Around these parts, most folks don't have an AC Unit, especially in large warehouse settings lol. Luckily, it never get's too hot, rather, it never stays too hot for too long where we live...
Over the years, we've managed to keep our facility cool and our dogs hydrated and comfortable, throughout every "heat-wave" we've come across. Here are some of the things we do to stay chill...
- It seems like a no-brainer, but we stay up on the local weather reports year round, to be prepared.
- First and foremost, year round, we do our best to make sure our dogs stay hydrated. Some of our dogs require more monitoring of their fluid needs and some require extra hydration... Like seniors, puppies, diabetics, boarding dogs, etc... Some dogs are "shy drinkers" around the pack, while others chug water until they vomit in an attempt to stay cool after rigorous play. Allowing a dog to do this, could make them dehydrated. So with some canine guests, keeping them hydrated is a balancing act.
- 365 days a year, we closely monitor our play groups, not allowing dogs to get overheated or overly stimulated.
- On days that plan to be 75+, we open up our large bay doors in the A.M. We keep our overhead fans off, and trap the morning's cool air inside the building. Before "high noon" we shut our bay doors, and keep our overhead fans off, keeping things very comfortable in all of our play areas. Once the outside temps drop back down in the evening, we open up our bay doors again, and get the fans crankin.
- Obviously, heat rises. On top of our multiple large industrial floor fans, we have an upstairs exhaust fan. This fan helps immensely in keeping the facility cool. It's manual and thermostat controlled.
- On particularly hot days, 80+, we setup are large industrial cooling/mister fan, with it's 12 gallon reservoir. This baby lowers the surrounding air temperature by several degrees. It rotates, blows air, and mists. It's perfect for our facility.
- Also on really hot days, we bust out our kiddie pools. We'll usually fill these up with bags of ice, and allow are canine buddies to have at it... However, a Fort Fido "wrangler" must keep in mind that some dogs, believe it or not, can become "Ice Possessive" and yes, fight over a piece of ice lol. It's akin to Toy or Food Possessiveness.
- There are a total of eight fans located throughout the building, setup to control fresh/cool air flow.
- Sometimes, we will even make a few "Ice Toys". I've used balloons, and various plastic pails for molds, it's pretty fun and the dogs love it.
So yeah, that's a few of the ways we here at The Fort beat the heat!
In related news, here are some great Summer Safety tips from Pets America.
Enjoy that sun,
-Grant
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