If you own a dog, by now you have been advised/assaulted by flyers, signs, Facebook posts, Tweets, email newsletters, your vet, your groomer, your pet sitter, and your mother, to NEVER leave your dog in the car, even for a second, because the heat inside can have dire physical consequences for him.
So I am not going to admonish you about dogs and hot cars, because you already know this. Plus you have sworn on a stack of Milk bones that you wouldn’t think of doing such a thing.
Because I just caught a client’s dog eating grass from a lawn that was recently treated with chemical fertilizer, here’s a modest list of other summer-specific don’ts to be aware of regarding your dog’s safety and well-being:
1. Teach your dog – even a non-swimmer – to use the stairs to exit your backyard swimming pool. Otherwise, he might panic if he falls in by mistake and try to leave the way he entered.
2. If you garden in front of your dog, don’t be surprised if he digs up your freshly planted rose bushes.
3. The road, driveway, sidewalk – really hot for tender paws to walk on. Stick to grassy areas on blistering days.
4. Shade and fans and air conditioning feel great to you – and to your dog, too. So does cool, fresh water on hot days.
5. One word – ticks.
6. Okay, another word – fleas.
7. Distractions on walks, like chipmunks (is it just my imagination, or have chippies exponentially multiplied this year?) can test your leash handling skills. Be prepared.
8. Just because its hot doesn’t mean you should shave your dog down to a buzz cut. Many long haired dogs actually stay cooler when their coat is just trimmed, rather than gone.
9. Open windows on the second floor (or third or fourth…) let in the breeze. Use screens to be sure your dog doesn’t decide to investigate the great outdoors through them.
10. Summer means thunderstorms. Some dogs have major meltdowns during lightning and thunder. Try having him wear a ThunderShirt. Small, dark quiet places, like his crate, will help him weather the storm better.
11. And that thing about eating grass? Avoid the lawns with the warning flags. Dogs shouldn’t walk, or munch, on them.