How hot is too hot? - Page 2

Early mornings work for me, when I get hot I know the dogs hot.   Evenings are for other things.

Thanks again guys.  I usually run about 6.5 mph (according to the treadmill on rainy days) and as stated before only 2-3 miles depending on the day and my dog is  trim and fit.  I'm a little bit of a health nut and watch my weight as well as his very closely.  I only have one dog so I make sure he gets his exercise everyday.  He actually gets hotter when chasing a ball in the yard when is really sprinting as hard as he can go.

These are working dogs are they not?

I just watched a show on herding dogs in Austrailia. Those dogs went at it all day in 100+ heat, dry dusty, mountain terrain.

People kill me when it comes to their dogs. It;'s getting as bad with kids these days too. The wussification of America.

When I was a kid, I didn't walk barefoot uphill in the snow to school, but I played catcher for 10 years of baseball wearing all the gear in 100+ temps and did two a days in August during football season. The first day of my academy class, it was 109, the polish on my boots was melting, and we were doing push-ups on the asphalt in full uniform.

In my area, it is 90+ from April to Sept. If we didn't work dogs in the heat, we wouldn't work dogs. If your decoys are in a full body suit and working mulitple dogs all day, I would think your dog should be able to handle a 10 minute session in the heat.


I am not saying go take your dog on a 10 mile run when it is 110 outside. IT is just common sense and being able to read your dog. If you get your dog in shape, hydrate it, and use common sense, it should not be a problem.

GARD, I didn't want to just come out and say it, but was thinking along those lines too, LOL! Did you also know that kid's shouldn't run anymore cuz they might fall and get hurt and we can't award the winner cuz the loser might get their feelings hurt, LOL! Okay I'm done, said enough. Honeslty thank you to all with your advice. It was 85 today and left Charlie at home when I ran since he ran with me yesterday. See I do care about him :p)

Yeah, i got on my soapbox a little, but yes I am thinking the same thing. I had a friend of mine the other day tell me how he wa at a little league baseball tryout for his son. He aked me if I wanted to help coach because what he saw was making him sick.

It was 80 degrees and they stopped like 5 times for water breaks. If a kid din't want to run the bases, he didn't have to, if a kid got hit by a pitch evidently the world stopped right then and there and the kid needed to be iced down and checked by a medic. There was no "shake it of kid and get back in the batter box". It was "Oh my God Johnny may have a traumatic injury".

Then he told me how they are not going to keep score during the season! It hurts the little one's self esteem if they "lose".

I have 2 little nieces ( one more on the way) and a little nephew. I was all happy when I found out I had another girl coming. I had the outfield to my softball team! I sure hope we will be able to find a league which we can really play ball and teach kids to build character.

It is the same with so many people and their dogs. Oh, my dog is limping, it must be cancer! My little bun bun has a tummy ache, it must be tortion. I will pick on one club memeber who did not want to work her dog because he had a wittle ear infection!

Ok I better stop now.

I guess we are getting off the subject and probably hacking a bunch of people off too, but it sounds like we agree on where the world is going....makes we want to PUKE!

For my herding dogs if it's really hot and humid, we usually will try and work very early A.M. or late P.M. when there's some shade around.  Ike is better at pacing himself than Lexie, as a HGH judge once said, households his energy well.  The one trial it was mid 80's and very humid and he was the last run of the day.    Lexie is learning to pace herself more and will stop and lay in the shade now and work when needed.  There is a pond and a stream where we go herding so that is great to take them in to cool off afterward.  I made the mistake of taking their temps after one of these such days.  Scared the crap out of me, but was AMAZED at how quickly their temperature went back to normal.  It's when their temp continues to rise that it's a real problem.  And both actually will have stopped panting rather quickly once the session is done.   Also, when really hot, they do get some water while working.  Though not a lot, because don't exactly want them running on a full belly of water either!  If it's cool out, they could have worked 2 hours of constant motion and will have stopped panting by the time we've walked back to the care.  Early in the warmer weather season until they have gotten used to it, it definitely affects them more.   I remember practicing at a place in CT for herding where my female totally scented out where the water was.  She hadn't been there before and totally air scented her way to it.  I was amazed! 

When we work schutzhund since the protection usually ends up being later in the morning, if it's hot and humid I keep the obedience session short and sweet and make sure that they are in the shade when not working....

Kathy

But I did..... And it was FINE!