A Dog Owner’s Guide to a Safe Summer

We all love our dogs they love and care for us. We want what is best for them. Summer brings a lot of conditions that we need to think about to keep our pets happy and healthy. This dog owner’s guide to a safe summer will help keep your dog safe.

A Dog Owner’s Guide to a Safe Summer

As the hot summer rolls in you need to make sure your dog is kept cool.  One thing many owners decide to do in the summer is shave their dog. This can be an issue with breeds that have multi-layer coats. While you would think shaving would help keep them cool it actually eliminates their natural cooling system built into all that fur.

In the summer heat your dog can become dehydrated fairly easy. It’s very important to provide your dog with fresh clean water often.

While in the perfect world, all our pets are nice and comfy inside with us. However, they do like to go out and play. Other pets live outside. When creating an outdoor space for your dog be sure to include plenty of shade. If using a kennel you can cover the top and the side hit hardest by the sun through the day with shade cloth to keep temperatures down. During peak heat waves when it is too hot for you to be outside bring your dog in to rest in front of the AC as well.

Water Safety

With warm weather comes the need to think about water safety for dogs. When going out with your dog on the water remember to use a life jacket on your dog. A leash around water areas is important for any dog that is not a strong swimmer. Just like for children, pools should be fenced to protect your dog from falling in and getting hurt.

Car Safety

In the hot summer you hear a lot about car safety for dogs. We have all heard the horror stories of pets left in hot cars. Keep in mind that pets can overheat in the car in early spring and fall also. In warm weather, you should NEVER leave your dog in the car. Beyond being left in the car, did you know there’s more on dog car safety than that?

Keeping your dog from jumping into your lap during your ride is important for everyone’s safety. Some states have even made having a dog ride on your lap illegal. You can find dog safety harnesses that attach to your seat belts to keep your dog in their seat or even a barrier to keep your dog in the back seat.

Paw Protection

Paw protection is vital for the warm months. The hot ground, and especially pavement, can burn and crack the pads of your dog’s paws. To help protect them you can find paw wax to help keep paws from cracking. Walking your dog when the ground is cooler is a great way to protect his paws. If the ground is too hard for you to walk barefoot it is too hot for your dog! Luckily, you can find booties and even socks for your dog’s paws to protect paws from the burning hot ground.

Fleas, Ticks, and Mosquitoes

With warm weather comes bugs and lots of them. Your dog has to deal with fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes that make him itchy, uncomfortable, and sick. There are various preventatives you can get from your vet or you try natural flea and tick killers. You can also mix up your own homemade flea spray to keep your dog safe.