Dogs and Hot Weather

This little man was comfortably panting.  What a cutie.  :) 

There is a huge focus on dogs and hot weather right now.  Finally people are starting to realize that the car on a hot day is not the place for your dog.  Although there are still people who do it; and I've personally had to hunt people down to save their dogs.  On the flip side, there are those who think that too much emphasis is being put on dogs and hot weather.  They feel that too many car windows are being broken; they also think that too many people are being falsely accused of heat crimes with their dogs.  

I think that the attention to dogs being left in cars is good.  Perhaps it will save a few dog's lives.  

But what about exercising our dogs in the heat?  This morning Elsa and I were out early; it was warm but not as warm as yesterday.  We were lucky to squeeze in a full fifteen minutes of power chuck it.  Half of the field was shaded which was great; but I still kept a very close eye on Elsa's body.  I always get out early or late with Miss Elsa; although some mornings are hot early.  So I watch her tongue and her body.  

What I'm watching for:

Excessive panting.  Dogs pant, they have to pant as they get warm; but fast uncontrollable panting is different.  It is essential to know what normal panting is.

Foam.  Once a dog starts to foam, they are overheating.  Typically the panting becomes frantic before that.  

Slowing down.  If at any point she starts to slow down, time to stop.  

These three things are most important.  Often a dog's tongue will hang out the side; this can be a sign of overheating but it can also be how a dog's tongue is so you need to know your dog.  

You also want to be sure that your dog can cool quickly.  Elsa had already stopped panting by the time we got home which meant that she was perfectly fine after her power workout.  

Being environmentally aware is so very important with dogs.  I see people out in the middle of the day running their dog down paved roads.  The dog is foaming at the mouth with their tongue hanging very far out the side, not good at all.  It's actually horribly cruel to do this to your dog.  

There are folks who think that we should work or exercise our dogs in the heat, makes them tough.  But given the choice, our dogs would choose not to.  If you ever watch a pack of wolves in the summer, they will not be out hunting midday; they are much smarter than that.  Our dogs are also that smart; and in the heat they will head for the shade.  

Something to remember as well is that old, sick, disabled or flat faced dogs will suffer more from the heat.  And dogs that carry extra weight are more susceptible to heat issues.   No dog should be fat, even a few pounds can make a huge difference in a dogs health.  More on that in the next blog.  

It really is all about common sense; sadly something that seems to be void in much of life today.  If I get out of the car at the park and it feels really hot; I may walk around the park once with Elsa and then jump in the Xterra with the AC on.  Today gave us a nice window to get Elsa a power workout in; it is so good for her MOJO.  :)  Just like us, dogs feel good when they exercise.  

Not sure what the day will hold for our evening retrieving; it might just be done inside in the AC.  Stay cool everyone.   

So hot

It's so hot.  Yesterday's temperature hovered around the 100 degree mark, too hot.  I hate this weather but as we  moved into August I know that it is coming.  Typically September is our hottest month of the year so a great deal has to be considered before exercising the dogs. 

The other day I was out with Elsa; we hit the park early in attempts of beating the heat.  We were there at about 8:30 in the morning but even still it was very warm already.  The first thing we did was to seek out the shade for some power retrieving.  The most  intense activity calls for the coolest spot.  Just getting in a few tosses was plenty in the warmer temperatures. 

Before hitting the path for a slower paced walk I checked the temperature.  The path is a light color so it doesn't heat up like a darker surface does; even still I tested before walking.  This is something you should always do when warmer weather has arrived. 

It truly boggles my mind to see folks out running or even walking their dogs when it is scorching hot out.  The temperature from the ground can be scary hot.  Our dogs are very close to the ground; much closer than us, so with the added heat coming from below they can overheat easily.  A warm walk for you might be an extremely hot walk for your dog.  CONSIDER YOUR DOG. 

CONSIDER YOUR DOG, please.  So many people obviously do not consider their dog when they head out.  I often take note of the heat coming from a parking lot as cross, heading into a store (while Elsa is safely at home in the A/C).  People regularly walk their dogs on dark hot surface without thought.  It's not fun for your dog and can be dangerous or lethal. 

Yesterday I let Elsa out back to pee.  As soon as she was done we head back indoors, it was unbearably hot.  I can't imagine leashing her up and heading out to walk down the street.  If you feel that you must take your dog out in the heat, hit the shade.  Consider the heat when you think about activity level.  Watch for signs that your dog is overheating.  Panting is how dogs cool themselves, regular panting vs. frantic panting are two different things entirely. 

Make sure you have water with you.  A little water more often is better than a lot of water gulped down at one time.  When it's scorching out, stay in.  Spend time playing indoor games when it's really hot out.  It won't last forever, the cooler temps will be just around the corner.  But for now in the high temps, keep cool with your dog.  Your dog will thank you for CONSIDERING them.