# Coated dogs and working in the heat



## gsdlover91 (Jul 21, 2012)

Its been warm this week, today is really warm (85 degrees)...How do coaties handle the heat? My boy has been panting IN the house...I can only imagine how he'll be when we are outside running, or at the schH club. 

I dont think he has shed his winter coat yet..I think it may be starting to come out (I hope).

Obviously water is important, as well as letting him get a break, but will he overheat just being out in the sun? (with breaks and water)


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## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

My GSD's are standard coats, but once the weather starts to warm up, they spend a lot more time outside to acclimate. It has been in the low 90's here recently and they have been working just fine. When I lived in an apartment I kept them inside most the time and it seemed like they where always hot. Now that they are outside during the day the heat hasn't bothered them too much.


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## gsdlover91 (Jul 21, 2012)

We're usually outside everyday, but I cannot keep him out there since I live in a townhouse (no fenced yard)...but he'll adjust to the weather than? It just abruptly went from the 50's to the upper 70's and now 85 today, so i'm sure he isnt used to it, lol. This weather is crazy.

If it ever occurred, just curious as what the symptoms are to heat stroke/overheating, if anyone knows.


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## MichaelE (Dec 15, 2012)

Lisl is the same way. it takes a long time for her to stop panting.

We went on a 2.5 walk this morning and got back about an hour ago. She is still panting occasionally.

At least she's not slobbering all over.


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## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

Yes the more they are outside the more they will adjust. That being said when it's hot it's hot so be careful. You know your dog so just look for things that are uncharacteristic of your dog. Keep them well hydrated but don't let them chug water. Also after working the dog at schH maybe give a sip of water but let them cool off and calm down a bit before letting them drink a lot.


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## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

One more thing. If your dog is like my dogs then they will go until they drop. So it's your responsibility to make sure the dogs don't get over heated. I had a close call with my SL female on a 10 mile trail run through the mountains. Once we got to the top I had to find shade for her I drenched her belly in all the water I had for myself and waited about 2 hours before she cooled off enough to head back down. She wouldn't let me carry her which I tried so we could get down faster. Luckily there was a cold creek at the bottom so once down she played in the creek for a bit and seemed okay.


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## gsdlover91 (Jul 21, 2012)

mycobraracr said:


> One more thing. If your dog is like my dogs then they will go until they drop. So it's your responsibility to make sure the dogs don't get over heated. I had a close call with my SL female on a 10 mile trail run through the mountains. Once we got to the top I had to find shade for her I drenched her belly in all the water I had for myself and waited about 2 hours before she cooled off enough to head back down. She wouldn't let me carry her which I tried so we could get down faster. Luckily there was a cold creek at the bottom so once down she played in the creek for a bit and seemed okay.





mycobraracr said:


> Yes the more they are outside the more they will adjust. That being said when it's hot it's hot so be careful. You know your dog so just look for things that are uncharacteristic of your dog. Keep them well hydrated but don't let them chug water. Also after working the dog at schH maybe give a sip of water but let them cool off and calm down a bit before letting them drink a lot.


Yes, he will go until he drops, when I run with him, I periodically stop and let him rest, even though he doesnt want to. I can tell when he is getting a little fatigued though. Wow, scary story! 2 hours, wow. Yeah, I worry about that happening, but I am always watching his behavior for anything...he just pants so much I cant tell how overheated he is, cause dogs pant for all sorts of reasons. Interesting about the schH, why just a sip of water? I will do this, I usually let him drink out of his bowl when he gets to the car, but I will only let him sip from now on until he is cooled. 



MichaelE said:


> Lisl is the same way. it takes a long time for her to stop panting.
> 
> We went on a 2.5 walk this morning and got back about an hour ago. She is still panting occasionally.
> 
> At least she's not slobbering all over.


LOL, Berlins a slobber machine.  Yeah, we went for a 6 mile run the other day, and he was panting for atleast 2 hours.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

<LI class=section>*Swollen Tongue, Panting*


As most people are aware, dogs start to pant when they get hot. They do this to release heat from their body and cool themselves off. A very hot dog will also have a swollen tongue. This allows them to give off even more heat through increased surface area.
A panting dog will release even more heat into the air, heating the air quicker than it would otherwise if there is no ventilation.


*Bright Red Gums or Tongue*


A dog suffering from heat exhaustion may have a bright red coloring to their gums or tongue. The gums may also be dry to the touch.




*Disorientation or Confusion*


A dog with too high of an internal temperature may stare or have an anxious expression. It may also appear disorientated and stumble while walking. Another sign of confusion is if a dog doesn't respond to their name or commands, when it usually does.


*Increased Heart Rate, Difficulty Breathing*


Another common sign is increased heart rate and difficulty breathing. If you notice that your dog seems too winded to correlate with the activity it was doing, it may be a symptom of heat stroke.


*Vomiting and Diarrhea*


Vomiting and diarrhea are more common signs of heat stroke in dogs. At this point, it is critical to get your dog cooled off and to a veterinarian immediately.


*Collapse, Coma, and Death*


If a dog's temperature is at too high for too long, it can collapse. At this point, irreversible organ failure may be occurring and it is crucial to cool your dog off and get to a veterinarian immediately. You may have only minutes to act.



Read more: Dog Heat Stroke Symptoms | eHow.com Dog Heat Stroke Symptoms | eHow.com​


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## gsdlover91 (Jul 21, 2012)

Thanks Lillie!


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## Daisy (Jan 4, 2009)

Thanks for posting the signs of heat stroke! It almost got my GSD. Last summer, she'd just finished bite work and shorty after, I noticed something wasn't quite right. Then I noticed she started wobbling and seemed disoriented, and was panting. I yelled for assistance and the helper came running over and we laid her down in front of a fan and started wiping her down with water in her "arm pits" etc. and eventually started giving her water. She is solild black and an indoor dog, not acclimated to the heat. It was high noon. We quit after that. It was a typical day, not unusually not, but still, it was the summer and I decided it wasn't worth it to me to risk her life. The other dogs were acclimated outdoors and had kennels so had no problem with the heat.


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## jourdan (Jul 30, 2012)

Also if she is hot have her lie down and poor water over her head and keep a cool damp towel over her head and keep her in the shade. 


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## TrickyShepherd (Aug 15, 2011)

None of mine are coated... two are standard and Duke is what some like to call a "plush stock coat". His under coat is SUPER think, and his fur is medium in length (not short enough for standard, but not long enough for a coatie). He gets hot really fast.

I do a lot of work with acclimating them to the heat. I take them out longer each day to adjust them. I also make sure for training I keep the car cool (sometimes I run the AC if I feel they are just getting too hot). This summer is going to be bad, so we are investing in new cooling mats, crate fans, and the water bottles for the crates. We usually don't have any issues. I just keep a close eye on them, and make sure they are always under shade or in a cool spot during breaks.

Unfortunately, here in FL... summer cuts training time in half.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Having been a horse owner since I was knee high to a grass hopper...when you have an animal who is over heated, you need to cool them off slowly. Horses you start with their legs. Run cool water (not cold) on their legs below the knee for 10 - 15 minutes before you try to cool off the body. This helps cool the blood in the major veins of the legs which carries the coolness to the rest of the body, with out shocking the body. 

With a dog - my vet told me you pretty much follow the same process. You begin by cooling off the paws with cool water (not cold) before you try to cool the body off (with water). Taking the dog away from the heat source into shade or indoors would be your first step. 

Never allow a over heated dog (or any animal) to drink cold water until their body temp is back to normal. Allowing small amounts of cool (not cold) water would be ok. Just not allowing the animal to drink too much too fast.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

It helps if you can get as much undercoat out as possible. 
I've also used a cooling vest on my GSD in the summer, but she was not a coatie.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

All cooling should be done on the dogs UNDERNEATH - the inside of the back legs and the belly.

You can shave the UNDERSIDE of the dog to allow more airflow.

You can buy a cooling mat and let the dog lay on it.

You can purchase a cooling vest - but NOT the ones that go on top of the dog. Ones like these: Cooling Vest for military and law enforcement working dogs - ChillyDog Cool Vest


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