Heat Sensitive Dogs

So many things have been going well since we moved to MD that it seems kind of petty to complain about this, but it is potentially quite serious. Gata has always been prone to over heating during work, primarily obedience. Since moving out here that problem has resurfaced in spades. It has been so hot and humid most of the time that I am lucky to get 4 minutes of work out of her before she starts to overheat. Tor is not as bad as Gata but he is struggling in the heat as well. Hopefully, they will both get used to it, at least a little.

In the meantime, I have been doing a little research on the topic again, special thanks to Augusta Farley and Tammy Doherty for their help. Tammy reminded me of some basic physiology principles that had slipped my mind. Things like there are a couple of different ways to help get your dog accustomed to dealing with working in the heat:

1. Try to keep their temperature from going so high while they are working by identifying signs that indicate that the dog is approaching their critical temperature. I had that down pretty well with Gata in CA but out here she continues to heat up when we stop working since it is so much hotter and more humid. So I need to identify a different, earlier marker for her.

2. Reduce her temperature as much as possible before she starts to work so that it will take her a little longer to get to her critical temperature. Things like fans, cool pads in crates and vests can all be used effectively to that end. I have used all with her in the past but not specifically to cool her down before starting. Though the cool pads and fans will do some of that anyway.

Anyway, Tammy recommended a specific vest that she has used that used a slightly different technology than most. It is very popular with military and working dogs. Here is a link to an online brochure for their canine products, the website is being redesigned.

  http://www.htfx-inc.com/downloads/50dTactical_K9.pdf

I would love to hear if anyone has used their products. I will almost certainly order something for Gata tomorrow. Until it gets here, I will go back to doing all the things that I used to do with her. I guess I had gotten to comfortable with the idea that I could tell when she was getting too close to her critical temperature and had stopped using the other tools to extend her ability to work.

Maybe, just maybe there is a slight chance that we can get her ready to trial for the DVG Nationals. I would say the odds are strongly against it right now, not enough time. But we'll give it a shot and see how it goes ...