Catching her breath after exercise

[Amanda]

Just wondering how long it normally takes your boxers to catch their breath after playing outside, going for a run etc?

Salo has been panting for about five to ten minutes after exercise and I'm wondering if this is typical... She seems to be in good spirits after, but I'm just not sure how long its suppose to take to get back to normal state breathing...

Thanks!!! 

[Kaco Boxers]

It really just depends on the individual dog. My reverse girl Raven catches her breath quickly after a hard play 5-10 minutes tops where as her daughter Mya can take up to 30 minutes.  Thats why we always hose them down in the summer to help cool them off quicker.

I wouldnt be worried about Salo unless he becomes disoriented or lathergic.

[Dave B.]

It will probably depend as well if she is in a warm house when she is coming back down after play. Our Khara isn't good with heat and can pant if the room is too warm without doing anything.

[Stephanie]

There isn't a specified amount of time Amanda.  As both Dave and Collin have said, heat is really a BIG determining factor in how soon they get out of breath and how soon they recover.  On these cold winter days, Ruby can run and run and barely get out of breath.  If I get her running fast by chasing her ball, she will usually recover 5-10 mins after - same as Salo.  In the heat though, she pants just walking around in it and I NEVER play ball with her then, and actively encourage her to get in the ponds to cool herself off.

Dogs don't perspire in the way we do, they cool down through panting and through tiny sweat glands in their paw pads. Also, as boxers have short nasal passages they are prone to overheating and pant harder and faster than other longer nosed breeds in order to try and cool down.

I've copied over some info on overheating from this link: http://dog-care.suite101.com/article.cfm/signs_of_overheating_in_dogs, just to give you an idea of what signs to look out.

Signs of Overheating in Dogs
Dog owners need to know the signs of overheating in dogs so that cooling measures can be taken quickly. Symptoms to watch for include:

Profuse and rapid panting
Bright red tongue
Thick drooling saliva
Wide eyes with a glassy look
Lack of coordination
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Coma

How to Cool an Overheated Dog
Working quickly to get the temperature down is imperative. Any of the following measures can help to cool the dog.

Place the dog in cool, but not cold, water
Take the dog to air conditioning
Sponge his head, tummy and area between the legs with cool water
Wet his tongue
Turn a fan on him
Offer small amounts of cool water to drink every few minutes if he is conscious
Care must be taken not to cool the dog too much. In some cases, the temperature can drop too quickly. Once the temperature has reached 104 F or 103 F, cooling efforts should be stopped.

Dogs who have overheated should be seen by a veterinarian to determine if they need further treatment.

[tatlim]

Molly over heated last summer and it really scared me, she was lying in the garden, we phoned the vet and they told me to put wet towels on her, another thing we use is the hand sanitiser you can buy, they contain alcohol and if you put some on the dogs paws it cools them down really quickly, we did check with the vet and he said it was a good way to cool them down quickly.
xx tina