Basenjis and heat (in texas)

[watterson]

Does anyone live in Texas, or elsewhere in the South? I'm wondering how a Basenji would do in this heat. It can get hot even indoors, which is where the dog will be.

I am out of the house for 4 - 6 hours during the weekdays, and I don't want to be blasting the AC if no one is home but the dog. Energy prices are just too outrageous and are only going to climb.

Is this a major concern or am I worrying too much? :o

I wasn't sure if I should put this in the health forum or general talk forum… ?

thanks

[Basenjimamma]

Hi and welcome..I live in Houston, TX and yes you are right it is hot. We actually lost our electricity last night for 5+ hours so sleep was elusive at best.. I think as long as you keep the a/c on at about 80 or so and then have a fan on, the potential B would be fine. the biggest concern with heat is air movement..as long as there is a breeze you perseive the heat as less..water of course is also important. My Otis actually likes to lay outside in the middle of the day in the sun on the concrete patio and he is not even panting..not for long times but longer than I would've been doing that. I hope that helps..you probably posted in a good section..

[watterson]

wow, that is very helpful. I'm in Houston too!

I also forgot to mention that the dog would probably be in daycare for at least one day during the week and I'm sure their playrooms are kept cool. I also have tons of fans at home, because the electricity does crap out from time to time :rolleyes:

edit: I meant the camper fans, that kind that are powered by rechargable batteries lol…

thanks!

[phoenix3]

I lived in elpaso tx witch i know is less humid there but Phoenix and my other 2 where good with it They loved all the sun . I didn't have an AC i had a swamp cooler and kept that on But they never had an issue it would usally be about 75-80 in the house with the ceiling fans As long as they have water i think there shouldnt be a problem

[Basenjimamma]

Where in Houston do you live? We live in the 290/1960 area.
Are you thinking about getting a Basenji? Where did you find one. I looked high and low in the Houston area and never found one, so i got my Otis from out of state..Let me know if you need any help at all..

[watterson]

:eek:OMG I am right in that same area off 290 and 1960, but on the hwy 6 side. Too funny!

I don't have a Basenji, I have been planning to get a dog for so long and finally I have narrowed it down. 99% sure the breed will be Basenji. For several months I was trying to pick Shiba or Basenji but I decided Shiba shedding is too crazy and they might be miserable in this climate.

Probably won't be getting a pup until next year because I don't want to rush things. I am the worrying type.

Nope, I don't know any local breeders in fact I just assumed I would have to go out of state to find a breeder who does all the health testing.

Thanks again for your help. This place is great, I'm sticking around!:D

And thank you too, phoenix3. This helps to put my mind at ease gosh I worry so much on every li'l thing heheh

[Basenjimamma]

Glad to have you here..

[lvoss]

There are several breeders in Texas listed on the BCOA website. Though they are not in Houston, there are a few in that part of the state.

http://www.basenji.org/PUBLIC/BreederDirectory.htm

There may also be other BCOA breeders in Texas that don't have listings. If there is a local club that would be another good place to start your search.

[nobarkus]

Can a Basenji carry a gun in Texas?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vt7FDTpzGvo

[snorky998]

Welcome to the B. forum, and thank you for informing yourself about this breed before taking on one of these little buggers.

There's a LOT of reading to do here; even the chit chat thread can give loads of insight into the beloved antics of our beasts. Be sure to read the health topics and don't forget to take a good look at the BCOA site, and the BRAT site as well.

off my soap box now good question about the heat:) My 2 do well in 80-85 degree heat. As a matter of fact, anything lower than that I have to make sure the blankets are out so they can burrow under them "to stay warm":) I do not have a home with central air, but leave on fans and make sure there is an added incentive to keep hydrated when I'm away (ie…low sodium beef bullion/beef broth diluted and frozen into cubes and floated in the water bowl)

Again, welcome.

[Basenjimamma]

Unfortunately we don't have a local Basenji club in Houston, but I know there is one in Dalllas and apparently one in Austin, but I have tried to contact them and never got a response so I don't know for sure..Either way, I am glad you are doing your research beforehand.

[lvoss]

Another way to find breeders is to attend some shows in the area. You can look up upcoming shows on the infodog website at http://www.infodog.com/showinfo/showCal.htm

[MacPack]

We are in Florida and it is hot and humid here too. We do keep the AC on all the time, but last week it was on the fritz and we were using fans and as last wisps of cool air were wheezing out of the vents. We kept it about 84-88 and it wasn't bad. When it got up to 92 inside, the dogs were hot but would lie in front of the fans. As long as you have fans on and some water, a basenji will be fine at home. Our AC is fixed now and the basenjis think life is good again!

[dmcarty]

Well I was just in Houston for the Reliant shows and I'll tell you I like it hot but it was wayyyyyyy to hot for me. My Podengos however did quite well in the heat - which is saying something from MN.

[Shaye's Mom]

We live in Florida - very hot and MUGGY here - my B doesn't mind the heat at all, even preferring to go out on the porch to lie in the sun when the temp on the porch is in the high 90's and with the humidity, the heat index is up around 105. I can't sit out there, but she likes it - I keep my air at 78, and she likes to sleep under the covers at night because it's too cool for her. Can't speak for all of them, but my B likes heat.

[nobarkus]

I don't know how the dogs with the heavy coats function at all in the heat. We've been spoiled here with a mild summer. There were some days it did get in the triple digits which means no walking the dog until the evening when the sidewalk cools down. Just turn on the ceiling fans in all the rooms.

[watterson]

Hey, that youtube clip was funny.

Thanks again for the new responses. I just want to clarify one thing: What I said earlier, I did not mean to imply that there were no good breeders in Texas. I just meant that since this is a somewhat rare breed I would be prepared to go out-of-state when it's time to get a puppy, and that I would have no complaints about that.

[nobarkus]

@watterson:

Hey, that youtube clip was funny.

Thanks again for the new responses. I just want to clarify one thing: What I said earlier, I did not mean to imply that there were no good breeders in Texas. I just meant that since this is a somewhat rare breed I would be prepared to go out-of-state when it's time to get a puppy, and that I would have no complaints about that.

The red/wht rescue I had came from a breeder in Texas. I tried to track them down but the info I got was they no longer did any breeding.

[basenji_fan]

I think they will do fine in the heat, I am up in Oklahoma, OKC area, we keep the house at around 78-80 during the day. But are often outside with the basenjis and they enjoy just hanging outside and it's been in the triple digits lately. They just like sunbathing and chasing bugs or squirrels LOL when it cools off more in the evening they are more active and run around like crazy

[LeeL]

We live in NC which is a little cooler, but I have seen my basenjis laying in the sun when it is 100F or when it is 40F. We can't leave them in the house all day due to destruction, but a laundry room they can go into with a dog door as well as a seperate room in the garage with a dog door. Plus we have a table with umbrealla on teh deck and they will move between full sun and any of those areas when they feel like it.

Even when we are home all day they alternate between inside and outside in teh sun.