Dutch Shepherd and Heat

[Karin]

Hey all.

It is me, the one impatiently waiting for my DS... only 2.75 more weeks!!!! My DS will likely be on the darker side and given our current heat wave, I was jut wondering how you all find that the Dutch Shepherd does in heat. I would imagine okay but just thought I would ask given that the Netherlands is a relatively cool country.

I guess I have to add that I'm a wimp. It is 88 out (which is quite warm for Lake Tahoe) and I feel like I might collapse. Both my husband and I are wimpering.

Thanks.

[icvanstra]

Karin,

I'm in Central Indiana where the summers can be over 100 and in the winter it can be -20. Those are extremes, but they definitely happen.

If it is hot - provide shade and water. Don't over do it.

If it is cold - provide shelter. Don't over do it.

My Cino is the offspring of Nico, Texas, and Roya, Wisconsin, and is also very dark. He really doesn't care what temperature it is. But, he prefers the heat over the cold. I have to be careful in the extreme cold. He is naturally thin with the standard DS coat. As long as he is active out in the cold he does well - if he is at rest, he is shivering.

...in any extreme condition be careful. Provide shelter and water.

[johninny]

mine have hated heat and generally suffered most when it is warmer or hot if there is higher humidity.
I have had long experience with only one DS: every spring/early summer when it turned pleasantly warm, he would act like it was 110 degrees. then he would slowly get used to the idea of unwanted heat and was alright unless it got very hot AND humid or, as Eric said, we were not careful enough. we generally walked 5 hours a day, bit if temp/humidity got uncomfortable, HE agreed that it was better to stay in til heat wave passed. they really do overheat easily with just a little too much exercise and also need water more frequently and in greater quantity than you are mentally prepared for. PAY A LOT OF ATTENTION TO THE WATER. if TD was overheating, HE WOULD ASK FOR ICE - very effective. since then, I find a bowl of ice cubes will physically calm and cool down any heat-stressed DS more quickly than anything else [ well, there is AC !]
in winter, the colder it got, the happier TD would get, until the temp dropped into the teens [ in nyc, such a drop is usually accompanied by much higher winds than normal, which can make it seem below 0 ]. at that point, his increasing JOY at lower temps would suddenly mutate to efficient walks to get inside more quickly

[TexasMedy]

Medy (I believe she is your puppies half sister) is quite dark, although with beautiful coloration. She does well in the insufferable heat in SE Texas. We live 30 miles North of downtown Houston. Certainly not lake tahouish weather! She does love the water and most of our activities are near a creek or pond plus pool in the backyard. My much lighter Dalmatians wimp out in the heat MUCH faster then Medy. I brought Medy to Texas at 9 weeks of age from The Netherlands, in late May last year. Late May In Houston area is hot and humid and she did fine as a puppy. We have always tried to inject some common sense and not stay in the heat for hours with high intensity activity. when it is hot i will do only a few minutes of fetch, frisbee or bitework. I can tell when she has had enough. Most of our off leash walks are a few hours in length. The walks tend to be activities lime short bursts of terrorizing a Dalmatian or diving into the creek. i think she could go on for the entire day at this pace even in heat. My dogs are indoors much of the time during the daytime and always at night.

[centrop67]

You may have seen that Radar (who is very dark) and I like to go on hikes down here in steamy South Florida (See Pictures Thread). Usually, Radar gets to cool off with a nice swim during our hikes.

One time, I made the mistake of not bringing fresh water, and we were unable to swim. There were too many fisherman with lines in the watering hole. I think a combination of the heat and disappointment with missing the swim made Radar a little sluggish on the walk back.

I ended up carrying him part of the way back, and then finding a shallow spot in the adjacent canal for him to cool off (ever vigilant for snakes and gators).

That was a real wake up call for me to ALWAYS have fresh water on the walks. I purchased one of those runner's water bottles that attach to my waste, and I NEVER go on a walk with Radar without it. It doesn't matter whether it's going to be a short or long walk or whether it's cloudy or sunny.

[LyonsFamily]

Odin does great in the heat. He loves to sunbathe and hang out at ponds and lakes. He's not much of an outside dog and will only stay outside if we are there. My mom calls him a city boy wimp. He's slowly learning to enjoy the country, but it really doesn't get that hot in Michigan most days. He will ask for water if he needs it though. The funniest thing is when I open a water bottle and his bowl is empty and he sits there staring at me like I'm the rudest person on earth.

[TexasMedy]

Water is quite important. On our local hikes we have unlimited supply of good drinking water for the dogs out of pond or creek. When we go to the ranch for hunting trips I have to bring water. I plan to order a nylon tracking vest with attachment pouch so Medy can pack her and my water and maybe a few snacks. Last fall I tracked with a leash and collar and that does not work so well when you have a very excitied DS at the end of the lead. Ray Allen supply has some cool equipment.

[Dutchringgirl]

Mine are very different when it comes to the weather. Sadie only likes 70. She dosnt like the cold or heat. Thalie dosnt mind any temperature. Some days she will lay in the sun then move to the shade. When we go biking, I will only take Thalie to places that have alot of streams and access to water.

[Sugars Mom]

Ha, so I think the answer is...depends on the dog! Sugar does not enjoy the heat. We've had 30 degree weather this week and she is pretty sluggish.

[Karin]

Thanks all, just curious if there was anything breed specific. Just like humans... some like it hot.

[johninny]

there might be a pattern. I know everyone has been talking short-haired DS, but some really do have rather short, flat coats, while others are thicker, with that thick coat being very obvious around the neck - fairly fluffy like a GSD's neck can be. going from my rough impressions [ and rough memory ], I think there is a correlation: those with the flatter, shorter coats [ which I think (?) tend to be quite dark ] were reported as tolerating heat. those dogs with thicker coats, particularly obvious around the neck, are not so heat tolerant. Tracedog and now Sakima [ especially ] really lose it in the heat. Sakima suffers a lot physically. TD not only tried to avoid hot humid days, but all his good judgment and intellect seemed to dissolve after a brief stint in high-humidity heat, clearly indicating how severe and systemic the impact can be. as both TD and Sakima would pull out all the stops physically if the situation suggested such [ DS do want to please and do the job ], one has to be very careful and look for other signs of stress, like in TD's case a dramatic and worrisome loss of ability to think straight.

[Dutchringgirl]

I like your coat theory, not sure it fits mine though. Thalie's coat has gotten thicker as she gets older, very fluffy and thick, but she still loves sitting in the sun. Thalie is not all black but a dark brindle, Sadie is a much lighter red brindle and a think coat, and she hates the heat and cold, but Sadie also has double HD so that may play a huge role in her temperature preferences. My dog before Thalie was a black Pitt/ Rott and she used to lay in the sun until she was soooo hot.

[Schlussdibusti]

The opinions in regards to coat and heat seem to vary greatly. For instance some folks shave their Golden Retrievers in the summer while others argue the coat is insulation for cold as well as heat. I personally would support the "insulation" theory since air is a great barrier like in 3 pane windows or neoprene wetsuits.

[HeatherH]

Get ready for the shedding. come brush, brush some more or vaccum. lol. we swim alot. always splash the chest, that were I find it cools him off the most. We stil hike a little later a night Dutch has his own water, I taught him to dring while pouring at him. If it's way too hot and humid, I'll keep him in the basement. He's not happy about but he listens.

Heather

[LyonsFamily]

there might be a pattern. I know everyone has been talking short-haired DS, but some really do have rather short, flat coats, while others are thicker, with that thick coat being very obvious around the neck - fairly fluffy like a GSD's neck can be. going from my rough impressions [ and rough memory ], I think there is a correlation: those with the flatter, shorter coats [ which I think (?) tend to be quite dark ] were reported as tolerating heat. those dogs with thicker coats, particularly obvious around the neck, are not so heat tolerant. Tracedog and now Sakima [ especially ] really lose it in the heat. Sakima suffers a lot physically. TD not only tried to avoid hot humid days, but all his good judgment and intellect seemed to dissolve after a brief stint in high-humidity heat, clearly indicating how severe and systemic the impact can be. as both TD and Sakima would pull out all the stops physically if the situation suggested such [ DS do want to please and do the job ], one has to be very careful and look for other signs of stress, like in TD's case a dramatic and worrisome loss of ability to think straight.

That makes sense for us. Odin has a very thin undercoat and really only has the thicker stuff on his neck, rear, and tail. He's also quite dark most of the year, he does go through his lighter periods of a more reddish/tan coat, but overall, he's very dark compared to others.

[Revhendo]

Get ready for the shedding. come brush, brush some more or vaccum. lol. we swim alot. always splash the chest, that were I find it cools him off the most. We stil hike a little later a night Dutch has his own water, I taught him to dring while pouring at him. If it's way too hot and humid, I'll keep him in the basement. He's not happy about but he listens.

Heather

Shedding, holy cow. Roo doesn't shed for the most part. She blows her fur off once or twice a year. Man is it a mess. Most folks have dust bunnies, during that time, we have little dust wolverines under the couch, under the shelves, wandering aimlessly down the hall......

[bannerd]

I bought my dog ruffwear backpack, which allows me to carry water for him or he can carry his own water. Came with a water vest that traps water in to cool him off. Also came with a nice backpack with all sorts of compartments and a folding water bowl. Expensive but well worth it.

http://www.ruffwear.com/Palisades-Pack_ ... ategory=13

Also make this cool vest too;

http://www.ruffwear.com/Swamp-Cooler-Do ... ategory=12