# moving from mild to hot



## joshua9578 (Dec 14, 2012)

so my wife and i have decided to pick up from toledo ohio and move down to houston texas sometime in june....depending on when one of us can land a job. the one thing we've been thinking of, since its started to warm up in toledo, is how bailey will do in houston. Even in mild 70-80 degrees bailey warms up and get exhausted quickly. In the winter she will play ball for what seems like hours on end without missing a beat. Lately its about 15 minutes of ball chasing before she starts to walk back instead of run. Then when were done she'll find some shade and stay there until her panting is under control. She always has water available. If we move to houston will this be normal or will she acclimate to the new temperatures? I know there are shepherds all over the world in all kinds of climates, but is there a big difference in the activity of a cold climate shepherd vs a warm climate? thanks.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

I moved from the nearly perfect climate of Southern California to Louisiana. My senior dog has managed fine, but he's 11, so he's pretty slow-moving anyway. 

Most people I know here do not exercise their dogs (or themselves) in the heat and humidity. We hide inside during the summer kind of like people in the far north hide inside during the winter! When it's over 90 with high humidity, we're inside with the AC (and the dogs love to sprawl over cool tile near an AC vent). Many of us get up early to go out before it gets hot (my husband runs with the dogs at 5:30 AM), and/or go out in the evening (not as comfortable as mornings though, so we walk instead of run). 

You also must pay close attention to your dog and stop when it needs to (heat stroke is not uncommon in dogs). 

The most important thing about moving to this part of the country is heartworm preventative. It is critical for the dogs to be on it year-round. 

Good luck with your move! Houston's a great city. When we travel with our dogs, we always plan an overnight stop there so that we can take advantage of the GREAT dog park in the northnern part of the city--it's a great place for the dogs to swim and frolic and has had a very nice vibe to it every time we visited.


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## JackandMattie (Feb 4, 2013)

I live about an hour north of Houston. Was in Cambridge, Ohio last summer....The difference between Ohio and South Texas is a big one 

The dog may acclimate faster than you will, lol! It's already HOT here. By June, you'll be appreciating the A/C for sure!

Early morning exercise will be key 

And for my senior, a long coated GSD, I actually have her shaved every spring, just about this time of year. It helps her out a lot. I wouldn't do it with my 2-yr old Jack though... I just make sure to keep his undercoat brushed out.


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## RidgeWalker (Feb 28, 2013)

I grew up in Ohio, spent ten years in MS, living now in Oklahoma. In all that time, I worked in Houston for nine months. The heat is miserable, the humidity is oppressive. The best advice I can give is to stay hydrated. After a couple summers y'all will be used to it. Just don't expect her to be real active during the afternoon. Early morning is cooler.


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## joshua9578 (Dec 14, 2012)

Thanks Magwart. I guess getting up early to beat the heat will be a reason for me to get out of bed sooner rather than telling bailey to stay in bed haha. I'm definately looking forward to the amenities of a big city like bike trails, dog parks, etc. We've always kept her on heart worm medicine year round, but thats still good to know. I'm sure we'll be fine down there I was just wondering if there was anything major that I was in store for. Thanks again.


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## NormanF (Apr 14, 2013)

I find two climates are tolerable - the Mediterranean climate of southern California and the dry climate of the Colorado highlands.

If you need to live someplace hot, Arizona is a good choice. The heat can be oppressive but you can bear it because there's no humidity to make you more miserable.

On the other hand, the South is best avoided in the summer. If you like being in a sauna, that's the place to live! Where to live - if you can cope with it, I'd think you'd fall in love with it but I suspect anywhere you to decide to be, your dog can adapt faster than you can!

Good luck with living in Houston.


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## Swifty (May 11, 2013)

Magwart said:


> I moved from the nearly perfect climate of Southern California to Louisiana. My senior dog has managed fine, but he's 11, so he's pretty slow-moving anyway.


No kidding, I'm in Louisiana too (Calcasieu parish). My pup was born just this last winter and has _not_ acclimated well to the change in temperatures. She's really attached to the cool tiles and the A/C, so at least there's no danger of her running off anywhere


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