# Normal post-exercise respiration rate and other warm-weather exercise questions



## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

My dog is really susceptible to the heat since he's got a black coat. To keep him cool and comfortable in the warm weather, I do the following:
- Keep undercoat to a minimum, but do not shave/clip coat. 
- Exercise in the mornings and late evenings when it's still cool out.
- Keep play sessions to the cooler hours of the day as well.
- Make sure there's a shady spot in the backyard - ranger loves to lie on the dirt next to the concrete. Or, keep her inside during peak hot hours.
- Grant free access to linoleum or tile.
- Some people fill up kiddie pools with water for their dogs outside to cool off at will.
- Keep cool (not ice cold) water available at all times, but restrict drinking right after a hard play sessions to a few mouthfuls until respiration is back to normal.


The best thing you can do is try to exercise early in the morning so you have a better chance of keeping her quiet during the hot hours. I take my long walk in the morning (45 - 60 min) and sometimes do 20 min of rollerblading. From noon til 5, Ranger is happy laying around inside. If he does go out to play, I keep the sessions short and bring him in then give him a frozen kong to help cool off.

I also found that the fitter the dog is, the quicker their respiration goes back to normal. Ranger does a ton of regular exercise compared to my bro's brother and when the two of them come in panting, Ranger catches his breath up to twice as fast as Blue does. Hope this helps!


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## Maya's Mom (Apr 13, 2009)

I just tried to count her respiration rate after a retrieving session (about 15 minutes at 60 degrees and sunny outside) and I think it is around 200-250 breaths per minute. :uhoh: Is that normal? Her breaths seem so short and fast. Her breathing seems normal except after exercise, although I will check her resting respiration rate when she has settled down. Online I can only find guidelines for resting respiration.


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## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

I honestly don't know what a normal respiration rate is, but I do remember when Sam was a puppy he always seemed like he was breathing super fast.


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