Arizona Guys - How hot is to hot for the dogs in the box?

[Grzyadms4x4]

Hey guys, I have a question about how hot is to hot to transport dogs in a dog box in the back of your truck. My dog box is very open with 4-5 inch spacing between the roof and the truck bed rails with open mesh screening on the doors. Lately I have been leaving to go hunting very early in the am, but my daughter wants to go more and more and with her schedule I need to leave in the early to mid afternoon when the temps are already 100-105 on a cool day.

So, when is it to hot for the rest of you to transport your dogs? Thanks for any help.

Zach

[tman308]

Zach,

I have a thermometer in the back and as long as I am moving then there is no issue. I don't stop unnecessarily though during our summer heat. I also have a five gallon bucket in the box with water for the dogs. If I do have to park I try and find shade and then walk the extra distance to get whatever it was that I had to have.

[BluetickChick]

Being a native of Arizona, I've always used the rule of; if I, as human, wouldn't want to sit in a box in the bed of a truck, because it's a little warm, than it's to warm to haul the hounds.

Another thing to try; if it's a marginally warm day, meaning, not a blazing hot day, take your shoes off and stand in the bed of the truck yourself. You'd be surprised at how hot the metal is, and, how the sun just cooks in the bed. Really, IMO, if the sun is up in Arizona, and it's not winter, it's too hot to put the hounds in the back.

[Grzyadms4x4]

Thanks Tman and Heather. Thanks for the opinions. One of you says it's ok and the other says no. I know what you mean about a hot truck bed Heather, but I use carpet and straw for the dogs to lie on, with a couple of bowls of water in the truck. And I'm stupid, as long as I have a cold beer and a Marlboro I'll sit in any box no matter how hot! Thursday is supposed to be about 109 when I leave from Phoenix, but after about 40 minutes up I-17 it'll be about 10-15 degrees cooler and the dogs would be shaded. Would wettin down the dogs help them at all? Thanks.

Zach

[tman308]

Zach,

I haven't personally done what Heather is talking about because I can't fit in my dog box, but my son who is 4 regularly climbs in there with the hounds and he doesn't complain. Wetting them would cool them off temporarily. Another thing to consider is the number of dogs in the box. If you have a bunch of dogs piled on top of each other it will be a lot hotter then if they have some space between them. My box covers my entire 6 foot bed and I never have more than 6 dogs in there. Of course I don't deal with the high heat you do down there but it does on occasion get up to 100 in some of the low country and when I go down to the verde valley it gets over 100.

T

[BluetickChick]

With the rig box you have pictured, I wouldn't think it would be too bad at all, especially, if you wet them, the carpet, and the straw. I'm thinking that with all of that wet, the drive up the highway and any congestion that may occur around the 202, the hounds should be pretty happy, and the moisture should last untill the real hot is passed.

I've just come back from the eastern states and their dog boxes would kill our hounds in 5 minutes. Yours looks nice and cool.

Cheers Zach!

[WTP]

I dont have a magic number for you, but I have a few things I do when I head to the pit of dispare of phx frozen milk jugs in the box, if you freeze them hard they will last most of the day. Lots of water stops, and fewer number of dogs in the box at a time. I haven't hurt a dog, and my boxes are pretty tight compaird to most boxes.

[Dan V]

The frozen milk jugs of water sounds like a good idea, especially since they can drink it later. Also, try putting in a block of ice (with the plastic off) from the gas station in each compartment. It will keep the dogs cool for quite a while, and a little wet as it melts. If you have straw in there, cover the block with straw to keep it from sliding around. Looks like it would work well for your box that is pretty open as far as the water draining. The dogs will thank you.