May is nearly over and summer has begun in much of the southern USA, at least weather-wise. Today we’re going to focus on four ways to keep your dog cool this summer.
1. WATER WATER WATER – Seriously. You can’t give your dog enough water this time of year, regardless of how much time they spend outside. A small wading pool, buckets of water. Make sure there’s more than one source of water. And please, clean out the receptacle and give them clean water daily. And put that water in the shade.
2. SHADE – Omigoodness. I can’t emphasize this one enough. If your dog is going to spend any time outside in the heat, shade is a necessity. Pay attention, though – what’s shady when you leave for work in the morning won’t be shady when you get home. It especially won’t be shady at noon. Multiple sources of shade are important.
3. COLD AIR – What?!? You’re probably thinking I’m crazy, asking you to put an A/C window unit in the dog house. Believe me, I’ve considered that for my hen house. But here’s what I’ve come up with for the chickens, and it works for dogs as well – frozen jugs of water. At night I collect all the gallon jugs (my teens drink a lot of milk), fill them near the top with water (too full and they’ll burst when frozen), freeze them overnight, then put them in the shady spots in the morning. Best are spots that really will be shady all day, like under a deck, or toward the back of a 55 gallon drum turned on its side. Even in the back of the dog house. The point is, a place where it won’t melt quickly, where the dog can curl around it if necessary.
4. NO RIDING IN CARS – It’s sad that I have to say this. Don’t take your dog out and about with you this time of year unless it’s going to the vet or will be going in with you everywhere you stop. If you leave your dog in the car, even for a minute while you run in to grab something in a store, someone is liable to come along and either a) call the police, and/or b) break open a window to get the dog out. More and more news stories are about just that happening. And really, it’s bad for your dog to sit in the hot car for any length of time. Tell ya what – go out and sit in your car with the engine off and the windows cracked for five minutes during daylight and make that decision for yourself. Don’t forget to wear your fur coat when you do.
And always, always, ALWAYS give your dogs Jones Natural Chews. Heh. That wasn’t sneaky at all. Number five is stuff a center bone with yogurt and pumpkin, freeze, then give to your dog in the heat of the day. It’ll make your dog smile. Frosty and tasty. You could also stuff and freeze a Windee. OM NOM NOM.
Now! Enjoy your summer!
Until I write again …
Flea
