Black dogs and this heat, anyone else's dog struggling?

[Rainicorn]

My poor dog, we have just come back from a walk and she has melted into a large black puddle.

She is just so hot, trying to find a good time of day to take her for a walk. We have tried first thing in the morning, around 6pm and dusk. She is just far too hot.

The beach we go to is a nightmare to get parked at this time of year although we have tried a few times and she dives into the water, loves it.

First thing in the morning, like really early, is best as the ground hasn't had a chance to warm up yet

I walk at 5am and there's been a lovely cool breeze for the last few days at that time. By 6am when I'm leaving the beach it's begun to heat up and the dogs have started panting.

I'm taking mine out early too, also late (after 10) when the sun has gone down and it's cooler. He's struggling the rest of the time though, poor chap :(

My little black boy struggles and I am not a 6am type person so we've been going at 9.30-10pm.

Mine's red, not black, but she's really struggling. She refused a walk point blank yesterday which is unheard of.

I take mine to the beach in the evening (five min drive) . In fact I'll be leaving in about twenty minutes.
My lh gsd is struggling more than the collie as he's younger and his hair is slightly shorter.

Mine isn't black, but he's still struggling with the heat.

We go out about 6am for an hour - we live near the beach so I take him down there for a swim, then again about 9pm - he's a Springer Spaniel so needs copious amounts of walking, but it's just too hot. An hour messing about in the sea morning and night seems to be enough for him at the moment

I put a paddling pool in the garden today for my children, he's spent most of the day laying in that

7:30am this morning was much better for our black lab, home before 9am. Just thinking about taking out again now. Been hiding from sun all day.

Ours is black, and a giant - shorter walks, or in the woods where it is definitly cooler. The other day walked with nephews and our kids - he was in his element, but overdid it, so it was the shame of his cooling jacket......

Thanks everyone.

Never thought of taking her into the woods. There is a dene not far from us, a bit of a beggar to park during school holidays but I think we can manage for evening walks there.

She is a big beast of a small horse dog and just needs the one walk a day, it's just trying to get it so she doesn't collapse from the heat.

Might buy her her very own paddling pool.

Murphy had been staying in the house in front of the fan, though we did have half an hour over the field earlier.
He has a paddling pool, if he goes into the garden for a wee he'll paddle for a few minutes then come back in and resume position in front of the fan.

My dogs, GSD and lab, still enjoy their walks, want me to throw balls and they run around as usual but I wish they wouldn't, worry they might collapse from the heat if they don't slow down.
I always make sure they're soaking wet at the start of a walk in hot weather, either from dip in nearby river or give them a hosing down in the garden as I think that helps to keep them a bit cooler.

My black dog has a paddling pool ,he loves the sun though and spends much of his day in the conservatory . I walk early and late as he has an inability to walk and when off lead runs everywhere irrespective of how hot it is .

My dogs can't get enough of laying in front of the fan at home. They have one floor fan each :-) During walkies, our black dog really suffers. Their black fur really soaks up the heat, doesn't it. I always walk my dogs in a cooling coat. Love them. Our fave is this one www.dfordog.co.uk/thermlow-dog-cooling-vest.html. These ones have really good coverage of the chest and back.

I took mine out at 7:00am today (I hope they appreciate me giving up my sunday lie in!) Only evening or early moring walks lately.

Both mine have long coats and the GSD adores the fan. I often take them to the stream 2 mins away to have a paddle there.

Oh look at Murphy! He's adorable.

We walk before 9am or late, and in the woods. And since I enjoy the heat about as much as he does, if we have to go without walks for a few days because it's just too hot, then we don't beat ourselves up about it. (On the grounds that if he collapses with heat stroke and I have to stagger back with a 30kg dog on my shoulders, we'll both be down the vets/A&E.)

Thanks sister
He's also a lot happier today it's a little cooler.

My poor black greyhound is struggling in the heat. On the hotter days, I have been hosing him down and walking him while he is wet