As soon as the good weather arrives it is so tempting to head out and get some rays with your dog. However, we have to remember that we wear protective clothing, they don't for the most part. They are also not always a great judge of whether they are too hot or not.
How hot is too hot?
Unless your dog wears boots for other reasons, the ground you walk on can itself be too hot for your dog. A good rule of thumb is if you can hold your hand down on the concrete footpath for 30s with no issues then it should be alright for your dog.
Still keep an eye if they are avoiding spots on the ground or aiming for grass instead. Never walk your dog on tarmac in hot weather, even little bits of melted tar can attach and cause burns and other health complications.
Pick your activities
Ideally avoid the hottest parts of the day to go for walks with your dog. If you have to take them out at these times due to work or other restrictions, don't go for a walk, play some sniffy games in the shade with them to get just as much mental stimulation while keeping internal temperatures lower.
Pay particular to dark coloured dogs who will heat up more quickly. Stick to shady spots and listen to your dog if they say they are done.
Keep them hydrated
A lot of dogs will have reduced appetite in hot weather so they won't necessarily get as many fluids in from their food. Keep water bowls around everywhere they are.
In addition, consider adding some water-heavy snacks and treats to their day. The inner part of watermelons is a great, water-heavy treat as is cucumber and courgette. Some berries like strawberries, blueberries and raspberries are great to add to the mix.
Around the home
Indoors, have fans on and easy access to tiled or wooden floors as options to cool down on. If your home is south facing and there is little to no breeze out consider closing curtains and windows early to keep the heat out in the first place. If you have good cross flow breeze in the house open windows at opposite sides of the house to create a light breeze.
Outside, prepare some towels by soaking them and ringing them out, leave them on the ground for your dog to lie on or walk over. If you are putting out paddle pools keep the water depth to under 10cm to reduce any risk of drowning or other accidents. Always supervise around water.
Car travel
A breezy drive in the car can be a great option for helping to cool down if your dog enjoys that. If you have air conditioning that is ideal, if not, opening the windows and ensuring a cross draft while you drive is great.
Do not leave your dog unsupervised in the car even for a few minutes on very hot days. Even with fans, available water and shade accidents can happen.
Cool down games
Some fun games to help your dog keep cool in the hot weather.
Frozen treats
Whether it is frozen or chilled berries, ice cubes with fruit or chicken inside, or frozen peas, frozen food is great fun to chase around the floor once lightly warmed up. No more than 2-3 ice cubes a day to avoid incontinence.
Bobbing for treats
Taking either your frozen treats or just slices of apple and toys, pop them into a bucket of water for your dog to play with and try get out of the water. Remember, always supervise around water.
Long grass search
Play search games in some long grass in a known area where you are confident there are no ticks. The air and ground is much cooler around the long grass and it is great fun to search for scattered treats in.
