Helping hot dogs chill out
The Field|July 2024
From cool coats to clippers, there are a whole host of ways to keep your canine companion comfortable as the summer heat intensifies, says David Tomlinson
David Tomlinson
Helping hot dogs chill out

IF ONLY dogs could talk. I'd love to ask my indoor-living spaniel what it's like to wear a fur coat all year round. On even the frostiest of winter days she's always eager to be out, and doesn't appear to notice the cold, while in summer, wearing the same fur coat, she appears equally unperturbed by high temperatures. However, I do try to make sure that she's comfortable, whatever the weather.

Dogs are rather better at coping with cold rather than heat, which reflects their lupine ancestry. Wolves are essentially northern animals, though grey wolves do occur in India and the Middle East. These southern-dwelling wolves are never active during the heat of the day. They are also smaller and more lightly built than their northern cousins as well as being thinner coated all adaptations to living in a hot environment. Both dogs and wolves lose body heat by panting and, to a small extent, by sweating through their pads; consequently, their ability to lose heat is limited. Excess heat can lead to stress, heatstroke and even collapse, so it's something to take seriously.

Though I never work my spaniel in a coat, on a winter shooting day I will rug her up at lunchtime or at close of play, as thin-skinned dogs such as spaniels do feel the cold when they stop moving. It's common practice now to put coats on field-trial dogs (both spaniels and retrievers) between runs: a relatively new convention but one that clearly makes sense. Even tough dogs such as working labradors benefit from being kept warm when they are not working and burning up the calories. Racehorses are rugged up after they have run, so why not dogs too?

この記事は The Field の July 2024 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は The Field の July 2024 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

THE FIELDのその他の記事すべて表示
Rory Stewart - The former Cabinet minister and hit podcast host talks to Alec Marsh about the parlous state of British politics, land management and his deep love of the countryside
The Field

Rory Stewart - The former Cabinet minister and hit podcast host talks to Alec Marsh about the parlous state of British politics, land management and his deep love of the countryside

The gently spoken 51-year-old former Conservative Cabinet minister is a countryman at heart. That's clear: he even changes into a tweed waistcoat for the interview, which takes place at his London home and begins with a question about his precise career status. Having resigned from the Commons and the Conservative Party in 2019, the former diplomat and soldier has reinvented himself, first with an unconventional but promising run as an independent for the London mayoralty (abandoned because of COVID19 in 2020) and then as a media figure, co-hosting one of the country's most popular podcasts, The Rest Is Politics, alongside Alastair Campbell, the former Labour spin doctor.

time-read
4 分  |
November 2024
Fodder
The Field

Fodder

Local fare with the feel-good factor.

time-read
2 分  |
November 2024
Celebrating the game changers
The Field

Celebrating the game changers

Once served only in the traditional manner, the fruits of our forays now find their way into all manner of diverse and delicious dishes, say Neil and Serena Cross

time-read
3 分  |
November 2024
The first civil engineer
The Field

The first civil engineer

John Smeaton left an indelible mark on the field of engineering and, three centuries after his birth, his legacy remains as strong as ever

time-read
6 分  |
November 2024
School spirits
The Field

School spirits

From grey ladies and ghostly gardeners to more malign entities, public schools are a rich repository of unnatural phenomena

time-read
8 分  |
November 2024
'A long way from Piccadilly or Pall Mall'
The Field

'A long way from Piccadilly or Pall Mall'

Marking 150 years since the birth of Sir Winston Churchill, Dr Conor Farrington explores this eminent statesman’s often-overlooked 1907 tour of British East Africa: a journey rich with enchanting natural beauty and sporting adventure

time-read
7 分  |
November 2024
Top of the pups
The Field

Top of the pups

Canines in all their guises were celebrated at The Field Top Dog Awards lunch at Defender Burghley Horse Trials whether eager on the peg, patient at home or perpetually making mischief

time-read
6 分  |
November 2024
Angling for success
The Field

Angling for success

It’s never too early to shape up for next season’s salmon and trout, and these top fishing schools are here to help

time-read
7 分  |
November 2024
Talking scents
The Field

Talking scents

The canine nose is an astonishingly complex piece of biotechnology that man has harnessed for sustenance and sport for thousands of years

time-read
7 分  |
November 2024
Wall-to-wall excitement
The Field

Wall-to-wall excitement

Criss-crossed by formidable drystone walls, the High Peak Harriers’ scenic country provides a day out with an exhilarating difference

time-read
7 分  |
November 2024