Basenji Wanted Texas
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Heat stroke…...most cases I have seen with dogs have been due to being locked in a car in the sun. Never have I seen a problem with a dog that had access to good shade and water. Another big factor is humidity, which you will know if you've ever been in a sauna. We tend to get high humidity here when we get heat. I note that the humidity in Texas hot spots at the moment is low, but I don't know whether that is the usual condition or not.
I live in the Central Valley of California where we are no strangers to triple digit days and we have many cases of heat stroke in dogs that have nothing to do with cars. Often the dogs have shade and water but it is still not enough when there is no breeze and the heat radiates off the ground and buildings even after sunset.
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I just looked up the weather predictions for Kingston, Ontario and it is supposed to be high 70s to low 80s. If you think that is "fairly hot" then you have no concept of what triple digit weather is like.
Around here we consider upper 90s, "fairly hot". I course and race my dogs in low 90s but triple digits is a whole 'nother thing.
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I live in the Central Valley of California where we are no strangers to triple digit days and we have many cases of heat stroke in dogs that have nothing to do with cars. Often the dogs have shade and water but it is still not enough when there is no breeze and the heat radiates off the ground and buildings even after sunset.
That surprises me but I will take your word for it. As I said, I have never seen it here, but we don't often get into triple digits. I do suspect some breeds of dog are far more susceptible to the heat. Basenjis are more primitive and their very recent ancestors come from a hot climate. After all, neither they nor we evolved with air conditioning. Some people I know who have long haired dogs do make use of a fan in the backyard or dog run when it is very hot and no breeze is blowing. But where I live it's rare to have no wind, and it is usually cooler outside than in once the sun goes down.
BTW, Do you live in a city? Lots of buildings and concrete create an artificial environment that doesn't allow for much natural cooling.
I should apologize to the OP for the thread hijack. I wasn't expecting a reaction to my off hand comment, but all of you have given me food for thought. Thank you for that.
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I grew up splitting my time between the city and my grandparent's ranch. In the Central Valley it is hot no matter where you are. Even in the country on a triple digit day with no delta breeze it may never get below 80 degrees at night. Heat stroke is a very real concern for humans and animals alike.
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I just looked up the weather predictions for Kingston, Ontario and it is supposed to be high 70s to low 80s. If you think that is "fairly hot" then you have no concept of what triple digit weather is like.
Around here we consider upper 90s, "fairly hot". I course and race my dogs in low 90s but triple digits is a whole 'nother thing.
The original forecast for this weekend was high 80's, perhaps 90F, but the more recent forecast is calling for less than that. I hope it is correct! Grass Creek Park can be very hot, although it is on Lake Ontario and if you get a south wind it moderates things a bit. Yeah, I have seen triple digit weather. Had a taste of it in May in Cuba. :)
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Even high 80s to low 90s isn't nearly the same as triple digit heat. All the weather people are talking about our "mild" summer with highs mostly in low to mid 90s. Yes, it is a matter of being acclimated but at the 100 degree mark even being acclimated, shade and water is not necessarily enough. AC is not an option around here anymore, all new homes have it, there are too many heat related deaths without it.
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O.K., so I did a little research this morning and guess what? Zaire (Congo), which is crossed by the equator, is actually a cooler place than Texas in the summer! Who knew? Mea culpa. I have to agree, even an African dog would find Texas…..especially this summer.....uncomfortably hot.
Just a thought. We.....and our animals....have become very reliant on our "modern conveniences". We "adjust" our climate rather than learning to live with it.....which is just fine, until you have a massive power failure. At which point people who have lost coping mechanisms may be at increased risk. Something as simple as running a tub full of cool water and climbing in to lower your core temperature is not considered by the person sweltering in an overheated house or apartment. (of course, on an upper floor even this simple solution may not be available to you)
Thanks to all for your input. I learned something useful. :)
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I just don't understand people who leave their dogs outside all day in any climate. Mine are house pets not livestock
I can tell you for sure that this particular breeder in TX does NOT consider his dogs "pets"…. anyone have any doubts about that, just ask Brenda Cassell of Signet Basenjis, she knows of this person and his dogs.
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I have neighbors that leave their three dogs in the backyard all day long. It's been mid-90s here all week and today we're looking at 110-114 with the heat index. If it's too hot for us to be outside for long periods of time, it's definitely too hot for a dog or cat.
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natnatsupercat, can the humane society do anything to help those outside dogs?
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Sharron, because we live on base we have to go through housing or the MAs first. I've tried talking to the neighbors but it doesn't do much. We've been neighbors for 20 months and I have not once ever seen any of the dogs taken for a walk :(
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I am surprised the military allows outside dogs there. I have a few friends on other bases are not allowed to even leave their dogs out unattended! :( Sigh.
As for what dogs CAN tolerate–- I don't gauge what is OKAY by what they can tolerate. Dogs get hot, suffer and still SURVIVE. Hell, my friends bring their HORSES in and put on fans when the heat is bad!
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It isn't that they are necessarily outside dogs…they are just incredibly "barky" dogs so they get sent outside a lot. Any and ever time anyone is out in our backyard, their dog barks and barks and bark for-ev-er until we go inside. Those dogs may drive us crazy, but they are still animals and we still feel bad for them :(
