Hi,
As the hot weather has started to go 30deg plus. My poor Samoyeds!!
I have tryed everythink from shade, to constantly water spraying the floors, runs and blockpaving,
poor things. to hot inside and out. So this morning early I got up and bathed them all in cool temp. water,
Groomed them wet in the bath, and for the first time let them dry outside. It has worked they are much better and happier also eaten there breakfasts.
I am still seeing people out walking there dogs, during the day in THIS heat, panting like mad, poor things.
It makes me anger, just like babies in prams when it is extremly cold with no coats hats and shoes.
Are the just fashion accessories?

I know what you mean, I have ice-packs, and air-con, and the fans on.I keep all the water in the fridge. I dont go out either when its hot, as even with the air-con would worry too much. I bathed all mine yesterday and let them dry outside, which seemed to make them happier.
But mine is a flat-faced breed with long coats so you have to be super-vigilant at all times.

What I tried for my old boy yesterday which really seemed to help was to wring out a cotton napkin in cold water and place it over most of his head (he does a lot of sleeping now).  I tried one on the back of my neck later and it was wonderful, really cooled me.

I soak bath towels and lay them on the floor for mine & tower fans on all the time.

Sarah.

I get up early and go out at 7am, when it's still pretty hot but bearable. 

We have a cool house and then we hide inside all day with blinds down, until dusk, when we go for a lead walk. 

The heat is really getting to me.  There's lots I need to be training at the moment, but the heat is too much to get them to do more than one exercise in the mornings. 

I have a tall fan on all the time and they  lie in front of it and their coats aren't even that thick! I gave them all the ice out of the freezer last night and they had a great game chasing it across the floor and eating it. Kelly has a hard time with the hot weather, my vet tells me that dogs with joint problems often find hot weather as uncomfortable as cold and this makes sense as my mother has arthritis and is just the same. We don't see many idiots here taking their dogs out in the heat of the day thankfully, this is the one time that I am glad that most people in my village don't actually bother to walk their dogs.......:rolleyes:

I find closing windows, blinds and keeping tall fan and ceiling fan on works a treat especially in the dining room where the sun shines in all day! The front room is the coolest because there is absolutely no sun at the front of the house at all :) I've just given them both an ice cube and they are now lying on the wet tiled floor. Will try the wet towel thing I think, they might appreciate that. One of them has a thicker coat because she has been spayed bless her and try as I might I can't thin it out with the rake, any suggestions? (Don't want to shave her as others have done in my breed, for one, her skin will probably burn in this heat and two, I've been told the coat grows back just as thick!)

Dee

Well those that were at Windsor this weekend will know what real heat is. We were there yesterday and it was hot at 9.00am. Ours is a large group and the ring was outside, not only that, but the judge had us running around like idiots so the dogs were phewed out as well as their handlers and to be honest, like me, some gave in long before we even started. One guy ducked under the rope after the line up and bolted not wanting to put his dog through it any more and if I had known, I think I would of followed. There were soaked towels and spray bottles being used everywhere, but still that wasn't enough and the oppresive heat left you feeling guilty for putting your four legged friend through it all.The annoying thing was, that there were cooler empty tent areas that could of been used as a ring, especially for a group as big as the Dobermanns.

Have you tried reducing her coat with thinning scissors?   It certainly works well on undersides, trousers, furnishings etc that tend to be the thickest and most problematic in our breed with neutered dogs/bitches.  Word of warning though - if you aint sure how to go about it get help from someone who knows and wont leave her looking like "spike"  :P 

I have thought about using thinning scissors Teri, if only I could find them! Why are they so expensive at show stalls though? If I remember tomorrow I will go to the chemist see if I can get some more. Thanks :)

Bless her Missie :)...... Told you! bring her round to me and il give her a haircut...lol :)

Err, no thanks Leomad, I've seen your kids' haircuts ;)

O But its alright to do yours!!!!  :)

Saves me a few quid, and I can't see the back ;)

And I can always tie it up :P :P

I brought a high velocity fan from argos
details here http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4250090.htm'
it is cracking,the dogs are all lay down in front of it the house is cool and its really powerfuland low level for the dogs too.
I have air conditioning but this fan is better than that.

I have been frantically trying to explain to my dogs all day they can't possibly have thier 2nd walk in this heat, but they won't believe me. 
They had thier 6.30 am one and then at 11am when we normally set off again they started running round whining and leaping on each other, its now nearly 2pm and they still have not laid down and settled.
Anyone else having trouble trying to tell thier dogs NO, no walks in the heat?

Bev

If yours are like mine, just taking them out for two minutes and bringing them home is enough to convince them that they've been out as usual. I suspect yours will stay much cooler if you take them out briefly, then they'll settle down quietly as usual. :)

Hi, Carolyn,
Its the one I have got, They are the best!!
Payed more for mine last year though. Highly recommend

Curtains closed , curtains at patio doors closed, patio door open ...and brand new Air Con blasting away

BLISSSSSSSSS

Cross posted with permission.
Although its for bulldogs the same rules apply to all dogs.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR THE SUMMER TIME

DON'T take your dog outside during the day. Shut him in a room with a cool floor and draw the curtains to keep the sunlight out, if you do this early enough it will prevent the room from becoming warm as the sun comes into the room. Have an electric fan running in the room to keep the air circulating and make sure there is fresh water available at all times, put a dribble of apple cider vinegar in the water, it will help keep the phlegm levels down.

IF he needs to go outside - GO WITH HIM, don't let him lay out in the sun and bring him straight back in again when he's been to the  toilet. Spray him with cold water if necessary to keep his skin cool.

If you are not home DON'T let him have free access to the garden, he WILL sun bathe and you will not be there to see when he's been out for too long.

DON'T walk your dog in this weather, it's still very hot at 8 or 9pm, wait until it's very late or walk very early in the morning -  remember that tarmac also takes a while to cool off and even after the sun has gone down the roads can be very hot still.

DON'T force an overheating dog to drink water, offer water, but if refused don't force the issue. HE WILL DRINK IF HE WANTS TO - the worst thing you can do is force him to drink, he could vomit and choke.

MAKE sure NOW that you have in your cupboard a squeezy jiff lemon, use this FIRST if your dog is overheating, squirt it into the back of  the dogs throat - it will break up the foam/phlegm in the throat. (Your dog will hate it but who cares)

LISTEN to your dog, panting is fine, this is the only way your dog can lose body heat, but listen for a roar - best described as sounding like an asthma attack. If your dog starts to roar
IMMEDIATELY standing him in cold water, dogs only sweat through the pads of their feet and standing him in cold water has the same effect as putting a cold flannel on your head when you are hot.

IF HE'S ALREADY TOO HOT - Keep him stood in cold water, pour water over his head and especially around his neck, you need to cool the blood going to the brain, in severe cases of overheating there is a risk of brain damage from hot blood going to the brain.

Place ice under his tail (just inside his bottom if you can), keep pouring cold water over him and KEEP CALM, if you panic your dog will panic - if you suffer from asthma you will understand what I mean.

Your dog will go very pale as the circulation system struggles to cope.

Keep going with the water - don't take him out of the bath until the breathing has calmed down, talk calmly to your dog - you will be soaked, your bathroom will be soaked, but you will save his life!!!!!!!!!

Once the breathing is calmer, remove him from the bath but don't dry him, he will shake up your walls and over you WHO CARES!!!! He will still be very pale (inside mouth, gums and inner eyes)

Let him wander, don't make a fuss of him, your fussing may panic him and it could start over again. Still don't force him to drink, but make up a rehydration mix and place it in a bowl for him to drink from if he wants to. You can make up your own rehydration mix:

     500ml of water
     2 and a half teaspoons of glucose powder
     a quarter teaspoon of salt
     a pinch of bicarbonate of soda

This mixture will keep in the fridge for 24 hours

If you cannot calm the dog in the bath GO STRAIGHT TO THE VET!!!! Soak a towel in cold water and lay the dog on top of it for the journey, take packets of frozen veggies and lay them on the back of his neck and on each side of his body. If the dog will lay upside
down it will help him cool faster through his belly which has less fur on it but make sure that someone is with him to ensure he doesn't swallow his tongue!

IF YOU ARE AWAY FROM THE HOME: Find a river, pond, cow trough or knock a door, 7UP will do the same as the lemon juice in an emergency. Get in the river with your dog if necessary (many bulldogs cannot swim) but don't take him out until the breathing is calmer, unless he is obviously passing out in which case risk a speeding ticket and get to the nearest vet.



BE SAFE!!!!! Your dog won't mind if he doesn't get a walk for a few days!!!!!

The aussies have all been in the kitchen lay on the cold floor tiles with the fans on.

It is 82 degrees here in Manchester .....

The sun is intermittently behind clouds now although it is still hot. I have just spent 3 hours filling their huge paddling pool and now they are all sat in it cooling off........ Me thinks I will have to roll up the trousers and put my feet in too.... :D

Gabrielle x

All out the paddling pool now.......... the rain is running down the cul de sac !!!!!!!
We have had an hour and a half of thunder and lightening.......... what a change.....

AND........ it is still as hot and muggy !!!!! :rolleyes:

Gabrielle x

Oh Gabrielle!!!!  What's this British Weather like hey!!!!!!!!

Yes, it's probably just humid too now, eh??? :rolleyes:

I agree with JG, its the activity of simply going out that mine crave, and don't object too much when its a very short walk.  They've enjoyed themselves in the river today!

Gabrielle I hope that you don't live anywhere near Hyde, Woodley etc.  I went to take a friends 50th birthday present during the thunderstorm, there were crashes all over the motorway so on my way back home decided to take to the back roads.  Well I thought that I'd run into a war zone.  Roads were being torn apart, water was gushing from the holes and in one part near Woodley the water was over knee deep and all the cars were turning round, so I ended up having to take a detour and ended up back on the motorway.

I just can't believe that an hours downpour can cause such devastation!

I've still been taking the dogs out for their regular walks,however they have turned into "outings" instead of actual walks,well in the mornings anyway,night times have been normal walks.I drive down to the nearest stream/river,they have a swim to cool off and a sniff around and a bit of an explore,and they're happy :)

My dogs certainly would mind this Your dog won't mind if he doesn't get a walk for a few days!!!!! One day would be torture,lettalone a few days!

Ours have their morning walk at about 7 am and another at about 4 pm - I'm not letting them charge about chasing balls etc in the afternoon as it's just too hot - especially for my oldies. They also have their paddling pool in the dog yard which is east facing so is coolest in the afternoon and they 'helped' me water all the pots and baskets and got thoroughly soaked as well.

Xena usually has a bit of agility practice in the evenings but I've stopped this as it's just too hot - she's NOT talking to me - just following me round and sighing deeply and pitifully every time I look her way :D

Yvonne

This is why I have never made a rod for my back by having a fixed routine.  When I did the school run every day when kids were younger the dogs expected to go out at those times and wouldn't leave me alone.

Now I go out at all sorts of times and the dogs are happy.

In this weather I haven't been going out until after 10pm.  they are sensible dogs and move as little as possible in the day.

The house is solid brick and stays pretty cool, especially with curtains drawn and back door and windows open.  they lay on the kitchen floor which is concrete if they get too hot lying on the floor in here.

I hate the heat too.

It was great last night in Page Park (fenced ornamental and some open grass surrounded by a 3 foot Wahl and lost of gates) as all the gates bar the man one were locked, and the dogs just whizzed around like loonies letting off steam.  At 11pm we only met one lady walking her young black Lab who joined them before she left.

I rarely go in there in the day as for me the height of the wallls and the surrounding roads make me worry, but that late it is quiet and with the gates closed little chance of someone taking off out of the park.

I wish I didn't have a 'fixed' routine. Hubby takes Zak (long haired GSD) & Tilly (terrier x) at 7 am. - no problem. They are left from 9pm till 1.30 while I work part-time. I have always got changed & am out of the house by 1.45 on their 2nd walk. They get more upset dashing round, panting & whining at the thought of their walk than the actual walk itself. I have cut the walk down & they do walk, no running about. Although it's hot, they are coping really well & are suffering no ill effects. I am perhaps lucky as they are both in their prime (both approx.3) & I would not jeopordise their health. I think a short walk if they can cope with it is fine. I make sure I walk past water half way round my walk & they are free to drink or paddle in it if they wish. Hope we don't get the torrential rain, but I would like it a bit cooler for myself & the dogs!!

Hi Diane,
           Actually I live 2 mins from the airport......... :D The back garden which is all paved was awash and because it slopes slightly, it was just a deluge.

The air ambulance was in at the back of us at the hospital and that was waiting to take off, but couldn't.....

I went out to drop my mum home and went over the motorway on the bridge, and there were two crashes on one side and one on the other.........

My poor plants which were only planted on Friday are looking very sorry for themselves this morning :( and although rain has been forecast, it is now already 72 degrees outside........

Gabrielle x

Doctor on BBC2 London said to freeze large bottles of water and put them directly in front of a fan.  She claimed it would cool the air, I have my doubts. 

One of the Common Areas that I walk in is very shaded with trees. I thought it would be cool, but even late day it felt more like the tropics   -  complete with swarms of all manner of flying insects.  (Mosquitoes have been really terrible in my area of the South this year, especially after our very wet May.)  

My dogs are now getting short walks around my estate late in the day after the temperature starts to drop.  They have to be on lead, but given over the past month Abby has gone from near perfect recall to completely ignoring me, it suits me for the time being.

Fans blowing over very cold water or bottles of frozen does work.  Frozen is best as you can replace thawed bottles with fresh frozen and dump everything on your flowers after the need is over and they are down to room temp.  Or just keep them in your freezer if you have the room.  P.S. put the bottles on a tray to catch the condensation and not get wet marks on your floor.

Think you live close to me then Gabrielle.  I actually work at Wythenshawe Hospital, well I'm there right now :d

My cockers are all laying on the kitchen floor dont blame them with all that fur . its pretty cool in here later they will have a swim in the swimming pool :D Ive not taken them for a walk for 2 days its just been way to hot even at 10 oclock at night , Im fortunate to have a large :D back garden they can run mental in but there not too botherd in playing  only at 5am .
I was so mad yesterday though saw two women dragging old dogs about midday and it was at least 30 here one poor dog looked like it was going to  collapse some people dont have brains do they

My black Afghan bitch - complete with full coat is coping much better than my golden boy with clipped off coat   Amazing coat pattern thats clearly adapted to benefit the hound in extremities of hot and cold temperatures!  If you place your hand under the coat on the sides of her body she almost feels cool!
Our 5:30 walk has been pushed back to 10pm, they still go at 7am as usual and they play with ice cubes :D
But for such a big coat my bitch is coping very well.....

Oh Rozzer, that's exactly what experienced groomers explain to owners every day and why we get sooooo upset at sheep shearers clipping off everything that comes through their door!  It only enables the sheep shearers to make a living and is definitely not in the best interest of the dog! :(
The secret is to keep the coat groomed through to the skin and it will insulate against the heat in exactly the same way that it insulates against the cold. :)

A 2 year old Beardie bitch near us has just been "shaved to the wood" :( :( :( and her owners now think it's OK to have her running about like a loony in the mid day heat :rolleyes:  Try telling them though - after all, their "professional" groomer advised it would be just fine and dandy

I work very hard on my dogs' coat.  She is bathed once a week and groomed whilst damp - she is not shown (seriously anyway ;)) but I believe that through taking on a gloriously long haired breed it is my duty to maintain it properly and it is indeed doing its job!  I go over it every day and it does a very good job of keeping grass seeds on its surface also!!
My boy Ralph came to us as a rescue and had to be clipped off for his own good really but to the untrained eye he would probably be viewed as the most comfortable in this heat - even though I know otherwise ;)
Sarah

Oh good, so I'm doing the right thing in combing out my Yankee's undercoat but leaving the top coat? I do love him fluffy, and as he's young and healthy, and we only walk before 8.30am, I don't think he's suffering from the heat. Grass seeds however are a whole different problem - every day there are hundreds of little green balls, and a dozen or more grass seeds to remove. The Cavaliers get a few, but nothing like George - thank goodness he hasn't got a proper show coat! :-)

ah hate those spikey ball things but its amazing what you will find in these long coats . a neighbour at the back of my house cut down a huge rose bush and left some in my garden . My poor little pup got a really long peice stuck right up her tummy it was really sticking in :( In the end I had to cut it out because it was hurting her  , I was sooo sad because of the hard work ive done on her beauitful long coat . Its not too bad I supose but shes got an inch gap either side of her skirt

The colour of them makes a huge difference I feel sorry for my blues there sooo much hotter being dark then my oranges you can feel the difference .
Mine love ice cubes :D The other day I popted out for 5 mins came home and one of my boys lips were quivering I thought somthing was wrong untill I found a tray of icecubes he had , I must have left them out on the side before I went out 

I keep cringing at the pics ive seen on some of the dog forums, usually entitled 'dont i look lovely in my new haircut' and showing a long coated breed shaved bald.... i have to resist the urge to say 'no, you look qutie horrible and now you will overheat, get sunburned and be unable to stay cool at all'..... grr.

And NOW ive haerd of someone shaving their CAT bald.... thought id heard it all last year whensomeone shaved their GSDs..... but no.... cats!!!!

Ive tried explaining to a fair few people that without a coat, the dog  can no longer trap cool air against his skin, adn since dogs can only sweat through their pads or pant, their temperature regulation pretty much entirely relies on a well maintained coat.... is like banging my head against a brick wall!

The only thing i think that could be done to help using a set of clippers would be to trim back the fur on the belly and inner hind legs, those parts are not usually exposed to the sun and the blood vessels run nearer the surface there so would allow some cooling especially if the dog lies down on a cold surface.... other than THAT..... back away from the clippers!!!1

Em

I am afraid I dont worry about walks in this sort of heat (leaned my lesson a few yrs back) my boy collapsed in the heat on a walk, frightened me to death........  so now if they dont get walked , its no big deal.......I just give them a quick round the block in the evening , when it has cooled down....also just bought my 2 a "Crasy Daisie"  I wait till there is some shade in the garden, turn it on.......and they have a whale of a time,  they get soaking wet, which helps cool them down, and it also gives them something to do, relieves the boredem, and tires them out.

Hi,
I have been out and brought mine there own gazebo its giving more shade for them,
They have been brushed so much you can see there pink skin when the fans blow, they are at the moment laying out under the gazebo as its ranning. Asda have reduced the green ones, also the England ones but we won't go there!

i want one but we have a hosepipe ban:rolleyes:

Should go above the last post - sorry

We have a crazy daisy too - but haven't been able to use it this year (hosepipe ban) But what fun they had with it last year. I enjoyed watching it too - found it quite hypnotic

Mine have paddling pools, fans, blackout blinds etc etc. Going out and leaving them has become like a military operation - but keeping them confortable and safe is paramount.
Kat

I have a long haired GSD (rescue) so I have no history of his parents, what they looked like. he had a very bad start in life, which I think has taken it's toll on his coat. He  is now 3 & his coat is very poor, I have tried all sorts of food, supplements etc. but these have not helped. His body hair is very, very fluffy, it almost feels like soft wool? My question is, how do I brush out his undercoat without removing the bit of top coat that is starting to grow? Can you advise what sort of brush or comb I should be using?

Thankyou

Is he castrated?  That often makes the undercoat overgrow.

On the other hand this awful coat may be down to the fact that if his coat was in a state he may have been clipped off.

My Friends Golden Retriever took two years to grow her coat back properly, and longer than that to regain the proper texture and proportion of top coat.

I would just keep him well groomed to remove dead coat.

Hi,
To groom my Sams and get all the undercoat off, It is easier if you do it, when you have bathed him, wet!
Buy a cheap shop conditioner, put it on after you have rinsed the shampoo off, then comb him, I use a rake comb that is a comb with two sides and a strong handle, This will not hurt him if the undercoat is thik
and knotted. Then make sure you wash all the conditioner off.
When he is dry I use a dog comb, combing the hair towards you, to remove any loose coat, then, I brush them to finish them off, with my doggy deodorant  called "baby Powder" the smell lasts for days.
There long hair just blows, beautifully

Thanks for the information. He has never been clipped, his coat is just fluffy & his top coat very, very sparse. On his underbelly, legs & tail he has loads of hair, it's his sides that are lacking, most peculiar. I don't think it was castration though, because I had him castrated & his coat was bad when I got him. I can just see a bit of adult/top coat on his shoulders & it is gradually going further along his back towards his tail. I am hoping that combing the fluff out may help the top coat to come through. I will have to knit him a vest if it doesn't work. Only joking!! I will try the bathing & combing, I have used conditioner on him because of his feathering & tail hair, it makes it easier to comb through. Thanks again.