With the hot days we're currently having I thought it would be a good idea to start a thread with good advice/ideas for hot days at shows or out & about.

Just read in this weeks dog world:
Put cold water in a thermos flask to keep it cool rather than in a bottle where it will become luke warm, also try adding ice cubes into the flask!

What a good idea, never even considered doing that myself, but will try this weekend for Windsor! :)

also you could do that for their drinking water and take a bottle of water that has been frozen and a collapsable bucket so you can soak a towel in to put accross dogs back (i know this willprobably be after they have been in the ring ) and it will still be quite cool.

Clip on fans for crates and trolleys and parasols for extra shade

I bought a plant mister spray, the dogs really like that on their ears and back.  Don't know if it really cools them down, but I'd like to think it does :-)

ETA - perhaps you wouldn't want to do that before going in the ring though! 

I avoid shows when the weather is to hot even if I have entered .. ever since last year.. I did border union it was unbearable I dont think its fair to the dogs or myself I felt as if I was going to collapse in the ring!

you can buy cooler coats from country mun.

My dogs have a cold blanket brought from HUB international, cold to sit on, but doesn't make the coat damp.  Easy to activate, non toxic if you accidently leave it with a chewer, and stays cold for two weeks at a time!  I also put it in the car for them to lie on during the long journey there/back.  For what it does I think its great value, £22 for a medium sized breed.

> also you could do that for their drinking water

lol thats what i meant putting the cold water & ice cubes in the flask for the dogs not the humans ha ha dogs come first! ;)

> soak a towel in to put accross dogs back

I've actually been told you shouldn't put the towel over them as it retains the body heat, you should let them lie on it.

If it's really hot ... think. Do you really need to do the show?

I've got a Ruffwear Swampy coat for my heavy coated girl. Jacket that covers back and under chest, covering important organs. Soak it in water and keeps the dog amazingly cool - have thought of getting one for myself :-). I've used this when going from vehicle to rings, specially if I think there might be a few minutes wait.

Silvered windscreen thingies ... lots of them (get from £1 shop, Wilkinsons or similar. Usually pick them up for £1-2 or about £7 each in Halfords :-(). The bubble wrap type are the best, but the flimsy silvered backed foam jobbies will do. 1 for windscreen and cut 1 to size to fit each window of the vehicle. These make a HUGE difference to the temperature of the vehicle ... lovely and cool for the drive home.

Lots of water ... something to keep cold is good, but anything is better than nothing.

Rehydration sachet in first aid box in car, just in case.

Good thread!
I freeze a big bottle of water and leave it in the car, always nice and cold (for the dogs) even after a long day as well as popping ice cubes in their normal water bottles.
Jeff.

ooh gemma i didn't know that about putting the towel on (i wouldn't leave it on though id rince it out and re-soak it but i'll think twice now ;)

i take a few large bath towels , soak them in water and then ring out and put in the freezer , store in a cool box while travelling  as most of us travel at stupid oclock in the morning so its not so hot , then after they have been shown  take them out prize apart and put them on the floor of the van for them to lie on works a treat.

I use a plant sprayer underneath ears, back of neck, under throat and belly, inside top of back legs.  Cools the dog  down and keeps them cool.  You can also use to spray in the mouth.

I have been known to take a bitch in the ring for the challenge soaking wet.  By the time the judge got to her she was dry and the only bitch not panting :-D  Having a stand-off coat is very useful :)

At all times my dog is in the shade, even if it's only the shade I provide, being built like Dawn French has it's perks sometimes :-D

thanks for the reminder re sunshades, ours all got stolen with the car :(

This is a good thread - my problem is that having only one dog and an ordinary car I only have a dog guard so I can't leave the vehicle with the boot left open.  Doing agility means that at some point I have to leave the dog in the car while I walk the ring.  She is not going to sit outside and wait for me with all the activity going on - and being by myself (can't get the other half interested) I have no choice but to close up the car.  I put up a gazebo over the car - a real hassle doing it by myself but it still feels very warm under it.   I can't go to the expense of getting a fitted box when I might change the car next year.  What I really need is something that will shade the car and an area to sit in that is easy to put up and won't blow away as soon as a puff of wind comes along.  

What about putting her in a crate outside the ring? The crate can be covered in the reflectve material and a big parasol over it. You can look for shady areas to put the crate in. Please don't leave the dog in the car. In this heat it could only take minutes

Without seeming rude I really think you need to either get a lockable tailgate fitted (tons go second hand on agilitynet and similar sites) or a crate you can padlock into car and padlock crate door shut enabling you to leave boot open. Even in shade a shut car can get like an oven! You may well find you've walked the ring and return to the car to find windows smashed in. Show organisers are within their rights to extricate a dog from a car if they feel the need :-)

> my problem is that having only one dog and an ordinary car I only have a dog guard so I can't leave the vehicle with the boot left open.  Doing agility means that at some point I have to leave the dog in the car while I walk the ring.

We have an ordinary cage in the back of our car but we padlock the door of the cage so we can leave the dogs for very short periods in the cage with the rear door open. However our dogs are very heavy so no one would try to lift out the cage, might be different for one smaller dog, although it would be OK if you were within sight of the car I would think.

I have two coats both from Country mun - one is a towelling coat you can dunk in water, and the second is a silver sun reflective cooler coat (called "the cooler" although it only works when you put in on when they are cold!).

We also take several large umbrellas to make shade for the dogs, and we have shammy-type cloths that stay cold when you wet them.

He he he! http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4406806&l=6ab0340c75&id=286602494

Just had my 2 coats I ordered from Country Mum, will get a Rufwear Swamp coat sometime but friend had sold out when I asked about them..

We have a silver reflective cover for the crate and bought a fishing umbrella (with the veil round it) which worked well over the crate at recent Derbyshire show.

Excellent aircon in the car blasting chilled air,I never stop in the sun without it full on.

Never leave the dog in a car unless engine running air con on full.

I also freeze soaked towels, put them in my cool bag with a bottle of frozen mineral water.

If it's too hot I just dont go, just like tomorrow at Windsor. My dogs dont like showing in big classes in temperatures over 25C so we stay home.

I've only ever shown dogs at outdoor charity companion shows but that's exactly the place you see how NOT to do it on a hot day. Loads of dogs in the heat waiting around all day, no cars, no shade, no cold towels or cooling coats, no precautions at all.... very often not even a bottle of water or a bowl to drink it from.

If it's really that hot, I'd stay at home and lose the entry fee rather than risk it; after all none of us are at our best in the heat which includes handlers as well as dogs!

They wouldn't have to smash the windows because I have to leave them open.  All the second hand stuff I see is for estates - I only have a hatchback - don't know if I could get a tailgate for that.  I had to get the dog guard from Ford so it fitted properly - they didn't sell anything else.

> my problem is that having only one dog and an ordinary car I only have a dog guard so I can't leave the vehicle with the boot left open. Doing agility means that at some point I have to leave the dog in the car while I walk the ring...I have no choice but to close up the car....I can't go to the expense of getting a fitted box when I might change the car next year.

There is never an excuse to leave a dog in a car with the doors all shut on a hot day, even for a few minutes :-(  I would buy a cage or tailgate guard or simply not go to shows!

> I only have a hatchback - don't know if I could get a tailgate for that

MMG see here will make a tailgate guard for a hatchback, I'm sure other companies would too. They sound expensive but if you attend a lot of competitions it would be worth it. If your car is a ford you would have a big resale market too I would imagine :-)

ceejay- you can get a second hand crate cheaply on ebay. then you can even take the dog and sit in a tent with him until it's time to go in. When you are walking the ring you can ask someone nearby just to keep an eye on him/her.

> All the second hand stuff I see is for estates - I only have a hatchback - don't know if I could get a tailgate for that.  I had to get the dog guard from Ford so it fitted properly

Ceejay
I don't know which model of car you have, but being a hatchback I assume the back seats can fold forward? If so can you not fit a standard crate in (?) or failing that, if your dog isn't a chewer or escape artist, you could use a Dog Bag. At one stage I was taking 3-4 dogs to agility shows and had one of these on the back seat, secured to the seatbelt, and that worked well, very easy to store and just pops up when needed. The other dogs were in traditional car crates in the boot area of the estate car.

Details of Dog Bag here: http://www.innerwolf.co.uk/index.php?app=gbu0&ns=prodshow&ref=Dog_Bag&sid=519t97o3u74v2no376lp83z08d9w86rq

The Swampy coats are really well worth it. My girl used to use the Country Mun relective coat, it was ok, but when you feel the difference under the Swampy you wont go back to them! I had to wait a couple of weeks last year for mine, as they were waiting for re-stocking from the States - another hot summer!

Just a word of caution, if anyone is thinking of getting one of these, beware the sizing. My girl should have had a medium going by the girth rate, which is what their sizing guiding uses. Fortunately I was at a show and my girl was measured ... we went by the back length which brought her in at a large. Important to get the whole back length covered. The medium would have fitted perfectly around the girth, but would have been about 6" short along the back. Worth checking out with your supplier before ordering.

I bought a crate when she was a puppy I thought that it was going to double up as a car crate - however the shape of the car - Ford Focus - Y reg - didn't allow the crate to go in even though I had measured beforehand - didn't take the lip and roof shape into consideration!    As for dog bags - that is no better option then closing the boot and leaving the windows open - it still leaves the car and dog unsecured.  After experiencing a very hot day at Wye valley show - last year, I didn't return the second day because of the heat.  I just keep my fingers crossed for the weekend now that it is overcast - but even so today is breezy, overcast and spotting with rain - it is still very warm.

i always take a crate and cool cover  and a cool coat, you wet it and the dog wears it, last sunday i took my boy to a companion show it was 25 plus, crate, covered over was in the shade and the dog was in the crate with his cool coat on, he didnt pant once,
also took him in the ring wearing it and took it off when it was his turn to be gone over and ran around the ring, put it back on for the reminer of the class and only took it back off for the finel line up.
I have been known to do this at open and champ shows if its too hot.
By the way my boy went RBIS.

These cool coats are a great idea..I've not yet got myself any for my dogs...

I'm debating about showing in the hot weather, one of my boys struggles and he just won't move right in the steaming heat, so i'm not sure its even worth taking him on the very hot days..
Last year when he was a puppy it was so hot that he wouldn't even move around the ring properly, this was for the puppy group, we still had the bob group to do with him. Told judge wasn't going back in, she wanted him in but said she wouldn't get him to move..I stood over him to keep him shaded.... Never again and i'm not going to put him through that...
So for the up and coming shows we have entered i'm going to be assessing it on the day as to whether we go or not.

I remember years ago my OH was showing our first Bernese at Blackpool - really hot day and after doing his triangle he just sat down and wouldn't move :-) . Needless to say we got nothing but it was quite funny - he just decided it was too hot and he wasn't going anywhere! He wasn't the only one that day either! :-D

I think that most of the shows I've been to where its been hot the majority of people are clued-up and do as much as they can to help their dogs stay cool and I have picked up alot of great ideas on how best to do this at shows and will continue to learn.....however what makes me mad is the general public draging their dogs around the parks and streets in the midday sun without even a water bottle in sight.
Paula

> he just sat down and wouldn't move

That reminds me of one of the breed champ shows i went to where my eldest was very hot and he decided after doing the triangle he would sit on the judges feet and didn't want to move..:-D It was a nightmare of a hot day and he suffers less than the youngster..
I personally can't justify putting a dog through a show when i'm also struggling with the heat..If we could run around in sprinklers and bikini's then i may rethink the idea... lmao

> I bought a crate when she was a puppy I thought that it was going to double up as a car crate - however the shape of the car - Ford Focus - Y reg - didn't allow the crate to go in even though I had measured beforehand - didn't take the lip and roof shape into consideration!   

Can you travel with the crate flat and put it up at the show under a tree and brolley or in a show tent or somewhere? Even an overcast day can have a sudden burst of heat/sun

Oh no me in a bikini, pray for rain and clouds!
My dog  has  the refective jacket from countrymum and it is very good sometimes in the evening if the sun is still bright I take him out in it people always want to put their hands under to see if it is cooler and it is!

- re; folding crate to put up outside car - sorry forgot to quote.

That is something I haven't thought of - mind you I am not sure I would get her to go into the crate now - she can be very stubborn and suspicious.  I would have to train her and make it fun at home without closing the door.  Food for thought though thanks.

Anyone any idea where I could get one of these cooling coats?

I do a lot of agility shows with 2-3 dogs so they do have to spend a lot of time in the car.
I don't have reflective covers but I use old curtains, (or anything white/pale) cover the car right over the roof and windows (clipped on on windy days)first thing in the morning before it gets hot. Make sure the back of the car is away from the sun and/or peg a large dust sheet as an awning over the open boot with the dogs in a cage in the back. I also leave the sliding side doors of the car open.
As my car is a stupid new car that won't let you lock the doors while the boot is open I just don't leave any personal valuables visible. It may be different because I don't have show dogs (working Labs) but security of the dogs has never worried me at an agility show. Most people there have far too many dogs already! You could padlock the cage door if you wanted but as they are flat packable it would be quite ease just to unping the side also I would far rather some one could get to them in an emergency. That said I can see that a breed show would be more inviting to thieves, also I think agility shows are usually in more remote area so we don't usually have the GP around.

Water is always in the cage, If it is especially hot I will sometimes give them diluted chicken stock to encourage them to drink, they will drink gallons of that if I let them! home made stock BTW so salt free.

Personally I don't like the reflective coats, sure they'll work well on the car as the car doesn't have any base heat but the dogs body temp is hotter than the sun so that will be reflected back in the same as the sun is reflected off.
water cools by evaporation, a wet towel will work (IMO) if it is thin enough to allow the water to evaporate form the outside before the inside gets heated by the dog. Also they must always be kept wet and not allowed to dry out. I also wet the dogs coat(hair!) as often as possible. most shows have water on-site so I just use a bottle and tip it over. I do carry gallons with me in case there isn't  tap at the show ground.

Snow kitten, I got my coats from Country Mun (google them).

> I just keep my fingers crossed for the weekend now that it is overcast

I certainly wouldn't trust my dogs well-being to crossed fingers. The very first thing I do when I buy a new car is order a tailgate guard/dog guard or a custom cage. I have a whole selection of used ones now that I keep just in case I get a similar car in the future. I would never ever consider leaving the dogs in the car even for a minute without opening the back door and windows and having a flow through of air. Custom built cages from hamster baskets are only £250 and would get almost that again when you resell it - please consider buying one even if it means saving up for a while.

> only £250

That is quite alot of money in many folks books and not what I can afford right now. 

> That is quite alot of money in many folks books and not what I can afford right now.

I agree. Personally I would save for a cage to make sure my dog was well and comfortable before I started going to shows, we all know that entry fees, travelling expenses etc mount up - it's a matter of priorities isn't it. My 1st priority is always the comfort and safety of my dogs.

I remember my first dog vehicle - a transit van - the tailgate guard cost more than the van! My next van was the same price as it's tailgate guard and dog guard :-)

You can get shaped crates here and the smaller one here: http://www.doghealth.co.uk/flexi.htm would be just right and I am sure should fit the hatchback.

These are good because you can use them s an ordinary crate indoors, or when away, and using the escape door up and over no open door to get in the way when using as an open den.

Thanks Barbara I will save that page and get the tape measure out later tomorrow -  but my problem is getting the cage into the car.  It is the shape of the door that governs what you can put into it. Interesting to see they have insulated covers - I wonder how good they are.  I have been thinking in terms of covering the whole car - hence my gazebo.  Well the weather looks to be good tomorrow so if anyone sees me struggling to put up my gazebo single handed then a helping hand would be welcome please! :-)

depending on your window shape you can also get expanding metal trellis things to put in the tops of the windows so you can leave them open and the dogs cant escape. If you have a dog guard can you not either leave the dog in the front of the car with the boot open or vice versa ( dog in back, doors open)

the disadvantage of a gazebo is that unless it had sides then the sun will probably strike in, charity shop curtains are a really cheap option ans really do make a big difference to the temp of the car. That said I agree with the others and would never leave them in the car without the boot open and a good through flow of air (also water in the cage)
btw I have a dogs health cage and its brilliant, really good value and far stronger than the standard black painted metal pet shop ones. its not as good since my brother backed his van into it mind you but I don;t think I can blame the company for that! And it is still usable, just a bit squiff!

I have the same problem with my car due to sloping back ( the car not me) so I have to put the cage in the car flat and then open it.
Jeff.

I find agility people are usually more clued up on keeping dogs cool, you rarely hear announcements at agility shows about dogs in distress - and the car parks are patrolled.  The dogs have to be left in cars, there are no benching tents and rarely any decent shade.  I have my boot open with windows down, well covered and turned away from the sun, as the sun moves so does my car !!!  Must admit I always lock my tailgate guard there have been instances at agility shows where dogs have been stolen, in fact a Lurcher (I think) was stolen from an agility show not long ago, the owner had only turned her back for a couple of minutes.

The best thing about agility shows is it doesnt matter what your dog looks like, last weekend we were in Bath, we were camping so the dogs had shade in the caravan but before each class we soaked them right through to the skin ...... my boy has never moved faster round a course !!!

> leave the dog in the front of the car with the boot open

LOL! She would wonder what had happened there!  I would have to leave my sandwiches in the boot then.  My Gazebo has sides - I just hope there is someone to the side of me who is not walking the same courses that will keep an eye on my car when I leave it - that is one solution to security. 

I have just ordered 2 dry dog coats, saw a lady at Blackpool with one,she showed me how cool her dog was under it,she poured water over the coat, dog stayed cool but the water did not go through or wet the dog www.DryDogCoats.co.uk

Tha material looks a little like the synthetic chamois type cloths that people use to clean
their cars.
This one looks a little like the Equi-Dry towel in colour.

They are good thou as had a friend that had been gifted one that had been adapted into a
dog coat and it worked very well. Infact it's still going strong and has been gifted to me for
my dogs :)

I made "chill coats" for my pugs - using the silver sun reflective fabric for the outer, and very thin towelling for the inner, with a big pocket at each side into which I slip a flexible ice pack (bought from Boots) - they work really well, just have to remember to pre-freeze the ice packs and take them to shows in a cool-pack.  Have also just ordered new cage fans which have an additional cooling feature - you insert a pre-frozen circle into it, and the air blows across this giving an extra cooling boost - not arrived yet so can't say how good they are :)