Summer tips to keep your dog cool and happy
When the temperature begins to rise, you need to be more aware of your dog’s special needs because of the heat. Most of this will be common sense for you but because your dog can’t tell you how they are feeling the same way one of your children might, you will need to pay a little extra attention to your dog’s needs when the heat of summer is upon us. If you’re not careful, your dog might start to show signs of heatstroke, so make sure you’re taking action early with the following tips.
1) Keep your dog hydrated.
Lots and lots of FRESH water is very important. Your dog should always have access to clean freshwater in the summer. Change water bowls frequently and take water with you when you go out with your dog.
2) Avoid the hottest parts of the day.
Try and plan your activities to avoid the warmest parts of the day. Early morning walks in the summer and ones later in the evening will be more enjoyable for you as well.
3) Make sure your dog has access to shade when outside.
If your dog’s outside area has shade in the morning it might not have the same coverage as the sun moves throughout the day, make sure your dog can get away from the sun during the hottest parts of the day.
4) Is your dog a swimmer?
Lakes, rivers and small kid pools can be a great way for your dog to exercise and cool off on a hot summer day. If you don’t have access to any of these, sometimes a good soak down with the hose works just as well.
5) Is your dog a digger?
Some dogs will dig more when it gets hot. They do this to find a cool place to lie down. Digging a hole can provide your dog with a cooler place to relax.
6) Stay off the hot asphalt.
Have you ever walked across the driveway with bare feet on a hot day? It’s not very comfortable, is it? Try and keep you do of paved surfaces when it gets hot outside. Stick to grass and lighter coloured surfaces that don’t attract the heat or put booties on your dog if necessary.
7) Keep an eye out for dehydration.
Does your dog’s breathing seem laboured? Is it lethargic? Is it drooling much more than it normally does? These are all possible signs that your dog is feeling the stress from the heat and maybe dehydrated.
8) Never leave your dog in a car.
This one may seem obvious, but still, we feel the need to mention it as many dogs still get left in hot parked cars every year. If you absolutely have to, and we mean HAVE TO, leave your dog inside of your car, we have gone over what to know about leaving dogs in cars.
I hope some of this is helpful. Summer is a great time to be a dog owner. Enjoy the outdoors and the fun sun activities while it lasts.
If you’d like, you can read more about how you can help your cat beat the summer heat.