Handling the heat

GlennR

GlennR

Forums Enthusiast
We are having one hot day after another. I'm tired of toting cold water on our walks. I'm tired of getting up early to beat the heat for our walks. The hot weather seems to take a bigger toll on Willow than cold and snow ever did.

She still runs at the park but she will go to the exit gate when she's had enough, something she never does when it's cool. I then refill her bottle and I wet her coat down for the walk home. She doesn't love that but it does help her some.

What's everyone else doing to beat the heat, or at least, to tame it?
 
I hear ya Glenn! We get out early for our walks as well although there's no tap I can use to cool them off so I bring extra water and I have a shower sprayer that fits on the end of a water bottle. They hate it of course but it does help to cool them off (I usually wet them down around the neck and back). I do have a stroller (I bought for Riley) so that allows me to take extra stuff plus if they get too hot they can go for a ride. Mine much prefer the cold to the heat as well...they play so much more in the snow.
 
yeah- as spring turns into summer, our guys acclimate to the heat so we can practice outside still. my shelties also love when it's cooler and they love snow when we visit north in the winter. it's amazing really how much they do go outside since they have the opportunity to go out more these days- and the black dog being the one to just lay out in the sun...... pretty crazy.
 
Ah, a thread where I can vent about being sooo over summer. This happens every year, but this year seems particularly bad as we haven't had the relief of the monsoons.
I'm so tired of being tired LOL. I get up around 4:45ish, and get out at "civil twilight" which is about 5:15. If I'm lucky, its only 78 outside, bad days are 82. We walk 3+ miles in about an hour. Less than 3 miles fails to drain Benson's energy. That's as fast as I can hoof it. If there are no clouds, the sun is already brutal at 6:15. Shade is at a minimum in the desert. I used to schlep water around with us but the boys don't want to drink, so yay less weight for me to carry! When we get home there is some shade in the backyard, so the boys go on yard duty till they come in and pass out on the tile. Benson tries several times a day to be outside, but 105 is too much for even him. He has learned just to chill out with the fam, thank God.
Meanwhile I take a siesta in the afternoon which recharges me and keeps me up too late and the summer cycle starts all over again! :)
 
Heat index here at 10 PM is in the high 80's to low 90's, 6 AM, low to mid 80's. Not so bad in the morning before the sun rises, but even as the sun sets, it is still in the upper 90's. We choose our walk based on the areas with the most shade. Sometimes that means we have to cross the street several time to stay less hot!
 
I'm with Margi and I feel your pain, Glenn. I hate the heat and I'm not a summer person. This year has been awful. We are in our fifth heat wave with temps in the high 90s and humid. Dogs are out by 6 a.m. and in for the day by 9 except for potty trips. No one wants to be out. I don't know if this is common to Shelties, but all of mine have always been happier in the colder months. Works for me too.

It doesn't help that we lost our power last week in the tropical storm and our area was out for more than a week, so no fans, a/c, internet, etc. We were lucky and have a generator but it was still pretty awful. :mad1: We still have roads closed with trees down and wires around them. Bring on fall!!!
 
IMG_6846.PNG In a way I love this time of year, while we still have warm days (30 today and not humid) the rest of the week its highs around 25 C and lows from 9-14 C! Mornings are nice and cool for our walks, ticks are pretty much done for now (no rain for at least 3 weeks) here and no mosquitoes. It does heat up fast but so long as we're back home around 11 and we walk side streets so lots of shade we're good.
We usually walk to Starbucks (it's a 3 mile walk) I get my coffee and the dogs go in the stroller for a treat.
Of course we walk past a daycare so for that block Finnie is in the stroller...all he does is bark and I get followed along the fence by little kids:lol:.
 
Ann said:
I'm with Margi and I feel your pain, Glenn. I hate the heat and I'm not a summer person. This year has been awful. We are in our fifth heat wave with temps in the high 90s and humid. Dogs are out by 6 a.m. and in for the day by 9 except for potty trips. No one wants to be out. I don't know if this is common to Shelties, but all of mine have always been happier in the colder months. Works for me too.

It doesn't help that we lost our power last week in the tropical storm and our area was out for more than a week, so no fans, a/c, internet, etc. We were lucky and have a generator but it was still pretty awful. :mad1: We still have roads closed with trees down and wires around them. Bring on fall!!!
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That's awful Ann! I imagine even with the generator you only powered essentials so it must've been a very hot week for you!
Hopefully you get cooler weather soon!
 
Margi said:
Ah, a thread where I can vent about being sooo over summer. This happens every year, but this year seems particularly bad as we haven't had the relief of the monsoons.
I'm so tired of being tired LOL. I get up around 4:45ish, and get out at "civil twilight" which is about 5:15. If I'm lucky, its only 78 outside, bad days are 82. We walk 3+ miles in about an hour. Less than 3 miles fails to drain Benson's energy. That's as fast as I can hoof it. If there are no clouds, the sun is already brutal at 6:15. Shade is at a minimum in the desert. I used to schlep water around with us but the boys don't want to drink, so yay less weight for me to carry! When we get home there is some shade in the backyard, so the boys go on yard duty till they come in and pass out on the tile. Benson tries several times a day to be outside, but 105 is too much for even him. He has learned just to chill out with the fam, thank God.
Meanwhile I take a siesta in the afternoon which recharges me and keeps me up too late and the summer cycle starts all over again! :)
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That's just downright disgustingly hot! I can't imagine getting up at 5 am to walk the dogs...I only get up that early for dog shows:lol:!
How cool are your winters and when do they start?
 
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