Tips for keeping your dog’s safe over summer

Some tips for keeping your dog’s safe over summer

We’ve been having some warmer weather for the past couple of months, some days have even been down-right hot! Whether you enjoy the warmer temperatures or not it’s important to make sure we are keeping our dogs (and other pets) safe and healthy.

 Our dogs, for the most part, really want to please us, so they will follow our lead even if our choices/actions aren’t good for them. For example if there is a game to be had, they probably won’t let us know how tired/hot they’re feeling so we have to manage their environment for them.

Tips for keeping your dog’s safe over summer

• Always have fresh water available. Be mindful if your dog has a tendency to knock their bowl over or drink the water quickly, leaving them with no water until you replenish it
• Don’t leave food sitting out for them to graze on throughout the day in warmer weather
• Have somewhere cool and shady available for your pet to rest throughout the day
• Walk dogs morning / evening to avoid the hottest times of the day – bring water with you, don’t overdo ball throwing/very active games as your dog may not know when they’ve had enough and overheat
• Can you hold your hand on the pavement for more than 5 seconds? If not it’s too hot for your dog to walk on, they could burn their paws
• Our furry friends will feel the heat more than we do (they wear a fur coat all year round), so be aware of this. Dogs don’t have the same temperature control systems that we do. They lose heat through the pads of their feet, their ears, their noses but mostly by panting.
• Consider your dogs breed/body shape/coat. Those with thick coats, bred for colder climes are likely to struggle more with the heat, maybe consider a summer hair cut for them. If your dog has a shorter muzzle/flatter face they will find it harder to maintain cooler body temperatures via panting. Light coloured dogs and those with thin coats and/or bald patches are more at risk of sunburn so be mindful of their exposure to strong sun.
• If your dog enjoys playing in water this is a great way for them to stay cool. If your dog isn’t so keen they may still like to have their paws sprayed with cool water, or just going for a paddle. You might want to try a wet towel for them to lie down on (cooling the underside of the body, legs and paws is more effective than trying to cool the top of the body)
• Don’t leave dogs in hot cars even if you have the window open