Running in the Summertime

Today I called Isaac's vet to ask about the safety of running in the summertime when it's really hot.  Not for me, silly.  I don't run!  For Isaac.

See, Isaac's current running buddy is one of those nutty running people that will run in any weather.  Hot, cold, pouring rain, whatever, he's up for a rain.  So is Isaac.  So I'm not sure I can trust either of them to make a good judgment about whether or not it's too hot.  And I don't want my doggie to have a heat stroke.  I don't want my dog walker to have a heat stroke, either.

I tried to look up info online about how hot was too hot to safely run and couldn't find what I was looking for.  Apparently it varies a bit depending upon the breed of the dog (really hairy dogs get overheated faster) and where they're running at (obviously if they run in the shade, it's safer).  So I finally just called the vet and asked.

I was told it was safe for Isaac to go for a run up to 85 degrees.  I was advised to make sure he has plenty of fresh, cold water when he gets back from a run, which of course I always do.  It was also suggested that I hose him down before a run on really hot days.  I'm not sure how Isaac would feel about that, and I don't have access to a hose here anyway, so I won't be trying that.  I thought I'd mention it, though, in case anyone else wants to try it with their dogs.