Puppy classes and heat

Michen

Michen

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Am I being a bit precious. Enrolled puppy in group classes with local gundog trainer starts on Thursday. 2pm. Forecast is 30 degrees and they are an hour long.

I already won’t be able to attend one of them, and am not sure I’m prepared to have pup out at the hottest time of day for an hours training? Should I be expecting the group to re arrange?

If they don’t, I don’t think I’ll go anyway and will then be missing 2 of the 6 classes so makes the course fee significantly less worth it (have not yet paid)..

She already has the basics nailed so was only really going for more socialisation and to get her concentrating whilst there are distractions around, but considering just taking her for 121 when she’s 6 months instead.
 
Amymay said:
Give them a ring to see what the set up is. Puppy won’t be working for an hour, and if there’s plenty of shade it may be ok....
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No I know she won’t be working for that time but she won’t have ever been out in heat like that so just seems a bit much..especially if she gets excited etc.

I’ll call them and see but even if there’s shade etc I’m not sure...
 
I'd go if you possibly can. Take a wet towel, you can even wrap it round a freezer block. If you can take some ice cubes mine like to crunch them but it's also cool water if they melt
 
Depends what set up they have. If they have plenty of shade and they don't expect the dogs to do a great deal of might be ok. However, dogs can get heat stroke fairly easily so if it's very hot I would expect them to cancel themselves unless they are lucky enough to have a nice cool spot with water etc.
 
As a trainer I would not train young puppies in that heat and would reschedule. Young pups don't self regulate and can be very excitable making themselves more at risk from heat.
Even with all the cold towels, fans, paddling pool etc an excites young dog is high risk.
Speak to the trainer and see what they say, having to cancel or reschedule classes due to weather is part of the risk of dog training for a living, the dogs have to come first.
 
I think the trainer should cancel. That's far too hot for a dog to be outside doing anything, even in the shade. I've heard of dogs dying in temperatures below 70c. Hopefully you won't lose any money on it, but better that than risk anything happening to your lovely puppy. ?
 
Depends on the set up, shade, time, type of work, your vehicle set up, etc.
In Aus and some US states they do training and competitions in the very early morning or late evening.
I personally think it's better to acclimatise dogs to extremes in temperatures so that they learn to cope, than not, but each to their own.
Where I train doesn't operate a class system but it was hot during the week so as soon as the dogs started flagging they had to go back to the vehicle to rest. Two dogs had three ten minute sessions with breaks for rest/shade/water.
 
An hour's training would be very long for a pup anyway - are they expected to concentrate and behave for that long? Do you know what the actual lesson plan is?
I think she sees plenty of other dogs day to day anyway? If so I'd wait until she is six months, just MO.
I much prefer one to one, although group lessons are great when you have nailed the basics.
 
I've got Clover in an enclosed field Wednesday for an hour at 10.45am, but because of the heat instead of encouraging her to run around and practice recall I'm planning on letting her sniff and do what she wants and see how it goes. I will take plenty of water but she only likes drinking from her water bowl at home, I sometimes have to chuck a treat into the water to entice/trick her
 
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