It’s finally everyone’s favorite time of year – Summer! But while summer may be great for outdoor activities or relaxing by the poolside, there’s more to worry about than just yourself. Of course, I’m talking about your dog.
Warm weather is the best time to take your dog to the park, go on a walk, or play outside, but there are some problems that can arise from your dog being in the heat for extended periods of time.
Always be wary of the possibility of your dog becoming dehydrated or overheated, both of which can lead to more serious problems that could end poorly for your beloved pet.
If you notice anything unusual about your dog such as fast, noisy breathing, sunken eyes, dry mouth, and collapsing among other things, these are a few signs that your dog is either dehydrated, overheated, or both. Please take the proper safety measures if you discover your dog is in fact dealing with either of these issues.
Moving past the problem, let us continue to the solution. There’s a ton of ways for you to ensure that those menacing summer days never top the list of your concerns in the first place! Here are some ideas that you can try!
How To Keep Your Dog Cool In The Summer
- First and foremost, make sure your dog is always drinking enough water. Always encourage resting and have water ready on those particularly hot days.
- As for a product that you can buy, there are tons of cooling mats on the market. Freeze them up and have your dog lay down for a relaxing chill.
- One of the best ways for humans to stay cool outside is using a pool. Well, this also applies to your dog. Find a small children’s pool for your dog to either run around or take a load off. If you have a beach nearby, head there once in a while too. They can get exercise outside while staying cool all the while!
- Keeping the inside of your house cool is a nice added bonus for your dog to walk into after being outside on a hot day.
- Also for inside the house, fill the dog bowl with cold water using ice cubes to tackle both dehydration and overheating at the same time.
- If you’re going to be outside for a long time without something like a pool, always make sure to find a shady area where your dog can lay down and take a rest.
- Be wary of hot surfaces. If it would be uncomfortable for you to walk on barefoot, it will definitely be uncomfortable for your dog to walk on too!
- If you’ve ever had the experience of feeling the difference between long hair and short hair when summer rolls around, then you’re sure to know where this final point is headed. Make sure you groom your dog before it gets too hot! Thick coats of fur will not be contributing to cooling off. It’s great to have a thick coat for winter, but once summer comes, it’s best if it goes.
You can’t ever be too careful with keeping your dog safe, especially when the danger is something as simple as the weather outside. If your dog struggles with keeping cool in the summer, these methods are reliable and are widely recognized and utilized as some of the best.
Applying a few of these into your dog’s daily routine will ensure that you won’t have to worry about the dangers of heat ever again!
