Hi !

Well have been busy with the world of dogs and dog shows!

It has been so hot and muggy and working hard to keep the dogs cool and comfortable. Which brings me to this post. I wanted to let you know that if you keep your dogs in an air conditioned area all the time, when you go to show them in the heat, they will not be able to perform.

So most seasoned show people will keep the dogs outside or in a room with fans so that they remain cool, but also remain accustomed to the heat when you begin to ask them to perform in the heat. Think about how you are in air conditioning and then walk out into the heat, its like walking literally into an oven Just not a good thing to do with your animals of any kind, going in and out of the cool to hot.

It is very important to give fresh buckets of cool not ice but cool water every hours, especially outdoor dogs, because that bucket can heat up very quickly in hot weather and then the dogs won't want to drink their water. Keep the water in a shaded area or their indoor part of the kennels. Pools filled with water work well too, believe it or not many will just go stand in there to cool off and really enjoy it.

The other thing is to not work them in the heat. Do any training in the very early am or late evening when things cool off and there is no sun.

AND FOR NO REASON LEAVE THEM IN A VEHICLE IN THIS TYPE OF HEAT.

NO MATTER WHAT!

If you are traveling , you will have to make very short stops and either take them inside with you , and go to drive thru;s for food...lol.

At the shows, take large coolers and get fresh ice each morning. We get these gel pads and keep them in ice and then put them in the crates to keep the dogs cool. Fans are a must to keep them cool, we get high velocity air ones , the little crate fans are simply useless, you must get a large box fan or large oscillating fan to keep their area cool and the air moving.

Again, for no reason leave your dogs unattended or in a vehicle for any period at all. It is too hot, at least here in Michigan it is, and its not getting any cooler anytime soon!

Here is wishing you all luck at your next shows, and keep cool!

Barb