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Outdoor shows in the hot hot heat

1K views 16 replies 9 participants last post by  Q734 
#1 ·
Does anyone skip these?

I thought we would all die over the 80-90F ones in May.
We have 2 coming up this weekend & I'm DREADING it, one not so bad @10am but the other is 1pm. O.m.g it's going to be awful if today's any indication.
We're under a heat advisory btw. (SE Michigan)

Hoping someone chimes in on this.

/got a portable fan, spray bottle, cooling coat, crate cover....
 
#2 ·
I've never skipped a show because of heat but then again I live in Washington.

Usually it's ok especially just with one dog. The judge understands its hot and usually doesn't make the dogs go around five hundred times. They want to be out of the heat just as bad as you do so they go quick.

Keep your crate in the shade, have a fan going on it. Keep your cool coat wet and on her. When you go in the ring put the cool coat and spray on the ring and put it on your dog when the judge is going over other dogs.

Good luck if you end up showing! :)
 
#3 ·
Thank you :) I was afraid someone would say that ha ;)
I'm very worried. Even my heat loving girl is all "ZOMG mom what is this lemme in". It's 102 atm w/a 113 heat index.
I just tossed compost in the garden & felt sunburned in the shade.
I drove all over the place this morning looking for a portable fan, 5th stop had only 2 on the shelves.
 
#4 ·
We still do agility in the heat, one of my club's shows a few years ago was on the hottest day in my city's history (it was around 108 degrees). There were paddling pools set up for the dogs, shades set up and everyone was using their cool coats, fans and cool mats. Free sunscreen for people too! And the ice cream lady was busy all day.

Setting up the agility rings was brutal though, had to keep swapping people out!
 
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#11 ·
Dog show people haha Omg
If only I were younger.
 
#5 ·
I think there comes a time where one has to draw the line. I'm entered in MI this weekend and on Friday the heat index is going to be 108with excessive heat warnings. The idea is to show your dog not kill your dog or yourself. I don't think I'll be going. The weekend is forecast to be cooler though, and I'll probably be going to those.
 
#6 ·
I think there comes a time where one has to draw the line
I agree. While most of the shows in my immediate area are outside, they're almost all scheduled during the cooler months, so being outside isn't an issue. But I'm not going to subject myself to excessive heat, let alone do that to the dog. This is a hobby, it's supposed to be FUN.

One thing you can count on, there's always another dog show coming along.
 
#8 ·
Flaire only needs 2 points to finish her Canadian CH and I had entered her in a show a few weekends ago, but their ring time wasn't until 1 pm and my car has no air conditioning so I weighed the pros and cons.

Pro was if she took WB she was finished as enough entries for 2 points, con was I had no way to keep her cool in the car on the way there except her cool coat and would have hit cottage traffic all the way home. Temperature was expected to reach high 90s.

I didn't end up going as there will always be another dog show, but my dogs are irreplaceable and no show is worth risking their well being.

Now if I had one of those nice trailers I see at the shows with the AC cranked and was able to bring them out just at ring time and back in after I would go for sure!
 
#12 ·
I avoid some trials in the summer. No outdoor ones and no trials w/o ac. Even with the ac I bring a Kool Pad, Kool Koat, plenty of water, solar mesh, fan, umbrella tent and anything else that make's it bearable.

Bacchus is black and it takes just a few minutes in glaring sun to heat him up.
 
#13 ·
Just FYI I don't know where your entered but make sure your not breaking a major. You don't want to be the person who breaks a major or become the person who enters and never shows up. There are people known for that here and it's very frustrating! As well check with your handler on not going, when I first started in dobes I remember a contract stating I could only miss a certain amount of entered shows before that handler would no longer work with me. Just food for thought..
It is WAY TOO HOT this year, I think I'd not enter any outdoor shows till October.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Thanks for the heads up Ali.
I won't break it unless something dire happens. It's not far from us, 45 minutes if no traffic jams, all things considered. We've only missed one so far, which I paid for without her having to ask me. (as a rank noob glad I erred on the side of caution)

It's been weaving in between nice then hot again off & on all day today. It's like it's too hot to rain, the storm clouds show up & just spit happens.

**************************

Re: cooling coat, are there coats that are filled with water anywhere? I looked for one today but the owner of the store said he won't carry them because the only ones he knows of are w/the gel. He said the substance is toxic if a dog chews the mat.
 
#16 ·
I have cool gel mats for my crates. Not sure how it would work with a black Dobe but it helps with Havoc (vizsla who is the only one I show now). I also have a cool coat.

I also believe you should do your best not to brak a major, but it's also "just a dog show" - so if you have to, then you have to. It's not the end of the world many make it out to be (not referring to any posts here but comments I've heard ringside). And if I had to, I'd try to let people know ahead of time.
 
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#17 · (Edited)
Omg I had a total brain fart on that post! *See*....it is hot here sigh...
GAH!!! *FACEPALMS*

I meant a cooling mat, not coat, ugh, is what someone mentioned above and I asked about today.
Thankfully got a cooling coat *just* in time this week, from wetcoat, altho I thought I was ordering purple and it sure looks pink to me. haha

Khaz'll just have to own the being mistaken for a girl in fashion as well~8D


I have cool gel mats for my crates. Not sure how it would work with a black Dobe but it helps with Havoc (vizsla who is the only one I show now). I also have a cool coat.

I also believe you should do your best not to brak a major, but it's also "just a dog show" - so if you have to, then you have to. It's not the end of the world many make it out to be (not referring to any posts here but comments I've heard ringside). And if I had to, I'd try to let people know ahead of time.
That's what I meant, a gel mat. Thnx :)

While I'm here editing the crud out of my post is there a way to find out what time tomorrow's show is without having entered?
I'm having issues on where to dig around for it on infodog, or is there a better site for that? Doberman pinscher club of michigan, monroe mi.
 
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