My dog is a tiny little thing. She tips the scales at around 6kg (14lbs) and is a Shih-Tzu. She is relatively active (as much as can be expected of a house dog) and is well looked after. She's a spoiled brat to be honest. However, today I decided to stretch her legs a bit more than usual and it was a little more difficult than I had planned. Thankfully it all worked out in the end.
I took her out to a place near Chiang Mai (where I live) called Mae Tang, which is simply the name of the river that kind of defines the area. The trail started out simple enough but there was very little cover from the relentless sun and heat. This did not affect doge at first as she took off from the car like there were free treaty-pies at the end of each turn.
One thing el doggo didn't factor in was the fact that this was going to go on for a looooong time, and it didn't take but about a km before she was gassed out, panting heavily, and pawing at me to pick her up.
When I did pick her up, she was extremely hot to the point where it really started to concern me. Her tongue was way out of her mouth, she was salivating profusely, and her body was much hotter than she is accustomed to (compared to our air conditioned house.) I contemplated turning around and going back to the car because she was also refusing to drink water.
I had never been here before, but i could hear what sounded like water just over the ridge, so I decided at that point that I was going to go over that ridge, and if there was no relief, i was going to turn back and likely not take her on these treks in the future.
As I reached the top of that ridge, I saw the thing that could definitely save us.... a waterfall.
I want you to understand one thing. My dog is not a Labrador, she normally hates water and does whatever it takes to not be involved with it, but i was not giving her a choice here. I quickly took off my shoes and put both of us in the water, which, much to my delight (and later hers) was very cool.
While it still took a while for her to stop panting she did something I have never seen her do before: She actually laid down in the water and started drinking it also. Later she also elected to completely submerge her head under the water for long periods of time. She must have been so overheated that this was heaven to her.
So I learned something today. My dog should not be taken on these trips unless I plan to carry her. It is simply too hot and to be honest this is a big problem in Thailand. Perhaps I worry to much about my dog, but when she had given up and using her 5 inch legs to get me to pick her up, it really concerned me. I am happy this story has a happy ending, but i will be more cautious in the future.
What a sweet little thing. Our pets bring us so much happiness. It is amazing how much we can come to love these little animals.
I'm glad she ended up being okay in the end! That water must have been a real relief.
Your dog is so sweet. I can understand her that she is over heating in this hot weather and with this big fell. Luckily she find a waterfall. I will make a blog about my dog too. Thanks for this idea. God Bless.
It's a kind of pug carlino with poodle hahaha man's best friend says it's true, I love pug dogs are friendly died mine 2 years ago I lasted 11 a terrible loss, I really have not forgotten brother enjoy all The wonderful moments with your pet, what you can do are unique moments, unmatched in truth supremely supreme, my respects for this wonderful weekend and share your experience and those wonderful images ... A big hug and nice pet.
great reply bro. I'm sorry you lost your fluffy friend but it is an eventuality i suppose. I try to cherish and document as much of my time with her as possible.
That makes me very happy nothing like sharing with the company of these extraordinary beings that fill our brother's existence with light.
That makes sense I guess. It probably takes a lot less exertion to wear the tiny dog out vs. a grown person. We took our dog for a walk this morning too. It was only about 55 degrees out though. She is a 60 lb lab, but she seldom gets to come off her lead. She is quite pig headed and would wander off if left to her own devices. I fully admit I did a horrible job training her as a puppy. I get so jealous of people whose dogs just wander free and never leave their owners side...
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Gosh! This is quite a dicey story! How could you go out for a walk on a very hot day! Oh! I am so glad you found the waterfall! Your doggo had a close shave!
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i figured that since it was a jungle walk we would be largely in the shade. That was true in the 2nd part but it sure wasn't in the beginning. I think this was the problem. She got so hot at the start that there was no chance of cooling down. Later she took it slower and I think she learned something too. It is now a day after and she is really taking it easy and was really eager to sleep in longer this morning.
So glad to know that she is okay and that she knows how to recuperate! That experience was quite drastic, to say the least fir the doggo! So good you found the waterfall nearby!
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What a cute little doggy there I can see that sometimes waters is the only choice there if your dog wants to cool off the heat is just too much and you're right you should prepare to carry her I see she's a bit tender for outdoor
That's the problem with small dogs, they get tired very quickly and looks like yours is not used to taking a walk outdoor. Plus the heat is another factor that can cause problems. However, I'm glad she liked the bath and was willing to drink water, which is extremely important.