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Heat and exercise

CSutherland

Well-known member
We're having a terrible time getting in any exercise for Bentley. We live in SW Missouri where the temps are running upper 90s to 102 every day for weeks on end. We're in our 70s and can't stand much of this ourselves; it's all we can do to take him out to potty several times a day. We're also in extreme drought and it's so dry the grass is brown and crunchy. We aren't aware of any indoor areas where he could be walked.
I'm not really expecting answers here, just sharing my troubles!
 
Hmmmm....Fletcher likes to swim but we have access to my parents backyard pool so I guess I'm lucky. With the drought I'm sure even buying and filling a baby pool is out of the question. It has been very hot here too. I have been walking Fletcher VERY early in the mornings (like before the sun comes up). Check around, we have a place here that offers dog playgroup open sessions. Its a training club and they offer playgroup times all the time. The building has heat and a/c, I have taken Fletcher twice (shot records are a must) and there is a small fee. But its way better than a normal dog park, tunnels and ramps to play on, plenty of balls toys etc. I would try calling any local training clubs and see if they offer anything like this.

We are having a pretty hot dry summer too. But where I live there is no shortage of water and water sports my kids and I spend pretty much all of our outdoor time wet.


Melissa
 
I like the baby pool idea. It wouldn't help much for exercise, but help him cool off. He has a large pen that's as large as city folks' backyards but he hates it unless someone is in there with him! Can you say spoiled? ha. There's a shade tree in the pen so maybe one of us could sit in the shade in the pen and let him splash in his pool.
 
I like the baby pool idea. It wouldn't help much for exercise, but help him cool off. He has a large pen that's as large as city folks' backyards but he hates it unless someone is in there with him! Can you say spoiled? ha. There's a shade tree in the pen so maybe one of us could sit in the shade in the pen and let him splash in his pool.

Heck I'd put my own big butt in the baby pool or at least your feet and go out there with balls let Bentley run around jumping in and out of the little pool. Fletcher loves those cheap "splash balls" he goes after those balls in the water and out, just make sure you have a bunch Fletcher is not to good at bring it back and I'm not getting out of the pool. We have a baby pool on the concrete next to the big in-ground pool because the little kids want to just play with the water, they have cups buckets etc. in there. Fletcher loves it too. The kids play pour water in Fletcher (not his head). I bet Bentley would be so happy to play outside and not feel like he's being cooked. Fletcher turns into a wild animal when he wet, run run run its lots of exercise. I personally love it too because the kids like to chase him in the yard so they are all good and tired. Not all dogs like to play in water tho so....... I'm really glad Fletcher likes it.

Melissa
 
We've been known to take our walks at petsmart in inclement weather (potty outside though). Lowes is also dog friendly, I would imagine home depot is as well. Avoid the lumber sections.

Obviously these aren't exercise places, but they do provide a change of scenery, and a chance to interact with new people.
 
Please please please send some of the dry weather over here. It's been raining since starting of June and I can't remember when the sun was out last.
 
Baby pool and sprinklers in the yard are good
indoor malls usually don't care about small dogs coming in
pet stores and hardware stores are good places too
indoor games like fetch or go to/come are great when you can't go outside

Good luck. That kind of weather is really hard on everyone!
 
'Please please please send some of the dry weather over here.'

Be careful what you ask for, Sabby! Dry spell now started in most of the UK, with Coventry set to have 27 degrees on Wednesday, so my two boys won't be going anywhere (nor me, if I can help it!).

Kate, Oliver and Aled
 
It is possible to buy coats for your dogs to keep them cool when exercising in hot weather. Ann Hall does some very good Cool Coats and is happy to ship to the USA. She has a website which can be found by googling dry dog coats, then clicking on the one near the beginning of the page which says Welcome to Dry Dog Coats. There are instructions for measuring your dogs so that you can order the correct sizes. I have two of these coats and am very happy with them.
 
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