Cindy, My Cleo is shorthaired but incindentally she has the thickest coat and sheds the most. Cleo is shortcoated, Julius is medium, Caeser and Shagi are long. Caesar and Shagi blows less coat than Cleo and Julius. What can we infer from that? My shorter coated dogs have thicker undercoats. I do know that Cleo likes to lay in the sun but when it gets above 100 F she spends all her time in the airconditioned shed except to come out and answer nature's call. So - getting a shorthaired CO may be the answer because when the undercoat is blown then they should stay cooler. Also the CAO may fit the bill because of the shorter coat and the highly tuned guarding abilities. Anyway - Bahamian, good luck with your research. In my opinion it is quite possible to keep a CO in the Bahamas although it will not have the highest quality of life because of the environment. With some planning and preparation it is possible. However, since it would be your first CO you may may wish to reconsider and find a more temperate guardian.