Be very careful with Huskies in the Heat and Humidity

Huskies are a danger to themselves in hot weather, and it is up to the owners to be responsible and think for them.

Whilst Huskies deal quite well with gradual changes in temperature via their base coat (warming) and top coat (cooling) combination, it takes time for the amount of base coat to adjust. For example, if it suddenly turns cold, they may not like being left out overnight. However, more importantly, their desire to run collides with their inability to deal with heat in warmer weather. Whilst humans can sweat, dogs have to vent heat from their mouth and tongue and their longer hairs act as insulation to keep heat away from the body, which isn’t nearly as effective. The problem is that they often don’t notice they are too hot until it’s too late. Therefore it’s up to you to decide if they should be running or working when it’s hot and/or humid.

As a rough starter guide, try [Temperature in Celcius] X [Humidity in %] < 1000 for safety. Even then, values close to this can still cause trouble depending on level of exertion. And the guide falls down at high temp/low humidity or low temp/high humidity. Some dogs will look at you when too hot to continue. Some will bite the lead. Some will just keep going forever, with a look of fun on their face, until they fall over, just for the love of running, and could die if not cooled down quickly and rehydrated. Carrying a 27kg dog back home isn’t an option either, so don’t let them get in this state in the first place.

If you must go out for a short while, how about hosing it off under the armpits first, running a mile to the sea / water ditch / river and run home, taking a dog drink with you. Even then, the next danger is the heat of the road. If you have to go on any man made surfaces or sand, place your own hand on it to test it out. If you can’t keep your hand on it for ten seconds, stay at home or your dog’s feet will burn, you’ll feel like a bad person and then there’s no running or walking for a couple of weeks!

Stay safe and think before heading out in the Summer!