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hot climate

2K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  Gh05t 
#1 ·
We lived in the south of Spain which is (especially now in the summer) very warm. Over 30 degrees.
Mia ( 6 yrs old) has a very thick coat. She is feeling the heat. In fact she is panting
through the day and at times at night.
I'm wondering if I should clip some of her fur.
I've been told not to as it is an insulator for heat and cold.
Can someone advise please.
Many thanks.
Allie.G
 
#2 ·
Some people give a summer clip taking fur down but leaving a couple inches. I'm not a fan of that. Their coat is there for a reason. We live in Florida and summer days are above 90 deg. and high humidity. Tayla is only exercised or out for more than a few minutes early a.m. or late evening.
 
#4 ·
Some people give a summer clip taking fur down but leaving a couple inches. I'm not a fan of that. Their coat is there for a reason. We live in Florida and summer days are above 90 deg. and high humidity. Tayla is only exercised or out for more than a few minutes early a.m. or late evening.
I just have to say - forget about the dogs, that's exactly how WE generally live when down in Florida on vacation during the "wrong" time of the year. :p:

We crept out of doors in the very early morning hours (between 6 and 10 AM) and struggled during those mid-morning hours (between 10 and 12).... hibernated or wallowed in pools during the afternoons.... and came out yet again during the evening hours (between 7 and 11). :bowl:

And we survived.

Those early morning walks outside along the ocean, we met all the dog people then. Lots of goldens+owners down there in Miami who are MIA during the rest of the day.... :)

@OP - I kinda suggest just giving a lot of thought to how much heat exposure your dog can handle - and providing for her when it's a little too warm. Provide lots of water and have a fan running, primarily.

I'm used to sleeping at night with house temps in the 60's, and I normally have a fan running. <- The fan is kind of a old habit that developed when I was little and we lived in a house that had no AC. You basically had two options in summer - keep a fan running so you can breathe. Or go sleep in the basement. We have AC now, but I can't sleep with the dead silence - I'm so used to the hum of the fan :)
 
#3 ·
I believe most people on this forum will agree that she needs her fur for insulation. Daily brushing might help remove some of her undercoat, and maybe some more experienced people here could give an opinion about having a professional groomer strip out some of her undercoat with a special tool. It has to be done very carefully or you can damage her coat or even hurt her skin.

I have a special mat that you add water to (almost like a thin water bed), it's called a 'cool bed' and it feels cool because of the water. Maybe something like that would help your dog.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for responding and giving helpful ideas.
Mia gets walked early in the morning.
Brushed once a day.
Lots of water in many rooms for her.
Fans are on.
And I just bought a wading pool for a child
which she has started to use!
So I think she will get through this summer.
Have decided not to trim her coat.
Cheers,
Mia's Mate
 
#6 ·
Granted he's only 8months but we live in Bangkok, Thailand where it's minimal 28C pretty much all year round and my Golden - Happy is pretty good. We don't run during 10am-3pm and I make sure he has plenty of fresh water and a fan if it heats up. We sleep with the AC on so that's not an issue. From my discussions with our Vet as long as I'm not running him midday and make sure he's hydrated and can get out of the direct sun he's good.
 
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