Rambling off the tracks

[footpad]

One of the things I really appreciate about German long-distance trains, which make them qualitatively more pleasant to travel in than their English counterparts, is that they have special sealed small-children compartments in each wagon.¹ One of those compartments is earning its keep right now: I can just faintly hear the sounds of irate

Comments

[gerald_duck]

1…with enough oxygen to last 40 minutes.

[footpad]

Hm. I was going to make some vaguely-related but considerably more macabre comment, but then I remembered that I'm in Germany of all places...

[gerald_duck]

Given that malamutes are specced for Alaskan survival, I don't suppose giving him a once-over with clippers in summer is an option?

[footpad]

He's having a good go at that himself, actually-shedding underfur like nobody's business. I suspect that unless you came close to shaving him, clippers would mostly only remove the relatively-thermally-useless guard hairs.

A rantingmule has advised me not to clip Mischa's fur, on the grounds that it may permanently alter his pelt (vanity, but I love that pelt too much to risk it for dubious thermal gains). Also, given the way that the dog cools himself, I don't see clipping being much benefit as the ambient temperature approaches the dog's own.

[raikawolf]

I've heard the same from other professional dog groomers, as well as that the combination of undercoat and guard fur acts like insulation, keeping the temperature near the dog's skin more consistent regardless of whether he's in the hot or cold.

Clearly they still can become overheated: rest, dips in the river, lots of fresh water, and that AC unit.

[megadog]

My experience with wolves is that their insulation works to prevent both thermal-loss and thermal-gain: to the point where they are happy to lie out in full sun rather than seek shade.

[Of course, some of them also love to totally-immerse themselves in any significant body of water when they get the chance - whether cattle-trough or lake. And the stinkiest/slimiest/most-blanket-weed-and-rotting-leaves-infested the netter!]

[kajidog]

Child compartments! Never noticed them before. That's incredibly nifty compared to UK trains :)

I don't agree with Kramer's model but if it works for you, cool. I gave up caffeine for other reasons.. (1) better sleep and (2) don't get depressed and irritable during withdrawal.

[footpad]

While I haven't looked up Kramer's citations on the subject, his description of the (considerable) research in the field makes the model plausible in some aspects, and compelling in others. The ideas about caffeine are my own wild extrapolation.

[han_xiao]

Paul the psychic octopus says that Germany is going to win today, but it's going to be a hard game, because it took Paul over an hour to decide which box to choose.

I hope that Argentina is going to win this game.

Too bad that the US and England are out already...