How are you managing your dogs in your this weather .

[billhubbard]

Ddog is very high energy and has 2 / 3 walks a day , walks total 2 and half hours week days and can be up to 4 hours weekends .
Trouble is in hot weather he still hassles for the same length of walks but gets too hot .
He went to work with dh this morning so a few hours of running around and playing and we are just back from an hour long walk , which we crossed the river 3 times so chance to paddle and cool down .
He is a staffy so not a short nosed breed but he is really suffering in this heat .
Would love to know how everyone else manages their dogs when it's hot .
So worried about heat stroke as he is so high energy .

My dog hasn't been for a walk today but he's quite happy regardless. Can you do some brain games/scent work in the garden so they're not "active" but still using their brain

I would google enrichment activities for dogs in hot weather. If you have a garden hose he might enjoy playing in the water.

@mumderland Any mind games you can recommend?
I have seen puzzles etc for dogs but not sure what he would like .
He is quite bright .

Spend more time in the river if he is a good swimmer. They burn energy faster swimming and will stay cool. Otherwise a sprinkler or hose in the garden?

Omg my dog normally has a 1 hr walk at lunchtime and is quiet all afternoon. Today I have played ball in the house and garden since about 11am! She has also had 2 frozen kongs and played with my nephews.

@mimibunz Ha ha yes we do have a garden hose but he is definitely not a water dog and buggers off indoors when I water the plants .

I go with the vet saying no dog has ever died from missing a walk but dogs have died by being walked in the heat... my two havnt had a walk for three days now....they aren’t massively happy about that but they are healthy and cool. I’m thinking of taking them out very late tonight once it’s cooled right down in the hope I get a lie in in the morning (won’t happen but I can dream)

@WeeMadArthur No not a good swimmer , think staffys have too much muscle and not enough fat so he sinks like a stone 😁

If your dog suffers in the heat (our old guy does now, our younger one doesn't seem to notice), walk them early, walk them late, and walk them where there is shade (and access to water - either a stream, or you take it, or whatever) if it's still hot.

If you have access to a river, could you do water retrieves rather than walking so far? And as mumderland said, scent work is also good: you can do it indoors.

We haven’t been for a walk today. I saw something on Facebook this morning that said a dog has never died from not going for a walk. Dogs do die going for walks when it’s too hot.
We have a south facing garden, it gets so hot. So I opened the door but ended up putting a gate over it as ddog kept going out to lie in the sun
He’s been too hot anyway so been fairly lazy. We had the sprinkler out for a bit this morning and just now so he’s got wet playing in it with the kids.

Otherwise he’s mooched about with us and napped. He’s not quite one year old so thought he’d be more of a pain. But he’s enjoyed lazing for a change I think.

@TeaStory Thank you frozen kong is a great suggestion, hadn't thought of that . He has a couple which he normally has peanut butter in .I could definitely freeze them .

Normally we go and throw tennis balls in a nearby, under tree stream. And have a kiddies paddling pool we throw toys into for the dogs to splash about.

However, an ear infection means I don't want the dog getting wet so instead we did a long, early morning walk in the woods and have broken up the day with short training sessions in the garden which I've tried to make fun.

I also have doggy icre cream tubs so his dinner this afternoon has been a tub of that in the garden. Took him 30 mins to lick it all out.

Luckily, I think it's going to be cooler tomorrow so we should be back to normal...

I do mind games, snuffle matts and frozen kong.

I also walk him at around 1am

@missbattenburg Doggy Ice cream sounds good , can I ask who makes that ?

We do early morning and shaded walks (an hour), then lots of indoor fetch and play (hide treats to find) before a late 20-40min walk in the evening. She does get longer runs and indoor play with doggy friends at work though.

And doggy Ice cream or sorbet, or even ice cubes are enjoyed. She’s not keen on water play but does get dunked if she sunbathes too much.

Mines been in the garden most of the day and jumping in the big pool with the kids. I put a little pool out for her because she is water obsessed and likes to roll around in it ( she thinks she's a mermaid ) if she's got hot she's like by the back door where it's nice and breezy. She's also been sucking ice lollies too. I'll take her for a walk around 9-10 tonight. My weather app says it'll be 29 at 9pm though it's 32 atm!

@teenmum18

Billy & Margot - www.billyandmargot.com/en-gb/news-and-views/iced-treats

However, I am pretty sure it would be easy enough to make your own...

@missbattenburg Thank you, I am sure he would love that 😁☀️

Inflatable pool (it's only the top ring. Ours didn't pop all last summer). Aldi sells online for £30

Hydro is very hard work for them so they get tired quickly and don't overheat

For anyone who wants to make their own “doggy ice cream”, I smush up some bananas in some goat yoghurt and then freeze it. You can either freeze it in some kongs or into an ice cube tray. Voila doggy ice cream or at least frozen doggy treats.

We walked around 8am this morning and both have been quite happily led on the tiled floor in the hallway for most of the afternoon. Still far too hot to contemplate a walk tonight, might see how it is just before bed but otherwise we'll get up early again tomorrow.

Our cocker spaniel was beyond it in the heat of last year... so glad its only forecast for today for us.

No walk today. She's been as happy as larry in the garden in the shade.

We've played a bit but mainly she just wants to relax and keep nice and cool.

I freeze gravy in ice cube trays for mine he loves it and peanut butter frozen on baking paper

I give mine a big chew, a Kong or an ice cube tray (the soft rubber ones that are spaced) filled with peanut butter.

I got www.argos.co.uk/product/4575902?cmpid=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59156|acid:444-797-0832|cid:189942085|agid:18091973005|tid:pla-264780033309|crid:77627773405|nw:g|rnd:11945054957706207671|dvc:t|adp:1o7|mt:|loc:9046323&gclid=CjwKCAjwmNzoBRBOEiwAr2V27QmOCYF6tjG4NDStGjyiK8-vmUnehe4wQ0JrkFWpK7hEbrmNZMy7PRoCJzYQAvD_BwE

Two, one for each dog and set in the shade even though I have to drag them around through the day to shady areas. One ain't much bothered other jumps from one to other.
If it's cool enough when I get up tomorrow I will go to the park, shady side, if not more pools.