# Thick coat dogs in hot climate



## sadlybroke (Jun 19, 2012)

Does anyone live in hot parts of Spain with a dog breed that generally thrives in cooler climate regions - e.g. Bernese Mountain Dog, Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Newfoundland Dog, Husky, Malamute, Leonberger, etc.? 

If so, how does your dog cope with hot weather? Of course, providing there is shade available, plenty of water, walks in early mornings/late evenings, etc. Can you enjoy a sunny summer day on the terrace with your dog or is it too hot for them?

We're thinking of getting a Swissy in about a year but I'm just not sure if the breed is suitable for Southern Spain.

I am aware of the potentially dangerous dogs legislation. GSMD would most likely be classed as potentially dangerous due to its size/weight. :confused2:


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

We have a heavy coated mongrel (terrier type) amd a light coated one. Both get shorn before it gets too hot but, of course, to avoid their getting sunburnt, we avoid taking them out between 11 and 5.


----------



## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

Here is the Spanish Water Dog.










The breed originated in Ubrique in south west Spain and is very popular in that part of Andalucia - and believe me it's very hot.

I think dogs are generally pretty good about finding the right spot to keep cool. It's up to us humans to facilitate that instinct - allowing them to do their own thing during the hottest part of the day.


----------



## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

jimenato said:


> Here is the Spanish Water Dog.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


There are loads in Alcalá, I didn't know they were from Ubrique. They don't seem to mind the heat at all.

Apparently you should not shave double-coated dogs in summer because they shed the thick inner coat naturally and the long hair keeps them cool. Though I don¡t know if water dogs have double coats. Someone told me they don't moult at all.

https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/why-you-shouldnt-shave-your-dog-in-summer/


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> There are loads in Alcalá, I didn't know they were from Ubrique. They don't seem to mind the heat at all.
> 
> Apparently you should not shave double-coated dogs in summer because they shed the thick inner coat naturally and the long hair keeps them cool. Though I don¡t know if water dogs have double coats. Someone told me they don't moult at all.
> 
> https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/why-you-shouldnt-shave-your-dog-in-summer/


We have a medium sized (18k) Heinz 57 short haired dog, kind of like the hair you'd have on a Jack Russell, but she's black. She loves the sun, but suffers in the heat. In the summer even walks at 9:00/ 10:00 at night are too hot for her, and she's Spanish born and bred. I think it's because she's black and absorbs all the heat. She's much livelier in the winter than in the summer. And she moults..! OMG,it's like a hair factory in the autumn...


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

My ten year old Cane Corso sheds enough hair every day to make a knitted pullover. I brush her morning and evening but the,vacuum cleaner still picks up loads of hair. 

The best thing to do with ALL dogs in southern Spain is do as Baldi does. Get out of bed and walk before sun rise and after nine p.m. from June to September . Best for your dog and you get to see beautiful sunsets and sun rises. Dawn breaking over the sea can be awesome.


----------



## 95995 (May 16, 2010)

jimenato said:


> Here is the Spanish Water Dog.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That would only apply if there is actually a spot where they can keep cool.

Though it's not just heavy coated dogs that have problems with the heat, many breeds and indeed many individual dogs have issues. Be careful where and when you walk them, to avoid burning their paw pads. Provide plenty of fresh water, including indoors - oh and you should let them indoors when it is very hot.

Dogs don't sweat, they pant. Panting is normal during hot weather, but excessive panting is a sign of distress.


----------



## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

sadlybroke said:


> Does anyone live in hot parts of Spain with a dog breed that generally thrives in cooler climate regions - e.g. Bernese Mountain Dog, Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Newfoundland Dog, Husky, Malamute, Leonberger, etc.?
> 
> If so, how does your dog cope with hot weather? Of course, providing there is shade available, plenty of water, walks in early mornings/late evenings, etc. Can you enjoy a sunny summer day on the terrace with your dog or is it too hot for them?
> 
> ...



2 dogs 65 kilo Mastiff and a 20 kilo long haired border collie

In my experience dogs are far more sensible than humans when it comes to dealing with the heat. As the temperatures rise my two disappear into the shade. Walking is done and dusted by 7.30 am. We have a horse trough for water and, unlike us, they have a pool! An old bath buried into the ground. The collie loves getting in and cooling off, the Mastin not so much. We are very careful re training schedules with the border collie but to honest she’s very good at self regulating and will simply go to a shaded spot when she’s had enough. When they are sleeping 💤 in the heat of the summer we leave them be, don’t keep disturbing them simply let them get on with life as they want.


----------



## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

Alcalaina said:


> There are loads in Alcalá, I didn't know they were from Ubrique. They don't seem to mind the heat at all.
> 
> Apparently you should not shave double-coated dogs in summer because they shed the thick inner coat naturally and the long hair keeps them cool. Though I don¡t know if water dogs have double coats. Someone told me they don't moult at all.
> 
> https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/why-you-shouldnt-shave-your-dog-in-summer/


We have a Spanish water dog. (See my avatar photo.) She does have a double coat and she doesn't shed at all. We get her shorn in June every year, as do all the people we know with Spanish water dogs. Our dog seems to love the heat and she prefers spending her summer days outside instead of in the air-conditioned house. We walk her in the early morning and then late in the day, if nothing else because we don't want to fry to death walking her!


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

We have a few roads i the village that don't see the sun until after midday so we walk on those for the 11 o'clock walk, otherwise we use the back of the hand test - burnt paws are best avoided (they can cope much better with the weather being hot not with burnt paws.)


----------



## CarolineBud (Mar 7, 2020)

Good to hear that pets can be well looked after in the sun. We are bringing our 8 year old Shih Tzu with us and have been worrying about how he will manage in the heat, even to the point of considering re-homing him in the UK before we leave. Some great tips about avoiding the heat, avoiding burnt paws and enjoying sunrise and sunset


----------



## The Skipper (Nov 26, 2014)

CarolineBud said:


> Good to hear that pets can be well looked after in the sun. We are bringing our 8 year old Shih Tzu with us and have been worrying about how he will manage in the heat, even to the point of considering re-homing him in the UK before we leave. Some great tips about avoiding the heat, avoiding burnt paws and enjoying sunrise and sunset


We brought our long-haired GSD with us and she adapted well to the heat. She would find a shady spot to sleep most of the day in the height of summer! Do some research on sand flies, leishmaniasis and processionary caterpillars so that you are aware of the dangers and take the necessary precautions to protect your dog.


----------



## John and Cecil (Dec 22, 2019)

Cecil and I would ride motorcycles a lot in Southern California in the summer where there was no shade and temps would sometimes go above 100 F. When we stopped at lights he would squirm in his box from the heat and sun so I bought him an evaporative cooling vest. This is basically a thin coat made of special material that you soak in cold water and then ring it out a bit, then put it on your dog before a walk or a ride. It keeps the sun off his back and it draws the heat out of his body by evaporation. Even on a very hot and dry day and in direct sunlight it will usually last a good 30-45 minutes before I needed to resoak it with the cold water that I carried in our cooler or from a park water fountain. We used it when going for walks on very hot days too and it really worked well. Make sure to get an "evaporative" one and not a cooling vest that holds ice packs, those are two entirely different things. After I bought the vest for him he never squirmed from being hot on the motorcycle again.


----------

