27 Dub Training in Harsh Weather Conditions
It’s the sad truth that training obedience isn’t always just sunshine and rainbows. There are days when it’s pouring down rain, searing hot, windy enough that it threatens to blow your dog away, or even freezing cold.
Most of us think twice about training on such days; it’s just so hard to get out of the comfort of our homes and endure the harsh weather. We try to justify that by saying that we wouldn’t be able to get a good training session in during such weather anyway and that it’s just not worth it.
The problem is that the weather at the trial or competition can easily be less than ideal as well, and it’s probably not a good idea to let your dog experience such conditions for the very first time at a trial either.
So, is it really worth it to train in harsh weather conditions? How often should you do so? How hard should you train? Is it necessary to train in all kinds of weather? Which types of bad weather are “too bad”? Does it depend on the kind of dog you have? All of those questions will be answered in this article, broken down by the type of weather involved.
Searing Hot
Unless you are living in a colder part of the world, you surely know those days that are so hot that you are sweating just by walking outside. The ground is hot, no wind is blowing, and you get the feeling you might suffocate due to the hot air all around you. Depending on where you live, these days might be an occasional exception or you may have them for the majority of the summer.
On days like this, your dog is panting just lying down on his doggie bed or in his kennel, and you are contemplating if it is a good idea to do some obedience or not.
This depends on several factors. If such weather is truly an exception in your area, meaning you get just several days of this throughout the summer and they are not normal conditions, I would recommend that you gladly take those days off and not train.
My dogs and I love to go swimming on such days—I highly recommend it. If these conditions are exceptional in your area, you can afford to gamble that the trial or competition day likely won’t be one of the very few hot ones, so you can save yourself the hassle and the sweat.
If such hot days are more common, you essentially have two problems:
- It is very possible that you will have to perform on such a hot day at your trial or competition.
- You would also have to abstain from training for longer periods of time with many hot days in a row.
Both of these are good reasons to be training even when it’s really hot.
What I recommend first and foremost for such days is making sure your dog is in excellent physical condition. If he has any even minor health problems or is recovering from some kind of injury and his physical condition isn’t perfect, that’s the first thing you need to fix before even thinking about training obedience.
If your dog is in top-notch condition, I recommend doing very short sessions with plenty of water for him to cool off and drink both before and after training. It is a good idea to show your dog that yes, sometimes it is really hot, but it’s still a good idea to heel, retrieve, and whatnot. He will still get his ball or his treats, and Mum/Dad will be very happy with him.
Do just a couple of minutes of training and be done with it. Doing long training sessions in the heat is usually counterproductive because your dog might learn that he has to really conserve his energy on such hot days, so he may start slacking and losing motivation and drive. Being used to brief training sessions, he should be willing to give his best when you have to do a trial on an excessively hot day.
If you absolutely need to train more intensely, do so in the early mornings or late nights when the temperature is at least tolerable for your dog. However, please always be careful of overheating, and make sure to cool your dog off. Don’t put him in a kennel without enough airflow after such a physically demanding training session.
Freezing Cold
Let’s address the other extreme: freezing cold weather. Again, depending on the region you live in, you may not get any at all or you may be looking at the better part of the year having freezing temperatures.
The difference here is that it is very rare to have a trial or competition when it’s freezing cold outside. If there are any trials at all in the wintertime, they are usually held indoors, so it’s not really necessary to prepare your dog to be able to perform in freezing conditions.
On the other hand, most dogs handle cold temperatures much better than hot weather, so it’s usually the handler who is hesitant to train in such weather and not the dog.
There are, however, some precautions to keep in mind. Don’t do a long down under distraction or any other kinds of exercises where the dog is not moving for an extended period of time and sitting or lying down on the cold ground.
Pay double the attention to proper warm-up and cool down as well. This is important during any kind of training session in any weather, but it is especially crucial when it’s very cold outside. The dog’s muscles are stiff, so he needs to warm up; and after working hard on the field, he needs to properly cool down.
Also, pay attention to if the ground is slippery. Refrain from doing any exercises that might be dangerous in such conditions: retrieves, obstacles, etc. Even recalls might be tricky with your dog sliding into you as he tries to stop, so be wary of that too.
Other than those concerns, it’s more or less up to you when it comes to training in freezing temperatures. Your dog will probably enjoy training in the cold. Are you really able to resist those eyes and waggy tail? Are you? As you can tell by me and young Arch in the title photo, I wasn’t able to resist.
Pouring Rain
I hope no serious dog handler would consider not training if there is a bit of rain. After all, we are outdoorsy people, and we can handle a bit of water. But what if it’s raining really intensely? The kind of rain when you are soaking wet in a few seconds and your dog has trouble maintaining his upward focus with all the drops getting into his eyes?
Again, consider your area. Is this weather common or very rare? If it’s rare, screw it. Stay inside and wait for tomorrow to train. If there is a good chance you might have a downpour at your trial or competition though, I am sorry, but I would recommend you do train in such weather.
Rain (just like the cold) isn’t really dangerous for your dog, unlike being out in extremely hot weather. Many dogs even enjoy rain, so there should be no problems regarding that aspect.
There are, however, some dogs who don’t like to go out at all when it’s raining. With those dogs, I would start with just some walks in the rain to try to let the dog get used to it before you start training in those conditions too.
Take precautions when the ground is slippery and muddy. Refrain from demanding exercises, much like when the ground is icy.
I don’t think it’s necessary to train very often in such conditions, though. Once in a while should be plenty, so you don’t have to be out rushing to train in every single rain shower.
What I do recommend trying out though is timing your training so that it starts raining during your session. This can be pretty tricky, and oftentimes, you just need to get lucky. But it’s a situation I like to have my dogs experience at least once or twice so they’re prepared.
Start training when it’s not raining, and have it start during your routine. Better yet, let the rain start during your dog’s long down under distraction exercise. Some dogs might be thrown off their game by something like that happening and might need some encouragement to keep going or to stay down. It’s better to practice that during training than have it occur at the trial. And I don’t know about you, but with my luck, the one 10-minute thunderstorm on the otherwise-sunny day comes (of course) right during my dog’s down under distraction, guaranteed.
Windy Conditions
Again, a little bit of wind shouldn’t discourage anyone, but what if it’s blowing really intensely? In such conditions, the first thing you should think about is safety. If there are any trees around your training field that might drop some branches on your head, please be smart and don’t train or don’t get anywhere near them.
If the wind is really bad where it could blow your dog off his feet, I would not train. If I were to be faced with such conditions at a trial, I would refuse to participate. Intense wind, in my experience, is one of the few weather conditions that have trials or competitions be paused. Hot weather or rain are usually ignored, but dangerous wind might postpone the event.
If you and your dog are safe, a brief training session shouldn’t hurt. I am always wary of doing obstacles under such conditions, but other than that, you can train as usual. Again, I don’t think it’s necessary for your dog to be experiencing this very often. Once in a while is perfectly fine.
They say that experiencing the bad makes you appreciate the good even more. Use this principle, and convince yourself to go out and train your dog even though you would rather stay home. Then, be grateful for those perfect days with a light breeze, the ideal temperature for you and your dog, and having solid, dry ground underneath your feet and paws.
If you are mindful and think it through, you can safely guide your dog even through the harshest of conditions.