# Training in the heat



## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

I have indoor dogs. Do you think their safety and performance would be better at training if I kenneled them outdoors normally to acclimate them? Any personal experience or observations?


----------



## Katie Finlay (Jan 31, 2010)

I think as long as you start them slowly it doesn't matter where they're kept. They'll just need a slower introduction than a dog that's already running around outside all day.


----------



## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

Many on our team do just that. [dogs outside, at least during the day] for acclimatization.

Given all the storms, I do bring Beau in when it is storming even though he does not seem bothered by it but we have big trees in the back and lightning can go through the earth as well.

Then my house is tolerable for us at night but not cold...main difference between our house and outside air temp at night is humidity is lower in the house and we don't have skeeters inside.


----------



## Sarah Platts (Jan 12, 2010)

My dogs are kinda both. They have free run of the home and a doggie door to the backyard. However, I work to keep everyone acclimated (me and the dogs). I don't turn the A/C on but will run the ceiling fans on low to keep the air moving. *If* the a/c goes on it's set to 80F since I use it for humidity control more than anything. The dogs are taken out every day and worked no matter what the weather or conditions. Now here's what I found my dogs learned with heat. 
Initially, if off-lead problem they ran around like maniacs but then learned to work with the heat. When the young dog first starts I make sure there is water holes or puddles available so they can wet down. But eventually you see them learn to work with the heat and not against it. They would work ahead of me searching an area but then stop up ahead and wait for me to catch up. When I did they would start to course again. During these pauses they would be in rest mode, panting and cooling off. They began a slower but steady gait that didn't burn them up so fast. But the only way they learned this stuff was having to be out there working in it. 

Kenneling them outside is a great idea but you also have to work them in that heat so they, and you, can learn to work with it and learn the limits of each particular dog because each dog is different.


----------



## georgia estes (Nov 3, 2009)

We are in Dallas, hell on Earth in the summer. We still train but we do short sessions and really watch the dog. We always have access to water/ice and shade. Some dogs have a higher tolerance than others so you need to know the signs of over heating. My dog stays inside during the day, no acclimation and he does fine as long as I don't over do it. It's 108, I don't feel like running much either. Been doing it 8 years now and haven't had a problem yet with any dog in our club


----------



## Kevin Cyr (Dec 28, 2012)

Hunter Allred said:


> I have indoor dogs. Do you think their safety and performance would be better at training if I kenneled them outdoors normally to acclimate them? Any personal experience or observations?


 
You see a difference at times....long searches, all day in the heat, you remedy with shade, water etc....but if dog is outside all the time you do get a little more out of him for time, stamina, and overall willingness to complete the task. 

Some dogs show that they don't care and will work themselves to death or overheat, its handlers job to avoid that, but given max acclimatization you got more time in my eyes. 

Dog should be kenneled or housed withn 15 degrees +/- of ambient air to maximize true efficiency


----------



## Terrasita Cuffie (Jun 8, 2008)

I think Sarah is right in that you have to train/work them in the heat both for the human and the dog. I can train during the cooler parts of the day/evening but then come trial day, its blazing sun and 95 degrees. Mine are house dogs as well and mid-80s and below, I don't do air conditioning for me or the dogs. The ceiling fans are good enough. Next week, looks like we are in the 90s all week and I'll have the air on here and there. I think coat color and genetics have a hand in heat tolerance. Black coats take in the heat more so than lighter coats. Then there's knowing how to keep them cool and what parts to wet so they don't vaporize. When mine are too hot I think they lose focus and I don't think they handle the pressure of commands.

T


----------



## James Downey (Oct 27, 2008)

I cannot find the study. I looked for it. But this exact thing came up for human athletes. Do athletes that don't do A/C do better in sports?

And the answer was no. They tested athletes that live in the conditions they were to compete in. Then there were people who trained in air condition and live in it. Then just people who lived in air conditioning and then trained in the enviorment they were to compete in The athletes that did the best were athletes that trained outdoors, in the climates they were to compete in. But when at rest kept thier bodies comfortable tempature wise.Though they did see that it took those athletes longer to acclimate than the athletes that lived in the conditions they competed in. Over all they had a better Vo2 max, They ate better (which suprised me) and they had better reserves glycogen, water and they had lower average heart rate and blood pressure.....the conclusion, was that the body, when at rest spent an enormous amount of resources keeping cool, those resources could have been used for muscle regeneration and energy stores. It also does not take constant exposure to acclimate. It just takes regular exposure....also it seemed that people that lived in heat were much more prone to make unhealthy eating choices...especially choosing foods with either high salt content or sugar content.


----------



## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

In the Summer in our club we hold / held (no longer a member) a full IPO trial but started at around 5 am.

Tracking was over but in obedience I had to stand in the hide whilst the other dog was working and the sun beat on top of my blonde head!!

Between 11 and 12 am the protection started and a lot of handlers were beefing about the heat. My black-haired dog won the trial in IPO 1. For him, the heat didn't really become an issue - the drive and the fight with the helper did. And this in a GSD club!! God bless you Eric


----------



## Karen M Wood (Jun 23, 2012)

Went to train last night at Plant City. It's rained, stormed and been generally nasty here for the last 2 months. Yesterday was actually not bad. No storms and just a few quick little rain showers. But.....
The training field was under 2" of water and swampy as hell. We all trained but those of us that forgot to bring rubber boots all ended up with wet tennis shoes. 
I told my decoy not to get my white bulldog muddy! (Just kidding!)
All the dog did well but it was sweltering at 7 pm as the sun went down, the skeeters were huge and my decoy's sleeve got heavier and heavier every time a dog drug it through the mud on a victory lap.
I can't wait till fall. Thinking about giving August a break and take the dog dock diving.
Ugh!


----------

