Shade Walking.

[Nuance]

All of the border collies i have had  walked in the shade. The weather here in Vancouver, Canada isn't that hot, humid yes but not hot.

My question, does your dog walk in the shade? I know in other countries like the U.S they have hotter climates like Arizona, people in Australia seem to have a hot climate as well.

I can't go for a walk without being aware of her desire to walk in the shade...any one have any incite on this?

[D'Elle]

I live where summers are extremely hot. Everyone seeks shade here in summer. People will walk to the store from the very end of the parking lot so they can park their car in the shade, so that it is not 125 F in the car when they get in. My dogs don't even go for a walk in the summer unless it is before the sun comes up. These days if we don't get out by 5AM they don't even get a walk. 

The rest of the year when the weather is nice, they don't seek shade unless they have been running.

Of course, no doubt you accommodate her desire to walk in the shade. Does she pant? Or do you think it is not really connected to heat?

[Nuance]

 My border collies (rough coats) have always had a preference for shade walking. I don't think it is unusual for a dog to seek respite from the baking sun. They seem to have a direct preference for staying out of any sunlight(think vampires). The BC response to direct sunlight is more pronounced than any of the other breeds i have had.

I always wear a sweater, hoody/pull over or a jacket when i am out with my dog. If i feel the heat or it becomes to hot for me(in a jacket, hoody, sweater) it's time for us to head indoors.

The temperature here doesn't get above 100F in summer (usually)

I was wondering if  anyone else noticed it seems more pronounced in BC.(shade walking) If anyone new of any reason BC might be more sensitive to sunlight(in a general way)

D'Elle,

  My dogs cool down time(panting) after being out is about half hour ....she will just sit and catch her breath, when the tongue is all the way back in her mouth i know she is cool enough to walk home. I accommodate her the best i can for shade 

[Lawgirl]

I live in South Australia (albeit a cooler corner) and we often have days well over 35 celsius for a week or more at a time.  We only walk our dogs in the early morning, and only on grass, but I have never noticed that they prefer to be in shade.  In fact, several of our dogs love to go out and sunbake in the hot sun when they go outside during the day for toileting.

Having said that, on hot days they enjoy lying on cold tile or under the air conditioner...

[D'Elle]

My dogs and I are acclimated to the heat. One has to be, to live here. summers it goes to 115 F (I think that's 46 Celsius), regularly and sometimes for days at a time. 117 sometimes.  Anyone walking their dog on pavement or sidewalks without booties is cruel to the dog, but you very rarely see that.

Vancouver is a much more temperate climate that here; in fact most places are less extreme than here. I laugh about it sometimes. For instance, in most places you plant things in the spring, right? Here, if you plant in the spring everything will die. We plant things in September or October, so you ignore planting advice. Many things that are general advice for most of the country - even much of the world - don't apply here at all. People who have never been here and come to visit sometimes feel as though they have landed on Mars. Naturally, this is one of the things I like about living here, although I am not sure anyone would ever say they like 115 degrees.

On the other hand, things are warming up in many places lately. A friend in western Oregon told me it got to 115 last summer where he is, and that is completely unprecedented. I felt bad for them because no one is prepared for that kind of heat there.

Of course no matter how prepared, we always have to remember that heat like that can kill. People who go hiking and don't know how much water they have to carry in the desert (even in winter) often have to be rescued, or sometimes they die.  It is strictly illegal (not to mention cruel) to leave your dog in the car for even a minute from May to October. If you see a dog in a car and break the window to get them out, you won't be charged for it. Every now and then someone leaves their baby in the car and it's in the news because the baby died. Hard to imagine how anyone could do that but it happens.  

Living here I never thought of this as an extreme climate until I read somewhere that it is classified as such. I guess a temperature range of 90 degrees identifies a place as extreme. Unfortunately it seems possible that more and more places will become extreme as things are going. That's a shame because not everyone would choose to live in a climate that has such a range.

[DrPhong]

Our dog walks in the shade and in the water. We have many streams and lakes near my home, that dog loves the water. 

[alligande]

Mine don’t really seek shade. I live on an island in the Mediterranean and it’s definitely hot in summer. I do limit walks but when we are out they don’t seek shade. Both long coated Tris

[drharps]

I live in Hawaii and mine constantly walks from shade to shade, and at midday if I try to take her for a walk she refuses, unless she knows we are headed to the park for fetch.