The color of the dog and heat

[Jeff Eberle]

I put this here because it seems more lion hunters have mixed packs. Now this is not about breeds of dogs just about the color of them. The other day I took the dogs out to exercise them midday maybe 70 degrees . I let the older dogs go but keep the young one on the quad til I got farther in from the main road . The older dogs know this is for fun and when first turned loose will run as fast and hard as they can to the first turn and wait for me or some times just come back. So as I was unsnapping the pup from the quad I could feel how hot her coat was just from the sun, So I called the older dogs back just to see how hot they felt. They are 90 to 95 % White the pup is solid black . The run out and then back adds up to 1 mile, Her sitting on the quad and them running a mile wide open, she felt a good 15-20 degrees hotter. So I have been wondering what you guys that hunt in the heat have found do the lighter color dogs hold up better take the heat better ?

[pegleg]

Its got to be apples to apples comparisons besides color or you see some light dogs heating up worse then dark dogs. They have to be same type same coat and same condition before you see the light dogs doing better. Also white or light dogs with colored skin do better then those with excessive pink skin. I have white dogs blue dogs and black dogs. They're mostly bred close and all are related somehow. In that scenario its usually lighter dogs that do better and dogs with light colored heads do better in extreme heat in my opinion experience. Light leggy built hounds help to. But I've had high tan hounds that work right through the heat. But just like horses or anything its easier for the light colored hounds to stay cool. Dark colors do build heat. A medium light coat is better to full coverage but not to heavy or thick. And longer thinner ears might help dissipate heat it seems. Its hard to know if its just the dog or a trait but seems that way. Double coats in spring or summer are trouble here. I like dogs that shed early. Its cold at night but they're in a box or traveling in something then running around so staying warm shouldn't be hard.

[1bludawg]

My blue dog has a black blanket back and a thick coat .Heat really gets to him but he can sure handle the cold. I think ,generally speaking ,that heat does affect darker colored dogs more but there are dogs so tough that nothing much bothers them .Plotts for example .
The next time you're in a parking lot on a really hot day walk around and lay your hand on a few darker colored vehicles and then find a white one and touch it.I think the difference will amaze you.

[Tom A]

I think acclimating a dog to the heat is key. Look how dark humans are that live near the equator.

[Jeff Eberle]

[TomJr]

Dark pigments in the skin is thought to help protect against damage from sunlight... I have darker colored dogs and they seem to get along fine, granted I don't have them running in deserts in the middle of the day either. But I do run mine year round and temps routinely get well into the 80s and even low 90s by the time we call it quits for the day mid-summer.

I have also noticed the black fur is much hotter when a dog has been laying in the sun vs. a lighter colored dog. But just going by feel, under that fur the skin is the same temp for both dogs. Might be fun to try and get a reading on actual temperatures?

[Jeff Eberle]

I do concrete for a living, if I wear anything other then a white T shirt when the sun is out I feel much hotter. If I wear a dark colored shirt I feel hotter & slower. I can still get to the end of the day just not as comfortable. Just wondering if guys with both dark and light colored dogs that go day after day see anything different in the two.

[Gary Roberson]

I don't think there is any doubt that the darker the dog, the warmer or hotter the skin although I can't tell you the exact temperature difference. I know one day I was down in South Texas in August visiting with my buddy Phil Lyne and we got to discussing what the hide temperatures might be on the cattle that in the bright sunlight and it was about 110 degrees. A few weeks later he told me that he visited with some fellows (I think from Texas A&M) who put some heat sensing patches on cattle that could tell you the temperature of the hide. I don't remember all of the results other than the hide on the Angus and Brangus cattle was 30 degrees hotter than that of the Charlois or white Brahman cows.
I guess that explains why you see the Angus cattle piled up in stock tanks while the Brahmans are still grazing in the middle of the summer days.
Adios,
Gary

[Nolte]

I think color makes a difference but here the dogs are running in tree covered areas most of the time. The bigger difference as what was mentioned was coat thickness. I've had some that looked part sheepdog and the heat just did them in quick. The opposite situation in the winter. Now some dogs just seem to push harder in the heat regardless of color or coat thickness. You've really got to watch them in hot weather and pull them before they get too far along. They will push til it almost kills them. Those old slow dogs like most of mine just quit and drop out on their own.

[Emily]

In my experience, the thing that matters most is what kind of shape they're in. We don't have the big kitties here, but I used to run bear in the heat of the summer, and it's not just hot, it's humid here too. I've been known to get heat exhaustion myself.
My dogs have all been red, mostly with dark skin, but I've run with most of the other colors too. Once, on opening day, we turned out my two redbones, an older overweight Plott, a bluetick and a petite black and tan. None of them were in top shape, but only the old Plott suffered. We had to cool her off--she had a seizure trying to keep up.
These days, I have a retired 11 year old redbone who has gone bald along the spine. He has black skin, but still gets sunburned. I only run him at night on coon these days because in daytime, he's slow but ok as long as he's got enough to drink. But, too long without access to a drink and he'll collapse--too much heart to quit of his own accord.