Helping Your Hunting Dog Deal with the Heat

After a long winter’s rest and the sedentary comfort of the indoor life, you, your family, and especially your dog will be feeling the fever – spring fever, that is!  It’s time to go outdoors and enjoy the sun again.  Take advantage of the unpredictable weather and the on-again, off-again activity level of the springtime in order to ease into summertime’s high-gear.  Walking, running, swimming, biking, and hiking are all fantastic activities to share with your dog.  However, veterinarians strongly suggest exercising your dog moderately at first, gradually working up to longer periods of activity.  If you don’t, you could risk your dog’s health.  Heat exhaustion is very common for dogs in the summertime.

Start Slow and Work Up

{Every athlete knows they won’t win any medals on their first day of training.  The same is true for us and for our dogs.  Start out with shorter walks and gradually increase the length and intensity of your workouts.  Watch your dog carefully for signs that he’s reached his limit.  Watch yourself too – you may reach your limit before he does!  As long as your dog is healthy, it won’t take him long to get back into shape and be able to maintain an active schedule.If you were going to run a marathon, you would not go from your sofa to a twenty mile run would you?  Certainly not – you would work up slowly.  Things are no different when dealing with your dog.  Start out slow, and every day adds time onto your daily trek with your furry friend.  Regardless of whether your dog is your special family friend or a hunter, be sure that the exercise that they are getting is in line with their overall health.  Watch to make sure that your dog is content, and not overly exercised and gradually increase the activity level.  For most dogs, going from low activity to high activity is not a long drawn out process. The more energy they expend, the higher their energy level will be.}

Timing

Do not try to take your dog out for a walk at the hottest times of day.  Usually, if it is very hot outside, you should try to plan your dogs exercise, walks and play times in the early morning or late afternoon.  The reason is that these are the times of day when it is cooler.  Remember, asphalt and concrete heat up under beating sun.  Walking first thing in the morning after an overnight cool-down or in the evening after the sun has had a chance to go down and cool these surfaces can help keep your dog from burning his feet.

Grooming

Most of us like to have our haircut shorter for summer wear. Think about your longhaired dog (or those who have dual coats).  Keeping their hair trimmed and brushed in the warmer weather becomes even more important.  One word of caution: if you are having a groomer cut your dogs hair, make sure they do not cut it too short – just like you, your dog can suffer from sunburn.  This is especially important if your dog has light colored fur, as they tend to be more sensitive to the sun.   

Cooling Off

Humans perspire in order to cool off.  The sweat evaporating from our skin cools us down.  Dogs do not have this capability.  They have to pant.  By moving the air in and out of their mouths and lungs, they cool off from the inside out.  Shade, water, and moving air such as from a fan or breeze will all help to cool your dog, but it doesn’t work as quickly on them as it does on us.  Keep your dog out of the direct sun whenever possible, and always have water available for him to drink. 

Watch For Heat-Related Problems

Owners need to know the signs of heat stroke in dogs: 

                Labored or deep and uncontrolled breathing or excessive panting with broken rhythm

                Tacky and bright red gums

                Fatigue, unwillingness to move, or collapse

If you notice any of these symptoms, you should immediately care for your dog.  It is never recommended that you use cold or ice water for cooling your dog down. Instead, use tepid water to wet your dog.  Then place wet towels over your dog to keep the water on their bodies.  If you move the towels, this will help airflow as well.  Keep in mind, a dog who is suffering from heat related problems should not be allowed to go into a pool or other body of water that might require swimming. Their lack of energy could result in drowning. 

Find emergency care for your dog quickly, or contact your vet for advice.  Even if he appears to be recovered, he may not be.  Only an expert examination by a veterinarian can tell you for sure if he’s really better.

Remember to pay attention to your comfort level and that of your dog’s.  Exercise your bodies and your caution to keep yourself and your dog safe during the summer.

 Having a dog is like having a child, they become part of you and your family, with the being said you have to make sure you have the proper training gear as well.  There are lots of great brands out there. Some of the most popular supplies include: Tracker Maxima and Innotek ADV 300 Do you research and choose which one is right for you and your dog.

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