It’s finally here, warm weather and longer days! For many of us that means more time outside in the fresh air whether it’s at a park, back yard and hopefully soon the beach front. Warmer temperatures and more time outside means shorts, t-shirts, sunblock and maybe a hat for us human. But what about our dogs? How do they stay cool?

While humans can sweat, from basically everywhere, to help cool us down, dogs can’t. They do sweat through their paw pads, but it’s panting that helps them cool down. A tongue vs all your skin: it’s a lot easier for humans to cool down than our dogs. So the key to keeping your dog happy and safe in hot weather is to help them avoid overheating and heat exhaustion.*
To start off, don’t throw your dog into the deep end by spending the first hot day outside all day running around. Help her get used to the climbing temperatures by voiding the extreme temperatures we get during midday. If you usually take your dog out midday, consider taking her out in the morning or evening when it’s cooler, or at the very least, shorten the time you spend outside midday. It may mean waking up a little earlier, but this is your dog we’re talking about. It’s totally worth it.

When you are out and about, pay attention to where your dog is walking. The sidewalks and streets can get HOT. In the summer, the temperature of the sidewalk can easily reach 90 plus degrees. If you’re curious how that would feel on your pup’s feet, put your palm on the sidewalk for about 5 seconds. If it’s not comfortable for you, it’s not comfortable for your dog. So help your dog out by encouraging him to walk on the grass when possible.

Take a few minutes to plan the route for the walk with your dog. Consider whether or not you and your dog will be in the shade. Not only will the shade help your dog out, it good for preventing sunburns too! Shade is also key for your dog if you’re planning on being outside for more than a walk to enjoy the nice weather. And if you’re bringing water for yourself when you’re outside, bring some for your dog too! Everyone, even your dog, likes a cool beverage on a hot day.

If it’s just too hot to be outside, stay inside! If you are staying inside consider doing some training with your dog to help burn up energy. Need help with training ideas? Let us know, or check out our Facebook page.

And if you have any behavior or training questions, related to the heat or not, please reach out and let us help.

*Symptoms of heat exhaustion in dogs include: heavy panting, weakness, stumbling, disorientation and vomiting.

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