All the things I wish I knew before I got my first ever puppy!
Dogs and hot weather are not a good combination and it's imperative that you take precautions in the heat to protect your little furry friend from potentially life threatening damage. Unlike humans, dogs cannot sweat to cool themselves down and can quickly fall prey to heatstroke. Check out my article on the effects of the sun and hot weather on dogs.
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Meanwhile I hope you find the list below helpful, I know some are a bit self explanatory, but they're always worth a mention!
1. KEEP THEM IN THE SHADE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
Okay so this one is kind of obvious, but try and find them somewhere in the house which is completely away from direct sun light and is hopefully cooler than outside. Cooper never sleeps in the hall as it's too far away from where I'm hanging out in the kitchen, but when it's hot he's straight out on the tiled floor in the darkness of the hall.
2. INVEST IN A COOL MAT
This was one of the best purchases I've ever made for Cooper! Yes at first he thought it was just a big blue mat to pee on, but as soon as he worked out what happens when you lay on it he was addicted. You don't need to put them in the freezer or anything like that, basically as soon as your on them they cool you down- humans included, I tried it!
3. MAKE SURE YOUR DOG HAS ACCESS TO WATER AT ALLÂ TIMES
I know this is another common sense one, but I have to say I have been guilty of going out on a walk and realising that I'd forgotten water for Cooper! Obviously I don't walk him when it's too hot, but even in 20 degrees your dog can start to overheat if they're running about a lot. Cooper drinks A LOT as well, and in the house it never ceases to amaze me how quickly he empties his water bowl. Now he has 2. That way if he empties one without us realising, he always has a back up.
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When out on longer walks- or if the weather is on the warm side, I have a portable dog water bottle that I take out with me. It's handy and saves you faffing with finding something to pour water into and so far, touch wood, it hasn't leaked!
4. IF YOU'RE TAKING THEM IN THE CAR, OPEN THE WINDOWS IN ADVANCE
So firstly a disclaimer, use some common sense with this one as I don't want to be blamed for any car break ins! But as we all know on a hot summers day, there's nothing worse when you first get in the car and find that it's hotter than an oven inside. Now imagine sitting in that in a full length fur coat!
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If possible, I try to open the back windows before I go out in the car, even if it's just for a couple of minutes before. Even if only a little bit of breeze goes through, it's better than nothing!
5. PADDLING POOL
A dog paddling pool not only helps to cool your dog down, but can also be a massive fun game for them if they enjoy water! Cooper unfortunately does not enjoy water and had to be physically lifted into the pool at first, but again, like the cool mat, he started to realise that even if he just puts his paws in, it cools him down.
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Obviously if your kids have a paddling pool you can use that, but just remember dogs have rather sharp teeth that they like to munch things with- especially puppies!
6. IF YOU'RE OUT AND ABOUT POUR WATER ON THEIR NECK/BACK
When I first started taking Cooper to puppy classes, it happened to coincide with some brutally hot weather, and due to covid, all the classes HAD to take place outside. The trainer recommended to us that the best way to help a dog cool down if you're out and about is to give them a *little* drink, then pour the rest of the water over their neck and back.
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Yes you end up with a slightly wet dog, but if it's hot enough to justify doing it, the chances are they'll dry off in no time!
7. ONLY WALK IN THE EARLY MORNING AND LATE EVENING
Prevention is better than cure. Pavements get HOT and dogs don't have the luxury of shoes, or the ability to sweat! Try and walk your dog either early in the morning or late at night when the temperature is at it's coolest.
8. ICE
It's amazing how many different uses there are of ice when it comes to cooling a dog down. The first one is simple, give him ice. Cooper loves an ice cube in the summer, and as he drops them and chases them across the floor, it doubles up into a game for him.
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You can also soak your dogs toys in the freezer so they're cold for them to chew on or lay with. I brought Cooper this 'Cool Club' penguin from Pets at Home, it has a gel pouch inside that you put in the freezer. Its a bit hit and miss with Cooper whether he lays with it or tries to eat it, but any toys like this could be worth looking into.
9. PET COOLING JACKET
I have yet to try one of these on Cooper but my friend absolutely swears by hers! She has a Daschund/Cavalier cross who has quite long dense fur and whenever I see them in the summer, the dog is always in her jacket!
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You 'activate' them with water and can use them over and over. It may also be useful if your dog is prone to sunburn as it covers a lot of their skin, I suppose similar to a human wearing a rash vest at the beach!
10. SUN CREAM
Yep that's right, apparently dogs can get sun burnt too!
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Just like humans lighter skinned dogs are particularly sensitive to the sun and can get both sun burnt and in the long term can become more vulnerable to skin cancers.
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You can buy all sorts of dog suncream in different SPF's, the one below is in a wipe form, they also come in roll on, sprays- basically just like human sun cream!
