Working Dog Question

[blue]

Originally Posted by oc_spirit

Why not continue the "carting" outdoors by using a small child's sled rather than a cart?? If you cant stand the temps then there are many indoor activites you cold do too. Dont worry his spirit won't dampen for work Sibes get the summer off from pulling because it is too hot. Come autumn when the temps drop enough to pull the cart or ATV out, they are just howling for the chance to run again!

How hot does it get in your part of the world? I see teams out with carts or ATVs in the summer here.

[Bodi's Mom]

Thanks everyone. The problem with the cold is me, NOT Bodi - he can come and go as he pleases via a dog door in our kitchen. He chooses to stay outside pretty much all day during these zub zero temps. Me on the other hand can handle about ten minutes outside then I'm done. Today (-1 degrees) I took Bodi to the dog park (no one there but us) and took a very short walk, then off to PetSmart for some meet and greet.

I just love his working dog spirit and would be crushed if I had somehting to do with ruining it.

[Dekka]

Originally Posted by blue

How hot does it get in your part of the world? I see teams out with carts or ATVs in the summer here.

not OC but it can get up in the high 90's low 100's with high humidity. Heck it can get to hot to do agility, I can't imagine an endurance sport with a heavy coat.

[DanL]

I don't think down time is going to hurt his working spirit, but in order to keep yourself sane, you need to find some kind of outlet for him when it's cold. If it were me, I'd bundle up, and go about your business like it's any other day. When I take Gunnar to our working club, it's rain or shine, cold, heat, whatever. I have a lot of weather appropriate clothes. I just bought some ski bibs for when it gets really cold, and I use underarmor and all kinds of layering to be able to move freely but stay warm. We're outside from 8am to noon, so even if it's zero degrees, you have to be ready to go. Of course, Gunnar loves the cold and will spend more time outdoors now than in summer.