How do you deal with the heat?

[Fran27]

I'm having a hard time with the heat. Boris seems to sleep all day (except a couple times a day roughhousing with Tips) and seems bored out of his mind, but it's so hot outside I don't want to risk a heatstroke, so they don't go out much and we have pretty much banned walks. Tips will still run around in the yard, but I often keep him inside because I don't quite trust him to stop when he's getting hot (that dog is wonderful about entertaining himself). That, and the backyard is a jungle anyway (stupid weeds grow up faster that my husband seems to cut them).

Am I just paranoid? Even when we wake up at 8am it seems that it's too hot, and the heat doesn't seem to lift before 10pm or something. It's been weeks now. At least we have AC inside, but the house isn't big enough to really play much.

What do you do with your dogs when it's hot?

 

[Squidbert]

I eat popsicles.. LOTS of popsicles
And use a cold wet cloth.. and those Magic Mag things.. throw them in the freezer and then hold them on my neck, back, etc..

 

[lakotasong]

I keep my dogs cool by giving them kiddy pools to play in. I change the water daily when it's really hot, and add ice cubes. They also have lots of shade in their yards. I have fans attached to the in-barn chainlink sections of my kennel walls and keep a nice breeze going. Is there a lake or river somewhere that you can take the dogs to play in?

 

[lakotasong]

I eat popsicles.. LOTS of popsicles

Ooooh, now I really want a popsicle! Darn you!

It's currently 89.6 here and supposed to go up in the 100's today.

 

[bubbatd]

Heat index to be 115 % today. Glad my AC is fixed !!!

 

[Fran27]

Is there a lake or river somewhere that you can take the dogs to play in?

Nope, there is just nothing. There's a creek not far but the best we can access to is water maybe 2 inches deep. Bleh.

We have a kiddie pool, but putting them in there means they have to stay outside until they dry, which is not an option either (that, or spending two hours cleaning the house).

 

[Bailey+Ralph]

It rarely gets as hot here as it does in the States.
I just have a Floor standing fan on and Bailey lays in front of that.
He doesn't have a longer walk until the sun has gone down and it's cooler.

 

[travelpet]

I'm having a hard time with the heat. Boris seems to sleep all day (except a couple times a day roughhousing with Tips) and seems bored out of his mind, but it's so hot outside I don't want to risk a heatstroke, so they don't go out much and we have pretty much banned walks. Tips will still run around in the yard, but I often keep him inside because I don't quite trust him to stop when he's getting hot (that dog is wonderful about entertaining himself). That, and the backyard is a jungle anyway (stupid weeds grow up faster that my husband seems to cut them).

Am I just paranoid? Even when we wake up at 8am it seems that it's too hot, and the heat doesn't seem to lift before 10pm or something. It's been weeks now. At least we have AC inside, but the house isn't big enough to really play much.

What do you do with your dogs when it's hot?

If you are paranoid, we need more paranoids around. I don't know how hot it is getting where you are, but yesterday, our humane society went out on its 128th call since the heatwave started to a house where two pit bull puppies were tied outside with no shade, no water...one had a body temp or 110 the other 106...the one with the 110 temp died en route to the shelter, the other appears to be doing well (was a bit younger).

A couple of things to remember...if the heat is uncomfortable for you, it is intolerable for your dog. Dogs cannot sweat so they have no inner mechanism to cool themselves. The darker the dog's coat, the most susceptible to the heat they are. Heat stroke can come quickly and can be deadly. If the dog is older or ill, heat stroke is a death sentence.

My girls do a lot of sleeping during the heat as well...it is their natural way to save their strength. Your intuition seems sound to me...if in doubt, keep the dog inside and ask your vet what limits s/he would put on the dog's activity, as health and conditioning go a long way in determining the limits during hot and as far as that goes cold weather as well.

 

[Red_ACD_for_me]

SWIM,SWIM, SWIM I take my dog to the reservoir or local pond to play fetch. He loves to swim and sometimes I jump in with him. It is going to be 102 degree's here in parts of Massachusetts tommorrow So no walks until the sun goes down and only swimming/water activities for now when it is this HOT! I also have a kiddie pool for Cai that I fill up with nice cold water and he will chase his tennis ball around and after every fetch he jumps in his pool.

 

[Squidbert]

Oh geez.. I just skimmed over the post and didnt realize it was how to keep your dogs cool..
I freeze a 2L pop bottle with water in it and lay it on the floor.. sometimes they lay next to it to stay cool.. and spray them with the hose.. take them swimming.. umm... give them ice cubes to play with.. freeze the Kong full of treats..

 

[Squidbert]

Ooooh, now I really want a popsicle! Darn you!

Heehee.. I know what you mean! I don't have any here right now.. haven't for the past couple days.. and I'm CRAVING!!

 

[DanL]

We limit training and other physical activity to the morning, unless swimming is the activity, but even that is done early or in the evening because I don't like to get hot either and I'm not swimming in the lake! I have a pool for that. Otherwise, it's indoors in the A/C with brief trips outside- 5-10 minutes at a time and then back inside.

 

[suzanne118]

we have a kiddie pool for them they love to hv to a swim

 

[PWCorgi]

My guys are staying inside about 23 hours a day right now . Our only access to water is a river where the water is completely brown *gag* and it smells really bad. We have a/c though and it's been blasting for a few days now. I take the pups on 15 minute walks twice a day (before the sun comes up and again late at night. Anymore than that and Izzy lays down and refuses to move. Most of their exercise is done inside the house, we play ball and run around the living room, lol. They don't even want to go outside to go potty.

It's supposed to be 110 degrees tomorrow here in Bloomsburg, Pa...

 

[sparks19]

Teddy has a kiddie pool and he gets his exercise chasing after the water coming from the sprayer on the hose. he chases it and I spray him a lot and he drinks A LOT of water in the process (he has to go out every 15-30 minutes to pee for a few hours after playing) Then he gets in his pool and lays down and splashes around, even sticks his head under water.

then we dry him off really well with a towel or two and go inside to the A/C

 

[corsomom]

I limit their activity to early morning and evening and keep them in with the ac. Tomorows only supposed to be 81!

 

[Gustav]

We go out at about 6:30/7am and then again after 8pm. Both walks involve swimming in the river! Luckily I have tiled floors so the wet doesn't really matter.

 

[LabBreeder]

We definitely keep the a/c on in the house. They nap alot lately with it being so hot, but they have energy spurts. They'll either play with each other running around the house rough housing and playing with toys...or I'll get the football or tennis ball and have them chase it down the hall and bring it back (arguing with each other the whole way about who's going to give it to me)...or I get on the floor and wrestle with them...or we just sit back, chill and watch t.v.
We only stay out long enough to potty, have a short walk in the shade behind the apartments and MAYBE play fetch for a few minutes. I think the most we've stayed out all week (at one time) was 10 minutes (playing with the football).