# heat tolerance in dogs



## Sarah Platts (Jan 12, 2010)

Other than acclimation has anyone noticed if there is any relevancy between dogs born in the winter versus dogs being bon in the summer as being naturally more heat tolerant? Or adjusting to heat issues more readily?


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## Ang Cangiano (Mar 2, 2007)

It's an interesting question, and something I've actually thought of before. But I have never noticed a correlation between the two things. We've raised a number of litters, born in all seasons, to adulthood and have not, personally, noticed summer puppies being more naturally tolerant of heat.

Maybe others will have different experiences.

Ang


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## Sarah Platts (Jan 12, 2010)

It's something that has crossed my radar a time or two. As I travel around the U.S. with my dogs to seminars and such I look at various dogs and where they are from. Take a dog born and raised in Maine and ship him to FL where the summer conditions are not anything like Maine and how well would they adapt as compared to the same dog that was born and raised in FL to begin with?

Perhaps of no relevancy but we raised rabbits on a commercial basis for a time. Rabbits use their ears to help regulate their body temp. Rabbits born in the summer had longer, fuller ears than ones born in the winter. Clearly there is some adaptation going on simply on the basis of heat. Anyway it was a thought as we head into the summer months....


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## Ang Cangiano (Mar 2, 2007)

We're in Maine, and have dogs working in all climates throughout the world, some very hot, without issue. I just, personally, haven't seen it, not saying it isn't there though. Same on the flip side, we haven't noticed any better cold tolerance in dogs that were whelped/reared in the winter. Actually, on that end of it, my most cold intolerant dog was born in February. 

Ang


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

I think acclimitization and diet.
Some foods are "hot" and others "cool"

I give *some* credence on this and use it to help time my food orders

http://www.herbsmithinc.com/Home/Education/FoodCharts/default.asp


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## Karin Sable (Aug 31, 2014)

Can anyone direct me to some information about systematic acclimatization to hot climates. I have a very dark dutchie that definitely feels the heat. We are training to be area SAR. I know about hydration and resting him often, wetting the belly and groin if I can. But wondering about systematic acclimatization. Thanks.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Gradually increasing exposure would be my only guess to help them adjust.

Some dog just naturally adjust so I don't know how much can really be accomplished.

One of the Border terriers I had seemed impervious to any weather. 

In the summer he could just as easily stretch out and sleep on the black top drive in summer heat as he could stretch out and sleep on a pile of snow on well below freezing days. 

This was a dog that lived in the house also. Go figure!


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

Karin
can you give some specifics of what "feels the heat" means ?

for what it's worth, i don't think the problem would be related to his coat color

if it is a problem, i'm assuming you are monitoring his temp.
- how quickly does it spike and how quickly can you bring it down, etc ?

is the dog wearing a vest when training/working ?

is he environmentally solid ? (no problem drinking on the job, etc)

i've also looked for refs to your question because i have had dogs sent here (japan) from other countries with big diffs in climates. never found anything that seemed credible or conclusive one way or the other.
- had lots of conversations with mwd handlers about handling the heat on overseas deployments. water, water and more water.....condition the dog and don't overwork it 
- i'm sure you already know that HOT asphalt and concrete will severely restrict their ability to use pads to do any canine self cooling. if the dog spends a lot of time on hard surfaces it will usually have the callouses to handle it, so that can be conditioned


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## Sarah Platts (Jan 12, 2010)

Karin Sable said:


> Can anyone direct me to some information about systematic acclimatization to hot climates. I have a very dark dutchie that definitely feels the heat. We are training to be area SAR. I know about hydration and resting him often, wetting the belly and groin if I can. But wondering about systematic acclimatization. Thanks.


I looked but no one really has info other than gradually increasing working time and living in the enviroment you are trying to acclimate too. Keeping them watered and allowing rehab time (taking breaks) seem to be the most common responses. If your dog has ever suffered from a heat injury in the past this does seem to predispose them to future events of the same thing. They never seem as heat tolerate as they may have been before. I would also start carrying one of the small cheap digital thermometers and use it to track his temps. You may also have to plan his deployments so that he's not out in the high heat (mornings until around 11 and then afternoons after 6). Not the most ideal but you do what you can do. If you are working in the high heat you may have to take shorter tasks or take a big task and block it out into segments with lots of water breaks.

If this is your dog's first summer heat issue then most dogs learn to work with the heat. They still work but it's at a slower pace without alot of extras. They do the minimum without alot of foo-foo waste. If you are working in open desert areas then the reflected heat back up from the ground makes it twice as hot for them so you really have to plan *when* you deploy. No one likes to say "we need to wait a few hours" but sometimes you have to.

If its any consolation, I'm dealing with the same issue (which is why I posted the question) because my winter born pup is already showing me he doesn't like working in the heat and will quit when he thinks he's had enough. Short tasks, access to water, and keeping his belly wet seem to be helping. But he's a bit like mule (as opposed to a horse) where he won't work himself to death or injury.


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## Sarah Platts (Jan 12, 2010)

I forgot to add that handlers who work alot in the high heat will also preload their dogs with IV solutions. I don't know if this is an option or not. But the MWD handlers who came back from the desert would routinely SQ-load the dog to keep them hydrated.


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## Ang Cangiano (Mar 2, 2007)

You can also get sun reflective vests to put on your dog. Most are diamond shaped, velcro loop to the collar and an elastic belly band. They work well when the dog is in the sun, but just as big of a consideration is humidity. High humidity restricts the dogs ability to cool.

Ang


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## Sarah Platts (Jan 12, 2010)

Nancy Jocoy said:


> I think acclimitization and diet.
> Some foods are "hot" and others "cool"
> 
> I give *some* credence on this and use it to help time my food orders
> ...


I've run into a couple of handlers who change their food depending on the seasons. Have you noticed that much a change between feeding the right food for the season or not?


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## Brian McQuain (Oct 21, 2009)

Sarah Platts said:


> Other than acclimation has anyone noticed if there is any relevancy between dogs born in the winter versus dogs being bon in the summer as being naturally more heat tolerant? Or adjusting to heat issues more readily?




I personally have not seen any correlation with any of the dogs Ive ever worked with or owned.

Best heat and cold tolerant dog Ive ever seen is my solid black GSD, born in Colorado, in September, while snow was on the ground. He'll out work any other dog Ive seen in the heat of the day, including another GSD I have, who was born in June, in the desert of So Cal. 

The solid black GSD does have a giant head with giant ears and a long snout, which most likely helps regulate his temp. 

As far as acclimating dogs to the heat, Ive always approached it the same way I acclimate myself to the heat. Slow, gradual. Keep in good physical shape year round, keep hydrated, pay attention to the dogs (and yourself) signs of overheating, work a little longer in the heat each day. Also, as Sarah said, keep and use a thermometer, and you can load NaCl SQ, use cooling vests, etc. as needed.


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

i'm pretty much with Brian

my house dog was born in hot dry australia but loves to sleep in the snow and is more active in winter but handles humdity too...go figure

i've had dogs sent here from way diff climates in the states that never experience semi-tropical climates that we have in Kyushu, but none had problems

most acclimation is a common sense approach and i'm the type who believes taking a temp is the only way to truly know if there is an overheating problem. i've had a bunch of dogs give symptoms that made me think they were overheating but their core temp was within specs. one in particular would froth up and drink like there was no tomorrow, but temps were always normal
- i only wish my navy instructors had had the same concerns for us human "dogs" and glad they never thought to carry rectal thermometers //rotflmao//


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## Ang Cangiano (Mar 2, 2007)

Here are a couple papers that might be of interest on heat acclimatization and heat tolerance. These are not specific to dogs.

http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19710015917.pdf

http://ajplegacy.physiology.org/content/151/2/564.short

http://journals.lww.com/md-journal/...SMS_OF_ACCLIMATIZATION_TO_HEAT_IN_MAN_.2.aspx

https://pedclerk.uchicago.edu/sites/pedclerk.uchicago.edu/files/uploads/heat.pdf

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00935938#page-1

Ang


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

Looking forward to reading the articles. I will say I observe some difference with fish vs lamb but the others not as much but, then, is that subjective? I know lamb packs the weight on him better than the other foods (he is a lean dog) and duck gives him the squirts in too bad a way to be useful.

I do keep him outside all day and inside at night. I could work in a warmer house (but not 85!) but I telecommute and would need a chilling mat for my computer. I do have plans to build a ventilated cooling cabinet. Some of the things to is the kind of work. Hot fast pursuits or rapid detection work vs steady scanning for odor for hours on end (though we do break every 20-30 minutes or so and I do carry chemical cooling packs and have used them once -- you know the instant cold compresses in your first aid kit)


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## Karin Sable (Aug 31, 2014)

Wow, thanks for all the responses. I too will look at those articles and get some of the cooling compresses. Hadn't thought of that. (BTW, been at this a year and hoping to do final cert in the fall - my first SAR dog). He does wear an orange mesh vest that allows, I think, for max air. When it gets around 80, he tends minimize ranging and moves with great intention from shade to shade and look back at me. I have not had him completely shut down and when he is in scent he will take off. As Sarah said, nothing extra just the job. It is just more obvious than any other dog I have had. We will work on progressing time and I will increase longer breaks too. I figured y'all would bring up the thermometer. ;-) I think I need to go that route.


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

As you do read the articles remember dogs manage heat a bit differently than we do. All they have is a small amount of sweat on the soles of her feet and panting.... I am lucky that my current dog is sensible about the heat and will actually stop when he gets hot and pace himself but I still usually like to force the breaks before he decides he has to take one and one thing with a sar dog if he wants to take a mud bath he takes a mud bath


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

Ang
did you read these refs ?

the first one is over 30years old and the second one required me to pay 20 bucks to read past the first page ](*,)
- is it worth paying for ???

i bailed at that point 

i would also be interested but as it has been pointed out, canines and humans control core temps differently and i'm not too interested in how rats and other small mammals cool down


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

from another ref :
"Miliaria rubra (ie, heat rash or prickly heat) presents as a pinpoint papular erythematous, often intensely pru- ritic, eruption in areas covered with clothing."

so now i know what jock rash really is //rotflmao//
not really a problem unless your doggy wears underwear


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## Sarah Platts (Jan 12, 2010)

Ang, thanks for posting. People think about the dog but its amazing how many don't think about themselves. Like we are invincible or something. Just because something is 30 years old does not change the information. How humans sweat and how the body reacts to that is still pretty much the same. I started reading the NASA one and found it a bit deep. Still working my way through. The thing with using other animals is to put everything in context. I do wish there was more stuff on dogs but will take what I can where I can.


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

re : "Just because something is 30 years old does not change the information."
...for sure 
- i knew someone would jump on that comment
- OC was "discovered" way more than 30 yrs ago too

there must be a study out there somewhere. 

in the meantime, knowing how dogs control their core temps and how to treat it when it is a problem and before it is life threatening will probably satisfy most of us

uncle sam has the deepest pockets, so when it becomes a problem for mwd's and there are K9 deaths "uncle" will probably get interested and study it in depth


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## Karin Sable (Aug 31, 2014)

Just some clarification sought. If I was to cool my dog in a 5-10 minute rest in the field, I would of course do it in shade, water water (he doesn't always drink sufficiently on his own but if I add a doggy sport drink or just some of his kibble, he is good about drinking). Sounds like I could do a cold compress on his groin and wet his feet too? Is that good practice?

Then the temperature taking... never done this. I know about getting the plastic flexible pediatric thermometers, I'll try to get one soon. Then the way I understand it, I'm supposed to take his temp a lot to form his baseline temp and then see if it spikes in the heat. I'll look up the range of work and when it is too high. I cannot see my dutchie liking this bit much. Wish me luck.

Rick, I think you had said that coat color doesn't matter. Someone in SAR here told me black dogs run 30% hotter on the surface than light colored. Seems like that would have to translate into internal heat. Maybe? But I know heat tolerance varies. I had a fluffy red aussie that would work work work, he is gone now but would have been an awesome SAR dog I think. My dutchie is a bit more select. He will work when in scent but on hot days he just doesn't range as much.


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

You need to be very careful cooling them down as you can go to far the other direction.

I would never cool down on the neck because the return blood to the brain gets cooled and may trick the dog into beilieving it is cooler than need be. 

I always hydrate my dogs's food. I always hydrate him before work (some kibble in the water helps)

There ARE some articles specific to dogs but I will have to dig for them....and am jamming getting my work done to leave for a K9 training trip Thu through Monday.


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

After being hit today with the summer blow. (week of very warm temps).........don't understimate the value of a good undercoat stripping in a double coated dog. The neck ruff, the loin, the hair at the base of the tai all seem particularly thick in my GSDs and I work towards being able to get a flea comb through the entire coat. I know the topcoat is important but I think stripping undercoat is a good thing.


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## Karin Sable (Aug 31, 2014)

Thanks Nancy. Have a great trip and training. We are back to cold weather and possibly snow here in the Sierras.


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## OC Donnelly (Jul 30, 2012)

I'm new here but have had rotty's all my life and we know they don't do great in heat, hell I had one die in my arms up in the MT's, so I know a thing or 2 now. The dog I have now had major issue's also, as I do MT biking with him on country roads, 3-5 miles a day, he's now 5 and what happens is the hotter he gets, the more he has to stop to eliminate, and it gets looser as we go. So took me awhile but I FINALLY figured out what it was and I am posting this for people to help. It was the Dry Dog food, all types and they all did the same thing. 2 Months of being on a rice/ raw meat and bones (from Butcher) diet and holy, he's put on some size, and now can bike with me and only eliminates 1 time average, and he is hot I tell ya, but no signs of exhaustion, give him water once in awhile and he's good. I can't believe that this would of worked so well. Hottest so far was about 22 C out. What I do to make it easier for the food is I put it in 14 containers of tupper ware, and freeze it, dump it in his bowl, and add warm water to it, within 5min, he's good to go for it.


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

re: "Rick, I think you said that coat color doesn't matter"
----- i wrote : "i don't think the problem would be related to his coat color" 

to further clarify, for me, that would mean coat color would be way way down on my list of factors that might lead to overheating in a dog.

similarly, i think people who shave long coats to keep the dog "cooler" in the summer heat are doing it ... "wrong" //lol//

here's a personal example that further confuses me :

- i boarded a dog whose owner said was very heat sensitive and worried because it would be sleeping outside. 
- so i actually got one of those cold blanket things that you stick in a freezer to cool it down and are supposed to stay cold for a few hours. i had two nice cushioned bamboo mats for it to sleep on that also offered some built in ventilation. 
- put the cold blanket under one and used the other one as is. you could lay your hand on each matt and one was definitely cooler to the touch
- both matts were laying on a shaded wood deck, raised off the ground about 60cms with a fan circulating air thru the deck. pretty nice set up in my opinion 

- the dog consistently preferred laying/sleeping on the matt WITHOUT the cool blanket underneath 
- so much for that experiment 
..... i used the cool blanket on my sofa //lol//

healthy dog, water/shade/circulation avail, and common sense monitoring of the work level is my combo for prevention

- if it's your dog, you should know it and it should be easy. if it's not your dog i'd be more observant

always good to know how to properly treat an overheated dog since some of the procedures don't always seem logical when applying "human" logic, and taking a temp i the only way to assure an accurate diagnosis

wonder how many dogs have died in India in this latest heat wave ? Crazy and INexcusable for the many humans who have died ](*,)](*,)


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Ditto with Nancy on getting rid of the undercoat.

My two GSDs are outside 24/7 so I don't brush them much during the winter.

Starting in May when I see coat start to blow I start combing. Same as Nancy I want a flea comb to go throught their hair.

In another week or two I'll give both a bath to help loosen the undercoat. 

From then on till mid September I'll comb and bush them 3-4 times a week.

Hot summer days they get the hose ran on their bellies. Doesn't matter if they've been active or not. They seem to enjoy it.


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

a BJ a day for all my dogs //lol//
since i started using a blower i hardly ever brush or shampoo

3.8HP motor, 2in hose, tapered nozzle and the fur flies off; plus any dust or dirt.
dries them out quickly after they come back soaked from a rain squall too 
- don't have to use a tapered nozzle but i like being able to control where i blow and check the skin as it parts it

best grooming tool i ever got
takes a minute or so a day to maintain a dog whether they are dropping a coat or not

i often ask customers who to brush out their dog b4 they come over.
- then i hit em with the blower and it's still a mini fur storm 

i've always urged anyone to try one out and see for themselves
- i have a force metro blaster.....says it's for cars and bikes, but the older models were advertised for dogs too. hang it up so the noise is away from everything and the hose is a couple meters long

ESPECIALLY good for german shedders and any other longish double coat dog

only add a bit of soap if they are exceptionally gross. usually water is enuff and it doesn't strip oils out of their coat

anyone else do this ??


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

:-k Maybe I'll give that a try with my shop vac set on blow. :wink:


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

all jokes aside, i see a lot of advantages to blowing

in high humidity it creates a cooling effect

it definitely keeps a dog smelling less "doggy"

it will DEF blow away any parasites, mites, etc that aren't already attached to the skin

it allows you to inspect skin when the fur parts

if you swim in the ocean it will dry out a dog quickly when the salt water has been rinsed and it will also dry off much faster than air drying, which makes a quick hosing effective

the more itchy the dog is the less it will itch

it's fast

works fast on jackets pants towels and other non dog items

it gives the birds nesting goodies and blows the fur off your property and into someone else's 

if the dog is dropping a coat, the blower with a rake will speed up the process by about a hundred times 

unless the dog is a nerve bag for noise, they usually like it a lot

cheaper than a good Ecollar or quality vest

the only cons i see is if you blow into an ear and that is easy to NOT do. the noise might damage hearing over the long term, but the long hose and some common sense safety hasn't damaged my current dog's hearing ... almost nine

i'm surprised more people don't use a blower. i've only read one or two posts on here from people who use them


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

the louder the blower ... the longer the hose should be ... and a tapered nozzle is louder than a hose end ... in my opinion of course 

and some dogs need to get conditioned to the sound b4 you start blowing em //lol//


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

Beau does not mind the sound at all and he likes having his coat blown out. I will use my fingers to ruffle through the hair and inspect while blowing.


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## Sarah Platts (Jan 12, 2010)

The only time we used a blower was on the show cattle. My dogs would rather be vacuumed. They will line up when I start to do the floors. I think they like the massaging action of the suction and the air flow.


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## Meg O'Donovan (Aug 20, 2012)

+1 for vaccuming. Don't have a hair dryer/blower. Still seem to be always covered in dog hair.


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

i've done it both ways
blowing with the set up i described removes way more fur and loose stuff MUCH faster. 
no comparison. 

if i reversed my blower and used it as a vacuum it would be very uncomfortable for a dog's skin .... and you have to make close contact for a vacuum to work correctly and that is awkward for me, especially on the tail, lower legs, paws and around the butt
- easier to condition a new dog to a blower by just keeping some distance. if do that with a vacuum you are sucking air not fur and just making noise //lol//

- i do vacuum my current dog for giggles and he likes it, but it's a wimpy Dyson type

- i remember as a kid my mom used to vacuum our Samoyeds but she wanted the fur for knitting 

Meg....i'm definitely NOT talking about using a hair dryer unless it has a 3plus HP motor and is connected to a 2in hose //lol//
- blow dry a wet gsd with a hair dryer and you'd better be prepared to block out a couple hours of your time, and i'll bet the skin would still be damp //rotflmao//
(w.a.g. since i've never tried it)

anyway; i'm sold on a blow dryer and everyone i've ever shown it to in action has wanted to get one. many did
- no matter how well they brush their dog out before they come over, the fur still flies off when i use the blower on their dog

but i'm curious what attachments you folks use on a vacuum; if any at all.
i've tried it with a short bristle fabric brush and it clogs up with hair too much, and when i just use the hose i have a hard time keeping it close enuff to the skin to get a good sucking.


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## Sarah Platts (Jan 12, 2010)

I use the bristly attachment and can groom the whole animal. When I want more suction action then I remove the attachment, cup the end of the hose with my hand and do the chest, back, and barrel. Or you can open the bleeder valve a bit to cut the suction. I think the vacuum works better for me because I have shorthaired dogs and not the double coated ones.


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

I use the Metro Commander 2hp/4hp blower and wish I had bought it years ago. I always use at the 4hp setting. A great plus is I use it to clean my keyboards, my dryer vent line to the outside, blinds, The thing is freaking awesome. 

Does better than any vacuum attachment I have tried and I tried it on me and it is like a massage (and I blow the hair off my clothes before going in) Even when the air is "warm" (because of engine heat; it is an air temp blower) it is actually not that warm. I finish up with an undercoat rake and a slicker and it drastically reduces the hair in the house. 

The dog seriously loves it.


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## Meg O'Donovan (Aug 20, 2012)

Hey Rick, cool fact about your mom knitting the Samoyed fur. I knew some old-time sheep farmers who spun dog's undercoat with wool to knit sock and gloves, because apparently the dog fur made the gear longer-lasting (didn't wear out). I kept the combings for the past year from my old GSD. She passed on in March. Someday, I'm going to spin her undercoat with some wool and knit something.


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