Newsflash: Summers in Silicon Beach are hot. Okay, that might not actually be news to you, but if you’re new dog owner, sometimes you can forget that it’s just as warm for your pup as it is for you! Below we have a few tips to keep your dog cool and healthy this summer.
Never leave your dog in the car. This should sound like common sense, but yet every year police are called hundred of times to let dogs out of hot cars. You may innocently think that leaving your pet in the car for a couple minutes with the window cracked won’t affect them that much, but the truth is that dogs can die of heatstroke within just 10 minutes. Even when it isn’t all that hot outside, the temperature can soar. On an 85-degree day, it can reach 102 F within 10 minutes. So just leave your pup at home and avoid this potentially catastrophic disaster.
Keep your house cool. You might not want a sky-high electric bill because you kept the AC blasting all day, but when you have pets at home it’s a sacrifice you might have to make. If you don’t have central air that turns on and off automatically, you might want to invest in a window unit that has a timer on it. If you know that you’ll be out for a few hours, keep your pets in a closed room and set your AC unit for an hour or two. This will keep your pets nice and cool even longer.
Watch what time of day you walk. Walking your dogs during the hottest hours of the day isn’t just uncomfortable for you; it’s also uncomfortable for your pooch. When you do finally go out for a walk, be sure to bring water for your dog as well. You should also be sure that you walk your dog on a grassed area. Asphalt retains heat and can burn the bottom of your dog’s feet on hot days. Being aware of your surroundings and how your dog is feeling is key to keeping him happy and safe in the summer heat.