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You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Dog Blogging / Hot Dogs (Open Thread)

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68Comments

  5. 5.

    Chris

    The irritation of summer especially in these heat waves is that walking one of the dogs or even leaving him outdoors for any extended period of time becomes difficult, because heat is a reliable trigger for his seizures.  (All three of the last ones happened outdoors on hot summer days).

  7. 7.

    CaseyL

    I was going to say, what a great thing that you live so close to the water, the boys could just jump in.

    And then I remembered the water there has an abundance of alligators.

    So, uh, probably not a good swimming hole for Badger and Pete.

    Hope everyone stays cool, or at least cool enough.

    (It has been roasting here in Seattle. Multiple days in the low 90s.  The new normal, and it SUCKS.)

  8. 8.

    tobie

    Anyone have any experience with heat pumps? The past few years have been brutal in the winter for me. I have natural gas radiator heating but it costs a fortune to run. Since I’m in Maryland and temps often hover around 45F, I was thinking a heat pump system to use on most winter days might save me some cash.

  9. 9.

    NutmegAgain

    Nice to see you Betty.  And the pooches … always good to see pooches. My giant furry fellow (130 lbs of fur, floof and drool) has decided that digging another big-ass hole under the back porch is his preferred method of cooling off. I don’t really mind the digging, especially in the spot he’s chosen. But the dirt he covers himself in, plus drool aka Newfie cement, is too damned much. I’m setting up the kiddie pool tomorrow.

  10. 10.

    Mike E

    England v Netherlands now vying to get to the Euro final this Sunday. Dortmund is right close to the Low Country, big Dutch crowd. I’m neutral but have Tony Jay in my thoughts.

  12. 12.

    ArchTeryx

    @tobie: It depends on electric rates.  If they are higher than gas, your bill will go up a LOT, more in the winter than the summer. If natural gas rates are higher, a heat pump could save you $. But heat pumps have a truly critical disadvantage.

    I lived with a heat pump year round in Maryland and they were an utter disaster during the Snowmageddon blizzard of 2009, which knocked out power for nearly 2 weeks and brought Washington D.C. to a total standstill. Natural gas heating for the most part kept working. Heat pumps just died like all other electrical appliances, and since most apartments were heated by heat pumps it quickly turned into a full scale emergency. People were freezing to death, unable to heat their homes or go anywhere else because the snow was impassable. Had I not stocked up heavily on “Yuppie logs” for my fireplace well before the blizzard was forecast, I would have been one of them. My apartment became a heating center for my whole building.

    However, based on other comments I’ve been seeing, YMMV. Heat pumps may have come a way since my stay in Maryland between 2008-2011, but they still depend on a reliable power grid. D.C. doesn’t have one, because Pepco is shit.

  13. 13.

    Bupalos

    @tobie: Oh hell yes. Honestly the latest generation of heat pumps do pretty well down to about 5f. By “natural gas radiators” I assume you mean hydronic or steam heat powered by a natural gas boiler? Without existing forced air the switch can be more complicated, but it still very much doable. And late this year the HEEHRA rebates should finally be available.

  14. 14.

    Leto

    When we’re outside playing with Ocean, tossing his rope ball with him, when he’s done he simply bypasses us and heads straight to the door inside. He’s pretty direct with what he wants, and we’re appreciative of that as well.

    Netherlands score on a frigging rocket of a shot. That thing was screaming as it hit the back of the net.

  15. 15.

    Bupalos

    @ArchTeryx:Natural gas heating for the most part kept working

    How??…. AFAIK this would ONLY be true of steam or old gravity boiler systems with now ancient non-electric control systems. I guess we’re talking almost 20 years ago there. In general, loss of electric power is probably going to knock out 90% of heating systems now.  Even when it’s hydronic there is essentially no new construction using some kind of pumpless system and where the boiler requires no electricity.

  16. 16.

    dmsilev

    @tobie: I have one, but I live in Southern California so my need for heat is minimal. At night in the winter months, mostly. With that caveat noted, it’s been great. I got it as part of a  replacement for the central AC unit, and the new one is a huge step up from the old (which was about 20 or so years old when it died). Energy efficient and much quieter.

    The hot air from the heat pump isn’t as warm as what comes out of a gas furnace, so it takes a while longer to effectively heat a place once it turns on, but it has no trouble sustaining temperature (just that slower response time).

  17. 17.

    Mike E

    Well, that was quick, Netherlands score in the 7th minute, not good for ol blighty

  20. 20.

    ArchTeryx

    @Bupalos: There were actually a lot of those for *houses* in older parts of Gaithersburg. I was reading on the news that they were some of the few people not massively affected by the disaster. It took longer to get the power back than it took to clear the snow, and clearing the snow was a truly massive undertaking. We got buried in nearly 4 feet of it in 48 hours.

    It’s also possible, IIRC, that many houses had small generators to keep their furnaces operating – the control system for the nat gas heating and thermostat takes a HELL of a lot less power than a heat pump. Even if it wasn’t the case before, it sure as heck became the case after Snowmageddon and its sequel.

  24. 24.

    Tony Jay

    Didn’t think that was a penalty at first, but in slow motion, studs up, a modern referee will give that if the video refs say he should ‘think about it’.

    ENGLAND’S HARRY KANE…

    scores!

  27. 27.

    Leto

    Whelp, tied up via Old Man Kane’s PK conversion. Keep guessed correctly, but was just out of range.

  29. 29.

    Leto

    @Betty Cracker: we take Ocean out after 8:30pm, usually near 9pm, for his daily walk. I usually get him out several times a day to potty, and to do a few mins of playing. We’ve had similar temps here (mid 90s, with real feel at 100 or greater), so just looking to not kill of us with our exercise.

  31. 31.

    eclare

    @CaseyL:

    Someone posted a video a while back about how to tell if a lake in Louisiana has gators.  Stick your hand in the water.  Is it wet?  It has gators.

    Also applies to FL.

  32. 32.

    tobie

    @scav: @ArchTeryx: @Bupalos: @dmsilev: Thanks so much for the detailed answers. There’s an upfront sunk cost so I’m trying to figure out the savings. I have ducted central a/c and would replace the whole system with a dual a/c-heat pump. I’ll keep my natural gas furnace for my steam radiators but am hoping not to have to use it that much….especially if heat pumps function into the 30s. Appreciate hearing your experiences.

  37. 37.

    ArchTeryx

    @tobie: Admittedly, my experience was quite extreme. It was a combination of an electric grid as shitty as Texas’ and a historic blizzard. D.C. is not equipped to handle Buffalo levels of snow dumped in less than 2 days. Even the main Interstates turned to ice and became impassable. Plus, apartments go as cheap as they can, so it probably had the efficiency of a steam locomotive.

    I’d guess that looking at how many kw/hr a given model burns when heating, and comparing it to how much you pay in the winter for gas, would be the most informative comparison you could make.

  38. 38.

    Kelly

    @tobie: I’ve been on heat pumps for 22 years. The original on needed supplemental heat, which was a wood stove. Wood stove heats thru power failures. Current unit needs no help. If you lack ducts mini-split units are probably the way to go. The folks out here beyond the gas lines used wood stoves for decades. Most have added a mini-split which makes life a lot easier.

  39. 39.

    eclare

    @Bupalos:

    I have a gas fired steam boiler and radiators.  The boiler is ancient and is as tall as I am.  It does not go out.

  42. 42.

    Leto

    This number 11 kid for England is doing some really good work. Playing with pace, good passes, really good attempt there.

  43. 43.

    Bupalos

    @tobie: Oh no brainer. I replaced my mom’s AC with a 3 ton Mr. Cool central unit, did it myself in a day, just a straight swap with a little extra ducting to keep the gas furnace as backup.

    30% tax credit.

    Switched to the gas furnace for a week twice in 3 years, in Northeast Ohio. It’s probably a wash as far as $ though we’d be ahead if we completely turned off the gas and avoided the $30 month you pay just to have the account. But I’m a big anti-fracking freak and it was mostly to fully electrify the condo and switch her to a renewable contract.

  45. 45.

    Bupalos

    @eclare: Yeah I grew up with that. Those systems were brilliant. You’ll only find them in the old construction for which they were designed.

  48. 48.

    CaseyL

    @Leto:

    @eclare:

    I saw that video a couple of weeks ago – can’t remember where it was mentioned – and loved it.

    Fortunately, while we have lots of lakes and creeks in my part of Washington (not to mention Puget Sound) we do NOT have alligators.

    Which is good, because with our summers getting hotter and hotter the day will come when I jump into the nearest body of water without looking first.

    And my sole furbaby right now is Oscar, who is a cat, and therefore very unlikely to fling himself into any body of water at all ever.  No worries there!

  49. 49.

    Tony Jay

    @Leto:

    Young Foden. 7/10 the size of a real boy but bags and bags of talent – when played in his right position, which he is tonight.

    Got to say, now that England have finally remembered that football has a forward gear to go with twelve different reverse settings we’re looking quite dangerous… occasionally.

  51. 51.

    Leto

    @Tony Jay: haha, “I’m a real boy!!!” He’s built the same as Pulisic, which isn’t a bad thing. Similar style of play. Glad he’s being utilized in the correct position, finally.

  52. 52.

    Tony Jay

    @Leto:

    We’ve been dominant since going behind, bossed the half, but once again very little end product. Not enough movement, last ball often wasted, ENGLAND’S HARRY KANE often whirring his little legs without going anywhere like a mid-air Wile E. Coyote.

    Foden and Mainoo playing well, Bellingham one spin or turn away from doing something special. We need width and we need pace. Without either it’s quite conceivable the Dutch could stun us on the break and we’re not getting another ‘penalty’ like that.

  53. 53.

    Trollhattan

    Out pup Rocco is on the mend from what proved to be cancer surgery.

    Short story long: spouse noticed him paying too much attention to his rear and checking him, she found blood. Never good.

    Vet tried to express his glands and one was too swollen—after an ultrasound showed a lump @ one gland he prescribed an antibiotic in hopes it was an infection. That did not help and they  then recommended surgery to remove what was probably cancerous, estimated between $6-10k “depending.”

    2nd vet did an exam with blood work etc. and agreed it needed to be removed, because such cancers spread quickly; luckily, the scans showed nothing beyond the lump itself. So surgery it was; afterwards the vet felt as though he got it despite being larger than first thought. Next was 10 days of the cone of shame plus drugs, drugs, drugs. The biopsy finally came back indicating it was a cancerous tumor.

    They are not recommending anything further, such as radiation, etc. Thank the lord for that.

    Rocco seems to have more energy than in ages, so has probably been affected by the cancer a good while with no way of, you know, telling us. We’re telling him he needs to get a job to help defray the costs because 2024 has turned out to be one damn expensive year (house, cars, daughter, now dog) and it’s only July. Anyone need some squirrel pointing?

  54. 54.

    Trollhattan

    @tobie:

    Installed ours in 2023 and so far are happy campers. Our temps range from perhaps 28 to, well we hit 115 last week so there’s that.

    This is a forced air HVAC setup in a century-old house with crawlspace ducting, Central California. The old system was gas-electric and our total bills are about on par. That, of course, depends on one’s pricing and utilities (we have one for each, with smart meters and tiered rates–time of day for electrical and therms base and premium rates for gas).

    OMG, so quiet now, what an improvement.

  56. 56.

    Yutsano

    Since this is an open thread, I’m going to do something on here I’ve never done before. I have a housing bleg for someone who needs help badly.

    A good friend of mine and his spouse are in a living situation with his parents. They are being abusive to both of them to the point where they are fearing for their lives. They need a temporary housing situation until they can get something set up on their own. I don’t have their contact information but I can get it. I can get some more details as right now this is a game of telephone and I want to hear from the spouse directly.

    But just as a preliminary, does anyone think they could help here after I get some more details about what’s going on?

  66. 66.

    Cheryl from Maryland

    @tobie: I’ll be able to tell you next week as my 18 yr old AC compressor died, so I’m getting a new heat pump setup TOMORROW and discarding my 50 yr old furnace.  Besides rebates from the manufacturer, I’ll be getting a 1K tax credit compliments of the Old Handsome Joe Biden.  I live in MoCo.

  67. 67.

    Virginia

    Love seeing the pups, and it’s always good to hear from you.  That orange ball?  I can’t remember the brand name, but we call ours the indestructiball.  Only balls our JRT hasn’t been able to destroy in 5 minutes.  The greatest dog ball, ever.

    Happy dogs!

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