July 5, 2008 - I made a foolish and dangerous mistake this morning. Every day I take the dogs on a four-wheeler run up on the top of the hill, usually when it is cool or getting dark. Today, I did it in full bright sun because I am tied up much of the rest of the day. The border collies live to zoom through the meadow, and they can go a good long ways before they tire. Lenore, still young and forming, loves to try and run with them, so I usually either leave her behind, which she hates, or ride with her in the back of the four-wheeler.
Labs, especially young ones, do not have the bone structure of border collies or light bodies, if you have both breeds, you have to be cautious about letting the Lab try and keep up with the BC's.
Today she really wanted to run with her pals, so I let her and we tore around the meadow as I love to do, yelling and whooping at the dogs, and when I looked up, above, I saw her flagging, and then she sat down. I tore over to her threw onto the ATV, got back to the farmhouse and threw her in a tub of water. She was fine, breathing normally, not limping or sore in anyway and I called the vet to make sure she was okay. She is okay, but it was a good caution to me, not to let what the dog wants interfere with what the dog really needs. Lenore ought not be running alongside an ATV in the full sun on a warm day, period. And she needs to keep full running to a minimum, especially at her age.
Heat is a real danger for dogs, as well as orthopedic issues, and I am even wary about it with Rose and Izzy, curtailing exercise in the summer and making sure there is plenty of fresh water and shade available.
I am wary of all the phobias dog lovers have about food, rawhide, etc., but one can get too cocky, and ignore common sense. My mistake. Won't repeat it. Writing about dogs, I want to make sure to relay mistakes as well as successes. We all have both and we can learn from each others. In warm weather, with strong sun, be mindful of dogs. They get a lot hotter than we do, and it can be dangerous.
