Hot Diggity Dog!

Hi Everyone!

Holy cow it’s been a busy Spring! Tom’s been insisting on more walks which has kept me away from the keyboard of late!  I know you miss me, so it’s good to be back!

It sure is heating up out there.  The minute I got home from our walk, I just plopped down right inside the door.  Of course, it didn’t take me long to pop back up and sprint into the kitchen the second I heard the food container open up… Anyway, it’s getting warmer and warmer out there, and that’s why I’m talking to you today about how to keep us cool in the summer.  Now ideally, your pup gets to hang out most of the day in a nice, cool, air-conditioned home.  I’m lucky enough to get that kind of treatment, that is, until the UPS guy makes his daily visit, and I DO NOT like when he comes… and Sarah orders a lot of stuff… a lot…

If your dog must be outside all day, first of all, make sure to get the excess fur out.  If you have a long haired dog, it’s probably a good idea to take your pup for a hair trim.  If your dog is like me and has short hair, I recommend getting a Fur-minator and getting the undercoat shedding out.  That way we’re nice and cool for the summer.  Next, make sure we have a nice shady spot to hang out, preferably under a nice tree instead of a traditional dog house.  It turns out, most dog houses are made to prevent air flow, so they are actually little ovens that are very uncomfortable.  You know what’s not uncomfortable? You guessed right, chillin’ at the pool!  If we’re outside all day, just fill up a little wading pool for us to rest in and cool off.  Our stomachs and feet are some of the best places for us to cool down.  Speaking of water, make sure we have access to plenty of fresh drinking water too!

I love a good walk, but sometimes it gets too hot.  On those days, we get out long enough for me to do my “other business” in the afternoon, but we hold off on that long walk until the sun starts going down.  If you can take your dog out in the morning and night, that’s much preferred to us vs. us roasting in the sun.  Just remember, if you can’t tolerate walking or running in the heat with a coat on, neither can we!  Also, please don’t use muzzles for long exercise.  We use our mouths and tongues for panting to cool down. 

Finally, please, please, please do not leave me in a hot car! As a general rule “70 and over, don’t take Rover.”  As much as I love the wind in my face as we ride down to the market, it can only take minutes for a car to overheat, even with the windows cracked.  We love a good bakery, but we don’t want to be in the oven!

Now that you’re all set for the Summer heat, we hope you get out tomorrow morning with a K9X Ball for a game of fetch!

Your Best Friend!

Bastian