Hot Weather And Keeping Dogs Outside

[pie]

ATM I have no trees or lawn, just heaps of sand and an undercover area, but the dogs have a dog door to get inside. I don't leave the air con on, the house stays quite cool without it.

[halfthewords]

Ours have access to inside and outside via doggie door. They are only ever outside when the cleaner comes, which is once a fortnight. Fortunately my schedule allows me to be home a lot, but on particularly hot days, I leave the fan on my room on (where they both sleep) and a bowl of cold water from the fridge as well.

[Dory the Doted One]

I ticked Inside with Aircon on, but this would be in an ideal situation as in....plenty of money to cover the electricity bill. And an Air Con that works properly. And a dog that would let me leave her at home!

Dory comes to work with me, so she's covered as she is inside. She also travels everywhere with us whereever possible so she has the car A/C to frost up her fur. If I have to go shopping and leave her at home...we usually try and time shopping for someone at home to babysit her....then she is crated in the coolest part of the house.

The bird is kept in the coolest part of the house also. This year i don't know what we are going to do, because I can't leave the cat at the bird together in the same room! Having said that. It seems that the house stays cool anyways. But I think I might end up taking the cat to work on my longer shifts to be on the safe side.

[TsarsMum]

if its really hot like today they are in but im home if i have to go out for a min or 2 like pick up from school then he goes into his crate. if longer then its the bathroom. i did this with my old dog (minus the crate) if it was hot. But we dont have alot of shade until the patio goes up in the next few weeks.

[KZs Mum]

I have pugs....and I'm in Perth so it is 39 here today. Today and yesterday they have been inside with the aircon on. I had the cleaner come today (they are outside when the cleaner comes) and there was a baby crow outside that has apparently jumped out of it's nest without it's flight feathers! After several phone calls I have established that this is apparently completely normal behaviour and it will get it's flight feathers in a few days time - lucky my dogs weren't interested in it in the backyard - the poor mum and dad crows were having a ripe fit!

[BigPaws]

Mine stay inside with the aircon on but the plan is that they'll be able to get to an outside area with their pool and toys through a doggie door, but still have access to the airconditioned house.

[mokhahouse]

Ruby Star How sweet is your Dad coming and picking up your dogs.

I leave the aircon on and open the doggy door so they can go in or out whatever they wish. We have a lot of shade in our back yard including a large pergola area so they are ok.

Edited November 19, 2010 by mokhahouse

[wuffles]

Mine are outside. They have a shaded pergola, a kennel, plenty of water and well maintained holes :D to lie in to stay cool!

[Brennan's Mum]

Brennan gets to lie on the verandah which is enclosed as the entrance to the house. She has her crate with a fan, a large water bowl, ice cubes in the water and a clam shell pool for morning and late afternoon when the weather cools down.

If it is too hot during the day she gets crated most of the day with the fan on, and will be taken out for a walk and a run during the afternoon or evening.

[Hairy Maclary]

My little scruffer really struggles in the heat and prefers the great indoors anyway - it's inside with aircon here, in his fav spot under my desk :D

[whiskedaway]

Akira is outside when we're not home, however there is a doggy door that goes into the laundry (which is always cold) and she has access to that during the day. Outside she has shelter and LOTS of water - she has a water bowl and a clam shell pool - and when it gets very hot we'll be making her iceblocks.

[Loraine]

Zedley has free indoor/utdoor movement, but I leave the a/c on for him.

[rubiton]

OUr dog - on her back under the flow of the aircon.

My aunts dog though lived outside always and lived to 15 or so even despite those low 40s Adelaide had - they wouldnt even let it have access to the laundry.

So if they have shelter and they are use to being outside they will cope. However if they are used to being inside with the air con like us they would suffer more if left outside in the heat even with shelter.

[Scarlet]

I don't have air conditioning so the dogs have to go without too :D

I think most dogs can cope with shade, access to water and rest when its hot.

I prefer them outside when I'm not home because they can move around to find the coolest spot, especially if a breeze springs up.

[Skitch]

This is why my lot are crate trained.. anything above 35 and everyone is indoors in their crates while we're at work. I'm very lucky to live practically over the fence from my work place so coming home on breaks to let them out for a drink and a run is never an issue.

With that said, I think MOST breeds would actually be quite okay outside with access to lots of water and shade.. but one of our dogs is elderly and the other is an italian greyhound so I like to err on the side of caution and just keep them both in when its hot.

[pie]

I don't get too worried about mine, they both have short coats, and long noses so don't overheat too easily, and have both coped in extreme heat before, they ahve plenty of water at home and usually sleep all day anyway. When we get lawn I want to get them a clam shell with water in it though.

[Earthdog]

Outside with lots of shady trees, a big tiled area that stays cool, umpteen clamshells and plenty of drinking water.

[gila]

Outside, even if I'm home. No aircon in our house and no room for dogs in front of the portable fan! There's a big patch in the yard that is in permanent shade, so Spence digs himself a comfortable hole under the big Camelia bushes and snoozes.

[Mason_Gibbs]

WHen I am home my dog is inside with the aircon, when we go out he stays outside - he has a roof to lay under outside and a splash pool in the shade, I had to go for a lunch today and he was fine while I was out.

[Moselle]

Mine have access to the back verandah which offers a shady spot for them, plenty of water and trees as well. If I happen to be home on a very hot day I make a point of going out and hose them down every hour or so to cool them down. If I owned a brachycephalic dog he/she would be in an air conditioned room as the heat really does affect them more so.