Summer is almost here. If you are like us, you want to take full advantage of it and pack in as many outdoor activities as you can with your dogs. Maybe you like to hang out at the beach, or at a park, or in a field? Maybe you like to go on hikes, or run agility, or camp, or train and run hunt tests, (which is our main summer time activity).
Regardless of where you go or what activities you do in the summer with your dogs, you need to consider the warmer temperatures and plan accordingly.
Here are three easy tips to help keep your dogs cool and safe:
1. Make Sure There Is Shade And If There Isn’t, Bring Your Own
It can be easy for a dog to overheat in hot weather. One way to prevent this is to find some shade and take regular breaks.
When we are training or testing there is not always shade available, so we bring our own. We have an Easy-up Pop Up Tent which we use if we are going to be parked somewhere for a while. A pop up tent provides great shade, but it can be bulky and heavy to lug around.
We also have Silver Mesh Shade Tarp. These tarps are great because they come in all different sizes and fold up nice and small. They reflect the sun, but do not block out all of the breeze. You can drape them over a tailgate or secure them with magnets or clamps. They provide easy and portable shade.
2. You Can’t Count On It Being Breezy, So Bring Your Own
Another way we keep the dogs cool is to use crate fans. Usually our dogs are crated in the car. If we are parked for any length of time, we break out our battery-powered fans and sometimes more than one per crate. They are an inexpensive way to create a nice breeze. Don’t forget extra batteries, and keep the doors wide open.
Remember to never ever leave your dog in a hot car with the doors closed and/or the windows rolled up. Not even for a few minutes. On a warm day, it only takes a matter of moments for the temperature to rise to unsafe levels and a dog to get heat stroke or worse.
3. Bring Plenty Of Fresh Water
Whether you bring a big jug of water and fill a bucket clipped to a crate (as shown in the picture above), or bring a smaller bottle and fill a portable bowl, make sure you have plenty of fresh water. Offer it often because it is better for a dog to take frequent smaller drinks than to tank up all at once.
With a little planning and some basic equipment, you and your dogs can get out and enjoy the summer while keeping cool and safe!
Do you have any dog safety tips? Why not share them?
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Love the idea of “bringing your own shade” wouldn’t have thought of that one. I imagine some large beach umbrellas would work too if people didn’t have the means to have the pop up cover. Great ideas!
Yes we use umbrellas too, They work great!
We agree that shade cover is great. What a cool idea excuse the pun. Shade and water are our thing. Have a marvellous Monday.
Best wishes Molly
Oh, Freighter, how much were you bribed for that photo? It belongs on a Cgessie calendar! Thanks Linda for the reminders and tips, the new pup is dark and the sun’s rays sink in quickly!
Have a great day!
we have a small pop-up tent too and a cooling pad. Sadly Easy refuses to use both things. Freighter you really look like a beach boy, I love your look!
At Emma’s ORT last month it was really hot and sunny, but the dogs had to remain in the cars. I was there with her and sat in the back with the hatch open. It was pretty nice with the breeze. A lot of people had those silver tarp things and put them over their cars to keep the sun reflected off. They said it keeps the car much cooler. We have our ice filled kool kollars for walking when it is real warm too.
Great tips! I’ve never seen the crate fans but boy is that a brilliant idea! I may just look for one…or two!
Pawesome advice! Wooooowoooooooo!
You are brilliant! One reason to pack your own water and not count on finding spigots at your destination is that if you’re changing locales significantly, the water can be very different. Traveler’s tummy in a dog is no fun!
Great tips! We usually limit our outdoor activities (of course, we aren’t hunt training) 😉 and take frequent stops and offer the dogs water.
Brilliant and timely tips! Thanks so much, I agree the ‘bring your own shade’ tip is easy but I hadn’t thought about it and I will do from now on!
Hugs, Carrie and pups x
Those are some great tips. It’s really starting to heat up here, and humans really need to remember to keep their dogs (and all pets, for that matter) cool.
Great tips, always have to think about keeping pets cool when hot out while traveling. Sometimes when it is going to be in the 90 we will bring a large cooler full of water and ice and let the dogs sit in there while at a hunt test. Freighter is a great model.
Great ideas, it looks like you keep your crew pretty comfortable when you’re out there training. We try to jog or walk early in the morning if it’s hot, and I also try to choose routes that have more shade, and stick to the sides of the road that are shaded.
Great ways to keep cool for sure. Love the picture of Freighter all decked out for the beach. Hugs and nose kisses
Hi Y’all!
Your crate fans look exactly like mine!
Y’all come by now,
Hawk aka BrownDog
Ahhh…. when it’s hot, we just don’t wanna go out! 😛 Do you apply anything on their paws because of the heat?
No we don’t because we are mostly in fields and not on any pavement.
I see, thanks 🙂
Great article
A few things I do is to freeze jugs of water and you can use these jugs in a crate to cool a dog plus when it melts you always have cold water.:)
I also have wet kerchiefs tied on the dogs neck.
And I always make sure the pups feet can soak in a tub of water.
Stay cool!
Great tips. 🙂