Keeping your Dog Cool in the Lazy Dog Days of Summer!

Here are a few tips for keeping your dog cool in summer

- Keep dogs indoors in a well ventillated room – air conditioning is a plus!

- Give your dog a “Puppy Cut” (short hair cut). This especially helps if your dog has long hair.

- If you keep your dog outside, be sure he has plenty of water. Make sure the water is in the shade. Also, be sure to have a second bowl of water placed outside as a back-up, just in case the first bowl is accidentally knocked over. Place the 2nd bowl at a different location then the first.

- Walk your dog early in the morning or later in the evening (about an hour after the sun sets), when it is cooler outside. Besides being cooler, the pavement will not be as hot and will not burn the pads of their feet.

- Heat Exhaustion is very common with dogs in the summer. Signs of heat exhaustsion – rapid breathing, heaving panting, and salivation. Don’t be nervous if your dog is panting. This is a way dogs cool themselves down (since they don’t have sweat glands). If you see your dog having a heat stroke, bring them to a cool place, place cool wet towels on them, and call your vet.

- Don’t leave your dog in your car without leaving the car “ON” with the “AC”. Leaving the windows cracked when it’s hot outside will not do the trick. Cars heat up quickly in the summer and dogs will overheat.

- Don’t bring your dog to the beach if there is no shade. It is too hot for them. They will experience heat exhaustion and dogs do sunburn! So leave them at home with the AC on. They will be much more comfortable.

I hope these tips help! Just use your knoggin and be aware of your dogs behavior in the summer.