Hot dogs - keep'm cool!!!!!

The heat knocks me out, but it also knocks out my dogs. Yesterday I made sure that they went out for their run nice and early before the searing heat hit us. I was very preoccupied in the afternoon and really didn't know where everyone was, so I had a walk around the house.

There were dog bodies laying in three different rooms but all in the same position. They were on a bed of some sort either human or dog, flat out on their side with their heads hanging over the edge. It was pretty cool in the house with the AC on but still warm enough to not want to do anything.

Many of my clients have asked me if dogs are bothered by the heat because their dogs had seemed very low key. My answer is always to enjoy this short down time. As soon as the cooler air hits they will be back to their old energetic self. Having a little break from a high energy dog is sort of nice for a while.

I enjoy an afternoon or two with the dogs all crashed out looking very much like "porch dogs," as I call them. You know the type of dog that just sit quietly on the porch watching the world go by? To me these are not lazy dogs, just very secure mellow dogs that take life one day at a time. They may be needed the next day to scare off some coyotes or mailman so take the opportunity to rest while they can.

Many dogs have lessened appetites during the hot months of summer, I've never noticed this with my guys but they definitely drink alot more. It is very important on these days to make sure they have lots of nice fresh water to drink. And one of my dogs especially likes cold water with ice, please!

On days when the temperatures are up in the high 80s to low 100s no one should be walking their dog after morning. And today all the dogs should have been out before 9am. If you cannot get your dog out early then wait until well after the sun sets to take your dog for their daily walk. I see people all the time walking their dog mid afternoon in the searing heat and wish I could stop and make them feel the heat coming from the ground.

I am very concerned about dogs over heating and my advice is always if you have any doubt about the heat when walking your dog, take a shoe off and stand barefoot on the pavement. Doing this will allow you to feel what your dog will feel, they don't have the protection of shoes like we do. Also they are much closer to the ground which puts them closer to the heat radiating from the ground, making it unbearable.

And consider coat color, I know my black xterra is about 500% hotter to get into than my husbands nice cream colored car on a day like today. So is it much more uncomfortable to wear a black t-shirt vs. a white one on scorching hot days. And my dark gray girl suffers from the heat much more than my blonde boy. So watch the dark colored dogs and make sure to keep them nice and cool weather in the shade, pool or AC on days like today.

Dogs are smart, give them the option of AC or no AC and they'll choose the cool indoors when given the chance. I feel bad for dogs that cannot get cool indoors when the temperatures soar up into the high 90s. Even the shade is hot when the temps are that high. Honestly I hate the idea of outside dogs at anytime of the year and try to educate as many people as I can about "outside dogs." More on that in a later post.


So pour yourself a tall one, fill up the bowl with fresh spring water and ice cubes and relax on hot days like today!