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Basenji Heat Tolerance?

Basenji Health Issues & Questions
  • LOL! Tucker- yours can make it down to 45 degrees? We laugh at Jack because he is just like me, as soon as it drops below 60, he is just shivering away.

    This weekend, we had a heat spell…..90 to 100 degrees heat indew (high humidity). Of course, my air conditioner wasn't ready. I still had the tarp on the outside part of it. Jack lounged all weekend on the couch. He had plenty of water, and every once in a while I would give him some ice to lick. But, he kept looking at me like "mom, its HOT! Fix It!" I got a fan set up, finally, and that helped. He lied on the couch right in front of it.....but when I got the AC running, he was a completely new dog....running around, jumping from armchair to couch, and back.

    The funny thing is, while it was hot, and there was no air, he wasn't panting at all, but once I got the air on, he had this huge grin on his face, with his tongue hanging out, panting all over the house.

  • Medjai loves to go play in the snow when it's only about 25 degrees. I don't understand how, because I'm on the other side of the window freezing.

    Now that it's in the 80s, Medjai still just lays there in the sun soaking up the heat, inside and out.

  • @myran:

    It´s disgusting that people leave their dog´s in cars during hot summer day´s even at dog shows.Here we have a rule at dog shows that dog´s are forbidden to be kept in cars even in the shade .They call you over the loudspeakers and if you do not come they´ll smash the windows and they have the right to do so:@

    I was in a supermarket about an hour ago when an announcement was made telling the person who left a dog locked up in their car to come to the front entrance IMMEDIATELY! When I left the store I saw a police officer really chewing out the owners. It was 92 degrees F outside. I can't imagine how hot the car interior must have been. :mad: :mad: :mad: I think it is against the law here to leave an animal in a car. I know (at least locally) that they tightened up a lot of animal protection laws and you also can't let your dog ride loose in the back of a pickup truck now.

    Pat

  • @BasenjiDiva:

    I was in a supermarket about an hour ago when an announcement was made telling the person who left a dog locked up in their car to come to the front entrance IMMEDIATELY! When I left the store I saw a police officer really chewing out the owners. It was 92 degrees F outside. I can't imagine how hot the car interior must have been. :mad: :mad: :mad: I think it is against the law here to leave an animal in a car. I know (at least locally) that they tightened up a lot of animal protection laws and you also can't let your dog ride loose in the back of a pickup truck now.

    Pat

    That has always totally "pissed me off" to see a dog in the back of a pickup tied or not!… I would like to put the people in there and see how they like the sun beating down on them...... crap blowing in your eyes, nose, mouth, ears.... sigh.. they should ban dogs in pickups, unless in a carrier that is secure..

  • Sadly, we will always have the "stupid on toast" folks…but with the laws on our side, that helps.
    I call when I see a dog loose in the back.
    I give the license plate.
    I only hope, one day, they get a big ticket!

  • My basenji loves the summer heat here in Florida, 90-100 days. She enjoys lying outside on the driveway. If she gets too hot she moves to a grassy area in the shade. She is outside most all day although she has access to the house via her doggie door.

  • Now that it's warming up here in Seattle (almost 90!), I'm finding out how Ziggy and Zhara deal with the heat. They go for the "conservation of energy" approach - laying around in the coolest part of the house and not moving very much. Do other people find that their Bs become pretty inactive or lethargic when the weather is warm?

    Lori

  • We're headed to Az for the 4th where the temps are 119 now. Chey and Apache always take it easy there. They get their morning walk when it's about 90 but after that they lay inside most of the day with short outings onto the covered patio. I've tried to convince them the pool is great for cooling off..but they aren't at all interested…imagine that.:rolleyes:

  • @ZenGrrrl:

    Now that it's warming up here in Seattle (almost 90!), I'm finding out how Ziggy and Zhara deal with the heat. They go for the "conservation of energy" approach - laying around in the coolest part of the house and not moving very much. Do other people find that their Bs become pretty inactive or lethargic when the weather is warm?

    Lori

    For sure they do…..

  • @ZenGrrrl:

    Now that it's warming up here in Seattle (almost 90!), I'm finding out how Ziggy and Zhara deal with the heat. They go for the "conservation of energy" approach - laying around in the coolest part of the house and not moving very much. Do other people find that their Bs become pretty inactive or lethargic when the weather is warm?

    Lori

    Pretty much the same here in Maine. One exception though, even if it is 90/100 here, Ruby will still find the sun in the house and lie down in it. And when it cools off in the evening, they make up for all the resting they've done during the heat of the day. :eek: :eek:

  • Mine eat less as well.

  • And for those of you with "elders" note that with age they do become more sensitive to heat…. while mine when younger would lay in the sun at 100 degrees... they don't now at 14+... also I find that they pant more when it is really hot

  • Serenjane loves the heat, she will lie out in the sun most of the day, time to time she moves to a shady spot. I have noticed she is less active in the summer, eating less and drinking more.

  • Here in Minnesota where it can get kind of hot and humid, the dogs do fine if they have enough room to move around from sun to shade. Mine has the run of the house while I'm at work and the fenced garden/yard when I get home.
    My previous beastie used to like to sleep on the deck in the hot hot sun for quite some time before finally moving into the shade. My current beastie will move onto the vinyl kichen floor if it gets too humid outside (I generally don't run AC because my house is so shaded but I do run fans when it gets humid).
    And when it comes to winter (with our seriously below freezing temps), they will usually just stay inside (except to pee/poop) and under the bed covers all day :)

  • @tanza:

    And for those of you with "elders" note that with age they do become more sensitive to heat…. while mine when younger would lay in the sun at 100 degrees... they don't now at 14+... also I find that they pant more when it is really hot

    That's good info…I forget about how the age makes a big difference with such things.

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