15 replies to this topic

[geonni banner]

There may be a really obvious answer to this, but I haven't seen it.

The dogs often jump into the tub for a cool-down after a run, (or sometimes even before the run is finished. )

What I wondered is, on really hot days, why not put the dog in the tub before the run, to sort of air-condition it while it's working?

I used to take my Dobie to the dog park (which in our town is HUGE) and the first thing I would do on hot days was throw the ball into the water to get her wet. Otherwise she was likely to overheat in all her charging around after Frisbee and such. But if she got wet, she'd be good for 20 or 30 minutes before she needed a cooling dip.

[Laurae]

We do it sometimes out west, but the water does weigh down the coat of a medium-to-long-haired dog some. Back east, the humidity can cause a wet coat to act like an insulating heavy blanket, serving to trap the heat in and make the dogs even hotter.

[NCStarkey]

Hi Geonni

I would not allow my dog to become wet all over before working when the sun is shining. While wetting the underside of the dog would provide some cooling, I feel that if you wet down the top side of the dog, that may create more of a sauna-like effect. It would seem to me that the sun on the dog's coat would heat the residual water, something that I feel would be counter-productive, especially on a black dog.

Regards,
nancy

[airbear]

One year at Lacamas (600 yd outrun) it was so very hot, maybe 104 degrees, and I splashed some water on the underside of my dog. I'm pretty sure it had evaporated before we went to the post. I would never wet the top of the dog, for the 'steam like a potato' reasons mentioned already. I *will* give them a bit of water mixed with Glyco-gen (maltodextrin) about 20 minutes before their runs if it's a really hot day and/or the course is long/tough.

My Open dog has used the cooling tub maybe three times in the 5 years that we've been trialing. He just doesn't get hot. My younger dog tried to soak in a water dish at the Calgary Stampede after working for 4 minutes in an indoor (air conditioned) arena. Some dogs just like to soak after a job, no matter how brief the job is!

[WildFlower]

I love the "rituals" that some dogs have when they hop in the stock tank after working.

This may seem like a totally lame question.... But did most of your dogs just start to hop in the stock tank on their own after a run?

I don't compete (yet) but my neither of my dogs will hop in the water after a practice.

[bcnewe2]

I love the "rituals" that some dogs have when they hop in the stock tank after working.

This may seem like a totally lame question.... But did most of your dogs just start to hop in the stock tank on their own after a run?

I don't compete (yet) but my neither of my dogs will hop in the water after a practice.

When I was down in AR where the humidity was horrendous my dogs would be working, if they cruised by the pond, they would run through while still working. I didn't mind as long as they continued on the path of the job. I know some people have issues if a dog stops working and tries to go to the stocktank. I figure as much as they love the work, they must need to cool off. At least dogs that I know aren't trying to dodge pressure.

Dew loves water but not tubs, she will get in but only if she's really hot. Mick hates the hose and other flowing water but will get in a tank if he needs to, but NOT if the tank is dirty or doG forbid peed in. Then he stands there lookin at me all hot and po'd. When he's in the tank he does stupid stuff like splashing around or trying to dunk his head under. Crazy dog!
All my dogs taught themselves. they get hot working round the farm and find their way to the tank after a hot one. I haven't seen many dogs that won't do it.

I hear that Mick's Momma would never get in dirty water either. Must be a family thing.

[Carson Crazies]

I showed Nick and Linc (er... uh... threw them in) to use the stock tank when they were first starting out. After one or two times in they got it, and from that point on chose to go in. They both seem to like to go in whether they're hot or not, and Linc likes to roll around in it, flip over on his back, root his face under the water, and so on. With all of that black hair he looks like an otter. Nick, on the other hand, is too dignified for rooting.

June, on the other hand, will not get in a stock tank to save her own life. If I put her in she looks as if I've sent her straight to the bowels of a fire pit with dog eating monsters lurking about. No amount of putting her in (and she will NOT lay down... she just stands there all dejected) has changed that.

All three of these dogs love to splash in creeks and swim in ponds though.

Like the others I might wet down bellies but won't wet the top of their coats down before working. I'm afraid that the wet top coats would act as a sauna.

[The Good Shepherd]

What a timely question

Okay, why do dogs pee in the tank while they are in there?
One of mine will be totally submersed then stand up and pee in the tank?

[Beach BCs]

So no one else will go in?

[topnotchdog]

I don't compete (yet) but my neither of my dogs will hop in the water after a practice.

This was important to me, because my dog didn't like it, but he has heat-related issues and it's not really optional for safety reasons. So I shaped it. Fast, simple and you get strong behavior, even for a dog who would otherwise refuse to go in (took about 5 or 6 five minute training sessions).

A tip: be sure to teach the dog to go in all size pools. The first time I cued my dog to do it in a portable pool that was too small for his legs, he didn't have a clue. (So I did pick him up and scoop the water onto his belly by hand, because I don't prefer to force a dog to lie down, especially when it's so easily trained.) I did then work on getting him to smunch himself into smaller pools, just took a couple of sessions extra.

B.

[airbear]

A tip: be sure to teach the dog to go in all size pools.

Some of the soaking tubs are really quite small! As I mentioned, my big dog (54lbs and 24" at the shoulder) rarely if ever soaks (he is a camel or something) which is a good thing because he simply wouldn't fit in some of the tubs!

At Klamath in 2009, I thought the tub at the Nursery field was small, given how hot and dusty it was. Rex is a runty collie, so he was fine, but I thought it would have been nice to have tubs so that the dogs could lay down and get their bellies good and wet. I suspect that I fussed about it more than any of the dogs, who seemed just fine having a nice long sit in the more upright tub.

I call this "Hard-Boiled Rex".

[Laurae]

Sexy Rexy!

Taz refuses to lie down in a stock tank, no matter how hot he gets. Well, I suppose I can make him do it, but he is nervous about it the whole time and visibly relieved when I tell him fine, just sit up then. Weirdo.

[MyTDogs]

My dog gets really hot. I try & wet her first on hot days. In some tanks her back will be completely submerged & I've never noticed an issue. I do focus on wetting her belly & axillae (armpits) if the tub is shallow or if I need to use a hose.

Hot Dog

[NorthfieldNick]

Nick is one of those "take a wide flank to jump in the tank" kind of dogs. I never taught him- he just started doing it. I did accidentally teach him that "get in the pond!" means "jump in the water." We have ponds around here... but it looks a little silly when I tell Nick to get in the pond at a trial with a tiny stock tank. Nick will swim teeny circles in a tank like the one Rex is in He also loves to put his head under water & blow bubbles, and he'll try to sink sticks at the beach. Weirdo

Nick overheats, but luckily he's pretty good at cooling himself off. If it's super hot out, I'll wet his underside before working. I also have his belly & legs shaved in the summer- helps a lot.

Hoot thinks he's being bad when he gets in the stock tanks. Dunno why- he loves to swim!

[Alchemist]

With due apologies if you've seen this before - it's a shot from a clinic this past fall. The weather was cool, so there was no stock tank for the dogs to jump into, but this dog clearly felt that she was "supposed" to try to climb into one. So she did the best she could with what was available after her turn.

[bcnewe2]

With due apologies if you've seen this before - it's a shot from a clinic this past fall. The weather was cool, so there was no stock tank for the dogs to jump into, but this dog clearly felt that she was "supposed" to try to climb into one. So she did the best she could with what was available after her turn.

Mick my most dignified dog has a new trick. the other night I was out feeding Lily. I usually scoop some water in the food bowl to make sure she's gettin enough water. So I guess I split a few pieces of kibble into the heated water bucket.
I'm sittin on the ground feeding Lil and I see Mick out of the corner of my eye playing bobbing for kibble. He even went ear deep and started blowing bubbles. I was rolling on the floor with Lil laughing. This from a dog who won't even get in a stock tank if it's dirty. He went on for at least 10 minutes and now everytime he goes out there he has to check the water bucket.
I need a camera!