtini]

Thanks for this contribution, melbrod. We're fortunate to have a local nordic centre which allows dogs on specific trails, and a number of locally maintained systems that are popular with friends who take their dogs, provided they don't need groomed trackset. As to the heat, I've tried a few times to ride in those higher temps and it nearly ended in disaster each time. Now I keep to morning rides where it'll be 23-25C (73-77F) until 10am. How well do your dogs do in Colorado? I've never been, but I understand that it can be quite cold at times. Do you find indoor activities for your dobes at that stage?

 

[melbrod]

We go out; we just keep our walks shorter (maybe even just a half hour or so if it’s really cold and windy). If my dogs are off leash and have their coats on, they tend to be able to run around and keep warm. Sometimes THEY’LL be the ones to tell me they NOT going outside in that wind and cold

One trick I use is to feel their ears periodically. If their ears are warm or just barely cool, they’re warm enough. If their ears are cold to touch, it’s time to get them inside. And of course, if you see them shivering, inside is the best place to be.

Usually that kind of cold (say below 10 degrees Fahrenheit in the middle of the day) just happens for a day or two at a time here, and then the weather warms up a little for a few weeks before the next cold spell. The sun is bright enough with our low humidity, that it can feel like sweatshirt weather even if it is 25 degrees F or so--but mine are willing to put up with just a day or two of no activity. I hand out chews, we might do some extra snuggling on the couch, and they’re happy enough.