Dogsey

Oh, well. Another dumb person, another dead dog. People will never learn...

I just don't even want to imagine. We've had freak heat waves up to 106 degrees outside. But even in the high 70's, open a car after the windows have been closed all morning and it's blazing in there.

One day awhile ago it was warm and sunny. Our yard is part sun/shade all day and the dogs go out for a few minutes at a time between walks. That day I came home and "Where's Callie?". The kids all but said "What Callie?".

I almost threw their electronic gizmos out the window at that moment. I ran to the back door and there was Callie waiting for me. Shaky with his tongue lolling out but he could stand. I immediately rubbed cup after cup of cool water into his back and head. Blessed that he's a young, strong guy and he recovered pretty quickly.

Told the kids they'd see the Wii burn if they even think of letting something like that happen again.

I know how you feel, lovemybull. Reminds me of a story. My Nigredo is mixed with mountain breed, and he overheats very easily. He's also a bit over weight, making it worse. Honestly, he doesn't belong in this climate, but at the time they told me he was Lab/BC and those dogs are fine here. He would do far worse than many dogs left in too much heat, and so I'm very careful about it.

I had to run out really quick (was carpooling and was very late) and my brother said he was going in my room with my dog in 10 minutes and would turn on the A/C for him (it is the only one that works in this house, so we use it as little as possible) and I said okay and left.

He put the dog in the room but forgot to turn on the air and left with a friend and left my dog in my room without turning on the A/C. I came back hours and hours later to find a stifling hot room and a poor hot, panting dog. He won't DIE or anything, and he had plenty of water but he was very hot and had to have been in distress for some time.

I was angry at my brother, but he was apologetic and everything was okay. But I learned my lesson, turn on the A/C MYSELF before I leave and then I'll KNOW it's on.

I have the A/C in my bedroom on all night - it is aimed at the foot of the bed where Pereg ends up. Usually on her side with one back leg up so it blows on her belly.

Not that cold as it is a big room with three outside walls, but just enough for comfort.

Last night she did jumpy jumpies on me as she wanted it turned down. Which of course I did.

But when I leave her for maximum half an hour to go across to the little store, I turn the A/C right down for her.

Because anyone who really cares for their dog thinks about their comfort first. The electricity bill can wait.

I leave mine on as well for Nigredo. The house doesn't heat WAY up, but upstairs it can sometimes and when dad is here, he doesn't like the dog walking about the house and insists I lock him in my very hot upstairs room.

But if you can't pay a very high bill, then it's hard for you to accept that "electricity bills" can wait. A/C is such a small part of what electricity does for us. They can get VERY high when using the A/C in the summer, and though we can pay the higher bills and so can you, not everyone can.

If I could not pay, I'd leave a fan on and plenty of water and that would have to do.

I have small wall a/c units - one in the salon and one in the bedroom, and as I rarely heat a room during the winter [just wear more clothes!] I have actually found that the electricity costs for the a/c units is actually less then the numerous fansI had about the place.

And I do not have them set on low. But is is a balance between being comfortable, knowing that the bill can be paid, and that Da Booga aka Pereg is comfortable.

After all, she comes first...

Of course, I understand Malka. I worry about Nigredo getting too hot up there in my stifling room on very hot days, but Jade is fine as she is in her den crate when I am gone which it's not hot down here at all and I spend much time down here with no A/C and two big fans and it's fine.

We only have one working wall unit, the central was destroyed by vandals when the house was very young, have not bothered to fix. We have to make things work!

What the......????!!!!!
Is there something in the water over there?

My 22 yr old son suffered a heat stroke this summer.
Doc said another 10 mins in the sun would've been his end.
Thanks to his then father in law he is fine now.
Ever more susceptible for the rest of his life, but alive and healthy.

I have huskies. Thank goodness they cast(shed) their winter coats leaving a short coat for summer.
I carry 2 5gal pails 2,3 or 4 times a day and dig earth houses in the shade of their tarp sun-shades to ensure they don't over heat. The heat was bad for about a week this year. Upwards of 100*F. For the first time in my many years of mushing I witnessed hotspots. 2 of my white dogs got a,small patch each. Ironically the darker coloured ones didn't have that problems. Hardwork sometimes needs the assistance of dumb luck.
But in the case of this dog, that's just egocentric, DUMB HUMAN behaviour "accidentally" killed this dog.
And yes, I also might very well have just smashed the window or at least opened yet he door if it weren't locked. I've done it before. Got scolded but that yappy little Cocker didn't die.
Just a thought, maybe a law should be formulated that allows people to smash windows of cars containing dog/s that appear to be overheating.