Enjoying the heat?
Like us, some of our dogs do, some don’t.
My girl loves nothing better than to hang out in the garden on any dry day, and trying to keep her indoors is a right royal pain.
What can I do? Well, I’m giving her access to the garden I have lots of shrubs and a few small trees which gives plenty of shade on the lawn, I’ve put up the parasol so there is some shade on the patio too. She has constant access to water, and I’m giving her some frozen bone broth treats too. I’ve even had to force her awake early so we can go for a woodland walk before the day warms up – this means a walk before breakfast so she has not been so happy about that! But safety has to come first.
I will try and bring her in later in the day as it gets hotter, but the only place she will relax is next to me on the sofa…what a sacrifice!
You may see lots of comments on facebook about walking your dog in the heat, and for some, especially apartment dogs, they have to be walked in order to toilet. But it’s all about being sensible. Here are some top tips for beating the heat.
* Pavements can be hot if you are on them for a while, especially when standing, so no stopping to chat on route!
* Best if you can get to a local wooded area if possible, as those few degrees cooler can make a big difference. Shorten your walks, and get home before it gets too hot for them.
* Cars heat up very quickly, even with the window open a crack so avoid taking your dog out and not leave them in the car. Even 20 mins can be too long. Some modern electric cars have air con working when the engine is off – if this is you then leave a big note out in the windscreen with the temp display visible – it will save you a lot of angst, and broken windows. Again though, forget about leaving your dog in the car if at all possible.
* You may be tempted to take your dog to water, but this may not be the best option on hot days. Although their paws may be cool, their bodies won’t be as swimming heats them up internally through all the effort. About 5 mins of swimming equals an hours walk (supposedly, but not worth the risk of finding out). Often the walk there and back is the hot part for about a 10 min paddle.
* Dogs often get excited and so their heart rate increases before they have even started to swim, and made so much worse if you are making them run by throwing balls/sticks into the water. This again can really make them dangerously hot. Let them paddle at a slower pace, much better.
* Water intoxication can be fatal, and so by picking up balls/sticks from the water, or gulping at hosepipes is not good for them at all. And if you are at the sea, then the salt water causes further toxicity. Forget chase games in this weather, save them for colder days.
* Many lakes and ponds have blue-green algae, so do your research, look for social media warnings before you travel. I wrote a blog post on this – read it here….
* Rivers often hide underlying currents, which can easily catch out the most experienced water dogs. Have them on a harness and long line, so you can keep hold of the other end and pull them back should they need help. Many dogs are not built for swimming, and struggle. Flat faced breeds especially struggle as many have compromised breathing out of the water, so the effort in water is a killer. Their body shape, size and weight play a big part in being able to swim or not, so always be cautious.
* Cooling mats are good so dogs can choose to lie on them, but I’m not a huge fan of the coats. Dog’s hair, especially the double coated variety, are designed to be a cooling system so having clothing on them affects the natural ability to move their hair and cool themselves. I just think an extra layer pressing down on them is often unnecessary (same goes for the body suits on dogs – because owners don’t want the dirt – often used on mild days that really don’t warrant their use).
* Set up a fan if you have one, allow access to cooler areas in the home, and just let your dog choose where they want to be.
* Their appetite may change when its super hot, so don’t panic, just make sure they have lots of water available.
* Know the signs of heatstroke (and water intoxication) – signs can appear quickly or in the case of having done exertion (such as water swimming), might appear later in the day. Heavy panting, being very unsettled, red gums, drooling, being sick, wobbling, shaking and frothing at the mouth are some of the common signs. Your dog may not show all of them. The advise is to cool them first and then transport them. This means to cover them in water, even tepid tap water and then get them to the vet, phone up in advance so they can be ready for you.
* If your dog is bouncing off the walls as you cannot do their normal energetic walks, then play lots of brain games to tire them out. Find it, new tricks, revisit and practice basic skills such as lead walking, stay, and other obedience indoors, or get out the puzzle feeders and long lasting chews.
And of course, being in the UK, as soon as we start to get used to the heat, we will be back to a drop in temperature and rain!
Stay safe, listen to your dog, and keep an extra careful eye on them on the hot days.