Working in heat

maisie06 said:
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?
Click to expand...
I was thinking today poor beaters, but they won’t have dogs beating here this time of year anyway, I doubt.
I’m just going to have to see how it goes. Not looking forward to it really but it’s a cut throat world so I will turn up, then decide.
 
Will there be water nearby that you can keep dunking the dogs in? Also make use of any shade. We do any strenuous dog work very early or late in this sort of weather but have the luxury of choosing the working hours within reason. There’s been some really hot days at national and international trials over the years and large buckets of water are placed and regularly replenished so the dogs can be submerged at the end of their run and cool down/have a drink.
 
We have similar considerations for KC agility at weekend. My plan is to go and see what it is actually like. We have all known weather to be totally different to forecast 😉 I have plenty of water reflective sheets and cool coats. May do a couple of runs and come home.

Much harder for OP though.
 
Last edited:
Have been thinking of this post this afternoon. I had to take OH to a medical appt this afternoon, and there’s a nice shady walk I could do with the dogs whilst we were waiting.

They managed 15 mins - and then I had to return to the car. It’s cloudy here today, but to my horror it was registering 30 degrees in the shade.

Had they been running around I think I’d have killed them.
 
Last edited:
Amymay said:
I think it would have to be early or abandoned.
Click to expand...
That's what *ought* to happen if the dogs' welfare was paramount.

I can see that Clodagh is very uncomfortable at the prospect of working her dogs in the heat, but she will have a very big black mark for her future employment against her name if she pulls out.
 
Last edited:
Tiddlypom said:
That's what *ought* to happen if the dogs' welfare was paramount.

I can see that Clodagh is very uncomfortable at the prospect working her dogs in the heat, but she will have a very big black mark for her future employment against her name if she pulls out.
Click to expand...
Very difficult position to be in. And only a decision that your consciouns can make I guess.
 
Tiddlypom said:
That's what *ought* to happen if the dogs' welfare was paramount.

I can see that Clodagh is very uncomfortable at the prospect of working her dogs in the heat, but she will have a very big black mark for her future employment against her name if she pulls out.
Click to expand...
The dogs welfare should come first. The event should be cancelled. A black mark is better than a dead dog.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SO1
Moving shoots earlier (or later) doesn't work - that's not how pheasants work, they are driven on shoots like those Clodagh works on and are used to being fed in specific places and at specific times. They don't take change well, they won't be be where they need to be if the routine changes basically.

If it is too hot I hope the day is postponed, that is what we have done in the past
 
I think it is up to the individual dog as to what they can cope with. Some dogs are athletes, who are fittened and conditioned to deal with extremes.
There are hundreds of dogs from all over the world competing at the FCI world championships in Slovenia in 30+ temperatures at the moment, however I will concede that it is a different kind of work to that the OP takes part in and the mitigating measures would be hard to implement.
In Australia I think they do some phases late at night or early in the morning under stadium lights - again, that is something you have to train your dog to get used to (mostly by getting up very early and hanging around in a car park....)
Like I say, I am using this weather now as a training opportunity to prepare for the future, the same as when I see it raining sideways and blowing a hooley, I'll go out and track, because that might happen on trial day.
 
OP’s season is not through the summer, though, it’s (I believe) an autumn/winter affair. The current heatwave is exceptional and has caught people by surprise. I doubt that heat conditioning featured much in gundog fittening.

The onus seems to be on the organiser to do the responsible thing and postpone the day to later in the season, seeing as bringing the start time forward is not feasible.

I am very glad to ‘only’ own a pet dog who doesn’t have to work or compete to earn her keep. I can call the shots re her daily activities without fear or favour. She was out for her walk by 7am this morning when it was very pleasant. She can chill for the rest of the day.
 
I know I’m a bit late and I haven’t read everything! But I bring cooling pads with me the dogs can lay on them if they like to cool down
Works on my double coated dogs ❤️
 
My dogs are pets too and they don't have to do anything to 'earn their keep', it's just a hobby, it's me who works to keep them in food, they love doing what they do, and I could be doing many other less stressful or expensive things with my life ;) but I feel it is only fair for me to prepare them for extremes in life so that it isn't a massive shock or ordeal when they have to deal with it next time.
I walked mine all of mine 7ish through to 8.30 last night (length of walk varies according to age/fitness) and they were still raring to go on the last leg stretch at 11-midnight.

The almost 13 year old, with a very heavy coat, has survived several long sojourns to the continent and still lives to do my head in on a daily basis :p
 
I had a fabulous day. My dogs are incredibly fit and we were always in shade and by water. They weren’t even panting while waiting… more than could be said for me.
Working dogs tend to actually like what they do, the two I didn’t take today are not smug at the omission, they are outraged.
I’m glad it’s not normally so hot, everyone was super vigilant with their dogs but it was a layer of worry for sure.
 
Is it shooting time already?
We were talking about that today actually and both agreed (myself and riding partner) that it surely wasn’t!
The game keeper was busy cutting walk ways through hedges.
We have a lovely GK this year and I may give it a bash. I’m not sure cec would be great at beating! *putting it mildly!
But last year he came out with me and OH who drives the picking up buggy thingy and he had a little go as picking up, alongside his lab bestie!
 
poiuytrewq said:
Is it shooting time already?
We were talking about that today actually and both agreed (myself and riding partner) that it surely wasn’t!
The game keeper was busy cutting walk ways through hedges.
We have a lovely GK this year and I may give it a bash. I’m not sure cec would be great at beating! *putting it mildly!
But last year he came out with me and OH who drives the picking up buggy thingy and he had a little go as picking up, alongside his lab bestie!
Click to expand...
Cec needs a job!
Partridge from 1st September. Pheasants 1st October.
 
Clodagh said:
Cec needs a job!
Partridge from 1st September. Pheasants 1st October.
Click to expand...
We are partridge. I just told OH he’s on the team this year. Think he’s a bit dubious but we had the best day when I took them both last year. Cecil is braver now and not stuck to spuds side so he will stay on a lead this time but it’s all good experience for him.
 
Clodagh said:
I had a fabulous day. My dogs are incredibly fit and we were always in shade and by water. They weren’t even panting while waiting… more than could be said for me.
Working dogs tend to actually like what they do, the two I didn’t take today are not smug at the omission, they are outraged.
I’m glad it’s not normally so hot, everyone was super vigilant with their dogs but it was a layer of worry for sure.
Click to expand...
Glad you had a good day!

No dogs in the beating line at our little shoot today, beaters just worked a bit harder!! The pickers up had plenty of shade to rest in and the landowner brought over a tow along water bowser normally used for sheep
 
maisie06 said:
Glad you had a good day!

No dogs in the beating line at our little shoot today, beaters just worked a bit harder!! The pickers up had plenty of shade to rest in and the landowner brought over a tow along water bowser normally used for sheep
Click to expand...
I’m glad it went well. Are you shattered? I’m not out now until next Thursday and hopefully by then it will be back to normal.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JBM
Just reading some posts from the FCIs, the owner of the dog who got the high protection score has spoken about the importance of conditioning a dog to the heat, particularly a dog who wants to do everything at 100% and does not know when to stop and had done a lot of reading on the subject.
One of the GB team took the decision to withdraw their dog from its third phase today as it was not coping with the temperatures, a very sensible thing to do, some other team members made nice scores in tough conditions.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top