Move to Florida from NY?

[Duhxo000]

Me and my boyfriend are planning to move to Florida in the near future but I'm worried. The problem is before I got Rusty he was in a pet store for 2 months so hes never really been outside before he was 5 months old. When I picked him up it was Sept 28 so he's never been in hot weather. There was a day or 2 here this year where it was in the 70s and it doesnt seem like he handles the hot weather well. I'm not a big fan of the long hair at this age (he'll be 1 May 3) because he's VERY hyper and he gets knotted easy so I keep it short. I'm worried that if we move there he won't handle the heat well and he'll get sick. Obviously there are people that live in hot places like Florida and California with Yorkies so my question how do you keep them from overheating and how do they handle the heat?

[sarahheartmaddy]

Hey there! I live in Tampa, Florida and it gets hot as heck here! Maddy is in a medium length coat. Here is what I do to keep her cool

After going outside to potty: I always make sure she drinks water when we come inside. I make a note to watch her drink. She will pant after drinking water, but its cool indoors and she cools off pretty quickly.

Being outside for extensive time: I always have a bottle of water in my purse. When I see her starting to pant.. I try to find some shade to rest and offer her water. I keep offering water the entire time we are outside. If it is scorching hot, I tend to carry her. The sidewalks get hot as heck and I don't want to burn her little paws! If the heat is just too much, limit time outdoors in the summer months to just potty -- or go in the early morning or evenings, when its cooler.

Getting in the hot car: Since I have leather, my seats really heat up. I always roll down my windows and blast the air to get the hot air out. I take a blankie to lay in the seat so the hot leather does not hurt (or if its a longer distance, she is in her carseat). I aim a vent towards her face (usually both passenger vents are aimed downwards) or she sits in my lap until the car cools down.

There is a cool water bottle top that converts to a spout for them to drink out of on the go! It is the best! Mimimomo here on YT sells them. They are so handy and we use ours all the time.

The main key is going outdoors during the cooler times (avoid 11-3) and make sure his water dish is always full of cool, clean water!

[briannalee15]

Hey! I live in Mississippi and I have 2 yorkies. I keep a puppy cut on mine all of the time simply because it's easier to take care of and they don't get quite as messy outside.

When it comes to keeping them cool outside, mine love the water, therefore I bought them one of the cheap kiddie pools from walmart. It's in the shade in my backyard, so when they do have to stay outside for longer periods of time than just to use the bathroom they have something to stay cool in and it's also a lot of fun for them!

[OlivesMommy]

I live in the panhandle, where it varies from very hot to quite cold. I have a Yorkie and she hates the cold weather. When I took her outside she would stare at me and shiver. Now that it's hot she loves to run around outside, but we keep outside time to a minimum (30 mins max) that way she doesn't get overheated. She's in her puppy coat still and I do plan on growing her out when her colors change, but I will most likely keep the puppy cut for summer and grow her out for the winter. Hope that helps!

[Lee B]

I'm just a stone's throw North of Sarah. One of mine is a cotton coat, so he stays short. Bella has long hair. I don't worry too much about it being hot, as mine are definitely creatures of comfort: they have a doggie door, and they know which side of it has the air conditioner. I also have tile floors, so it's not hard to find some place cool.

One other thing to consider: mosquitoes are a year-round thing here, so Heartworm meds are ALSO year-round, not seasonal like some parts of the country.

Other than that, you've already been given some very good advice. There are LOTS of Yorkies in FL, so it's quite "do-able". Like their human counterparts, the first year may be rough making the adaptation, but after that, it's great. And in the winter, he'll *surely* love it!

[HarleyHOO]

Hi - I'm in Jacksonville which is northeast Florida and although it gets very hot here, Harley does just fine. She is in a medium length cut and doesn't seem to be bothered by the hot weather...but then again, she's never out for extented periods of time, especially in the heat of the day. It may take him some time to adjust, but I bet you'll find that he enjoys the extra sun as a lot of dogs do. Another thing - I may be wrong on this so don't quote me, but it is my understanding that they actually stay cooler than that of a different breed as they have no undercoat.

I think the weather will be more of an adjustment to you than it is him

Good luck & God bless!

[Gennies]

I'm not in FL but here in VA it gets very hot and humid. I have a great pyrenees (his pic is in my avatar) so if you want to talk about over heating concerns I've got the experience with him for you. I don't leave him outside for long on warm days. He loves being inside with the AC....oh being in NY yo may not have it now, but down south you have to have AC. It's way too hot without it. I don't leave the house with them if I don't have two bottles of water for them. One for the GP and one of my two yorkies. I've been known to pull into a local fire dept to get free ice for them too ) They love getting visits from the gang. I'm sure you'll do wonderfully if you remember to keep water on hand for him and never ever leave him in a car alone or outside in the heat.

[zekie's mom]

If you move to FL ask the vet once you get here for Comfortis for fleas. It is in pill form and works very well against fleas down here. Keep the dog in air cond. during the hot weather months or make sure there is a fan or some way to cool the area the dog will be in.

[orlnurse]

In the hotter months, we don't go to doggie parks or anything than can get them overheated. If we go for walks its very early like 7 or 8 am or later like 8pm. Even at those times I take a plastic bowl and bottled water. As for pests, both of mine are on flea and tick treatment. Its important to not only treat for fleas here in Florida. Another poster mentioned heartworm medication is a must as well.