Working in heat

[Clodagh]

Hints and tips?
First day out for us on Friday and the forecast is awful. .
I’ll leave Red at home as she’s a panty dog at the best of times. Mostly we will be near water and I will take loads and offer it after every drive.
I thought I’d maybe dunk their paws before we start each drive?
And just watch them for any distress.
Any more ideas?

 

[Spotherisk]

Cooling coats in between drives?

 

[Clodagh]

Cooling coats in between drives?

Don’t own any and unlikely to source any before Friday.
Can I use their wicking coats if I wet them?

 

[Spotherisk]

I don’t know, I’ve never used one

 

[Jenko109]

I thought this was going to be a post about working an in season bitch

 

[DressageCob]

There are dog cooling coats on Amazon for next day delivery if you have Prime.

The wicking coat wet will do a short term similar job; the difference with the cooling coats is that they stay cooler for longer.

 

[Clodagh]

There are dog cooling coats on Amazon for next day delivery if you have Prime.

The wicking coat wet will do a short term similar job; the difference with the cooling coats is that they stay cooler for longer.

I accidentally do have Prime ( I hate Amazon!) as we watched the rugby. I’ll have a look. Thank you.

 

[CorvusCorax]

I thought this was going to be a post about working an in season bitch

Same

 

[CorvusCorax]

I'd just keep the sessions as short as you can and use the time in between to condition them.

Wetting the dog underneath, not their backs.

No silly drinking/gasping/gulping air, give a set amount with a couple of minutes gap.

 

[Morwenna]

Cooling coats aren’t great for double coated breeds like labs, they need to be pretty much in contact with the skin to work, for dogs with double coats they can actually trap the warm air and make the dogs hotter.

 

[Clodagh]

Cooling coats aren’t great for double coated breeds like labs, they need to be pretty much in contact with the skin to work, for dogs with double coats they can actually trap the warm air and make the dogs hotter.

Oh that’s a result, I was about the bite the bullet and order one! As it’s a winter sport I do it seems extravagant. Neither me nor the dogs normally venture forth in heat.

I will take a sponge and another water bottle and soak their undersides. Most drives are near water. I can’t really limit the time they work although can rotate the one doing the hard graft.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Any chance you could bring a 5L water tank for camping in e.g. a backpack?

Whenever you get the opportunity, make them stand still in the nearby water for as long as possible, so it really gets a chance to cool down their paws/legs. And use the sponge to cool their chest, and head.

 

[Clodagh]

Any chance you could bring a 5L water tank for camping in e.g. a backpack?

Whenever you get the opportunity, make them stand still in the nearby water for as long as possible,

There won’t be room in the vehicle, but I can take a big water bottle and refill it.

 

[Tiddlypom]

What time of day/how long will you all be out in the heat?

Might it not be rather uncomfortable for all the humans present too, unless it’s early doors? But no idea if that is feasible for a shoot.

The cool coats can be great, but not all dogs take to them - ours sulks in hers and will barely move in it.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

There won’t be room in the vehicle, but I can take a big water bottle and refill it.

Sorry, Essy the kitten ran over my mobile, and pushed the Post reply button while I was typing. I was going to add at the end that if you can't bring such a water tank full of water from home, could you perhaps bring an empty collapsible 5 or 10L tank? Then fill it in the nearby lake, and use that water to cool the dogs with the sponge when you don't have time to go to the lake.
Just so that you don't feel you have to be careful with the water because you don't know when you'll get the opportunity to go back to the lake to refill a smaller bottle.
By the way, 5L is probably smaller than people think, usually takes up around the same room as two 1.5L Coca Cola bottles.

 

[Glitter's fun]

Very hot here today. I just turned down a sheep gathering job on the hill, for this afternoon. They were really grumpy with me but I'd rather lose a customer than have a poorly dog.
A couple of years ago a contract shepherd lost 2 dogs from heat exhaustion/dehydration on Ben More, Isle of Mull. The problem then was the streams had dried up but he just carried on as usual, assuming they'd find their own drinks as they went round, like they normally did.

Good advice above re. cooling and hydration but I would just add don't be ashamed to call it a day if there's a welfare issue developing.

 

[CorvusCorax]

I also think it is really important than when we get weather like this, within reason, if we have working or competition dogs, even if there is nothing on in terms of the calendar, or even if we don't want our dogs to suffer every time the temperature swings, we use the opportunity to condition them to it. The same as anything else we would condition them for, working in the cold or wet, loud noises, etc. Short sessions of exposure will help in the long run, as I think extremes of weather are here to stay.

 

[Teaselmeg]

I wouldn't rely on a cooling coat, at best they are designed to keep a cool dog cool, they don't cool a hot dog. Personally I wouldn't work my dogs in this heat, but if you have to then let them have good access to a river/trough etc.

 

[gunnergundog]

I carry hydrate plus and a collapsible drinking bowl with me.
Cool mats in the vehicle for pit stops, a battery operated fan and plastic pop bottles full of water that have been in the freezer.
Swim them whenever the opportunity presents.

Hydrate+ Liquid for Dogs 400ml

Hydrate+ Liquid for Dogs 400ml is a specially formulated hypotonic drink designed to quickly replenish, fluids, minerals, glucose and the nutrients dogs need for optimum hydration. Made with a 100% natural chicken flavour your dog will love, it encourage them to readily drink when needed...

www.petcounter.co.uk

 

[CorvusCorax]

We used to use a rehydration aid for cows when we were travelling, but I can't remember what it was called. Made them piss like the proverbial racehorse
I still have some sitting in the garage somewhere but it will be about seven years out of date.

 

[druid]

Mine are dogging in and on partidge already. I use maltodextrin supplements this time of year to aid recovery (nice studies on this is sled and dryland dogs) - we use VIP Recovery+. Pre-hydrate with baited water night before and morning of. Put dogs into any clean/running body of water we can find when working. Offer drinking water little and often. I do use cooling coats regularly soaked down inbetween drives, give them the mats made of the same material in the box and wet as needed. Fans on in box, A/C on in vehicle.

 

[Thistle]

Don’t own any and unlikely to source any before Friday.
Can I use their wicking coats if I wet them?

Get the dogs wet before putting back in the truck, don't use a coat, they'll overheat. Park the truck in the shade, try to ensure that you stand in shade as much as possible and don't be afraid to put the dog's welfare first.

 

[Clodagh]

What time of day/how long will you all be out in the heat?

Might it not be rather uncomfortable for all the humans present too, unless it’s early doors? But no idea if that is feasible for a shoot.

The cool coats can be great, but not all dogs take to them - ours sulks in hers and will barely move in it.

All day, well sort of 10-3 but with a lunch break. Someone on here has a cool coat that their dog hates so they have posted it to me for me to give it a go. Thank you to them.
I’ve bought a couple of dark coloured shirts so I can be coatless!

 

[Clodagh]

I also think it is really important than when we get weather like this, within reason, if we have working or competition dogs, even if there is nothing on in terms of the calendar, or even if we don't want our dogs to suffer every time the temperature swings, we use the opportunity to condition them to it. The same as anything else we would condition them for, working in the cold or wet, loud noises, etc. Short sessions of exposure will help in the long run, as I think extremes of weather are here to stay.

I do walk my dogs mid afternoon, when I get in from work, but tbh it hadn’t occurred to me to train them in it. Fair point.

 

[Clodagh]

Mine are dogging in and on partidge already. I use maltodextrin supplements this time of year to aid recovery (nice studies on this is sled and dryland dogs) - we use VIP Recovery+. Pre-hydrate with baited water night before and morning of. Put dogs into any clean/running body of water we can find when working. Offer drinking water little and often. I do use cooling coats regularly soaked down inbetween drives, give them the mats made of the same material in the box and wet as needed. Fans on in box, A/C on in vehicle.

Thank you for that, I’ll get some.
I was out on the moor last year at this time but it wasn’t hot.

 

[Clodagh]

I’m talking rubbish… back in Essex we dogged in from August, but generally we’re all done by 9. If it was hit the birds stayed put too.

 

[druid]

We do 3-4 rounds of dogging in, often last is finishing at 5/5.30 getting them back to roosting woods....3000 acres of mountainside isn't easily dogged!

 

[Tiddlypom]

All day, well sort of 10-3 but with a lunch break. Someone on here has a cool coat that their dog hates so they have posted it to me for me to give it a go. Thank you to them.
I’ve bought a couple of dark coloured shirts so I can be coatless!

Crikey, rather you than me out doing physical stuff for all that time in those temps, let alone being concerned about the dogs . Do take care, we don't want you getting heatstroke.

We just get don't time to adjust to those sorts of temps here after long cool wet spells.

Might they be persuaded to start early and finish by lunchtime?

 

[CorvusCorax]

In terms of time to adjust, it's been hot since Friday afternoon, so for me if I knew I would be working a dog the next Friday, I'd be doing short exercises/exposure with appropriate cooling methods to prepare for the next week.

I have nothing planned in terms of competition for a long time but I'm using this weather as an opportunity just in case we have to trial in the heat. It's 21 here now and I've just done a short track, once she's rested I'll do about five minutes of food circuits and that'll be more than enough.

I personally feel that's better/fairer than going from no exposure at all to the firery flames of Mordor.

 

[maisie06]

Hints and tips?
First day out for us on Friday and the forecast is awful. .
I’ll leave Red at home as she’s a panty dog at the best of times. Mostly we will be near water and I will take loads and offer it after every drive.
I thought I’d maybe dunk their paws before we start each drive?
And just watch them for any distress.
Any more ideas?

Leaving my springers at home on saturday - due to top 30 degrees and no way I'm beating with them in that heat.

You pick up so I would be taking cooling towels, loads of water, dunking paws and keeping a close eye and can you let them swim before drives?