The Old English Sheepdog may also suffer from conditions that are not genetic; one of these conditions is heatstroke, which can be common in dogs that have dense, profuse coats, especially if they live in areas where the temperatures get high. Dogs that engage in strenuous activity are at an especially high risk for heat stroke; while older dogs might naturally calm down on hot days, puppies must be looked after because they will have a tendency to play heartily, regardless of temperature.
If your dog spends a great deal of time outdoors, heatstroke is a serious concern. You should provide ample amounts of shade, water for drinking, and possibly some kind of container large enough in which the dog can wade and cool off his entire body. The best thing to do is make sure your dog stays indoors, in the air conditioning, as much as possible. Since dogs do not have as efficient a cooling system as humans, they need to be much more careful about overheating. You might have noticed that they don't sweat; sweating serves to cool the body down through evaporation. Since dogs don't sweat they can't cool off the way we do. Dogs cool off by panting; moreover, dogs lose heat from their noses and the pads of their feet. Dogs are also capable of losing heat through the process of conduction; you'll notice that they search for cool surfaces on which to lie on warm days.
For dogs with such profuse coats as the Old English Sheepdog, grooming is of the utmost importance during the summer months. Many people, especially those living in hotter areas, like to trim down the Old English Sheepdog's coat in the summer; if your dog is a show dog, though, you may not be willing to do this. Whatever the case, make sure that you keep the coat clean and free of mats; matting on the underside of the dog is particularly dangerous, as it will negatively affect the dog's ability to cool off when he's lying on that cool surface. One of the most essential things to keep in mind is that trips in the car during the summer need to be carefully monitored. If you can, it's best to avoid putting your dog in a car in the summer, especially if you're planning on leaving him in the car to run some errand; again, if your dog is a regular at the dog shows, you may not have a choice regarding automobile transportation. In these cases, make sure the air conditioner is always on; never leave your dogs alone in the car, because the temperature in cars can rise very quickly to levels that are deadly for a dog, especially for one like the Old English Sheepdog.
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