Heat and Your Dog

Sawyer and I live in Houston, Texas. It gets pretty hot and humid here, but Sawyer still needs his daily walks. Here are three tips to handle the heat: 

1. Take a water bottle and fill the majority with ice. Sawyer loves ice. In fact, it's one of his favorite treats. If we are going to a walk at the park, which is about 1.25 miles, I typically fill a water bottle half way, and fill the rest with ice. If he looks like he's getting hot, I'll stop and give him some of the ice cubes. Sidenote: Sawyer likes to carry his water bottle with him in his mouth. Not a mandatory requirement :)

2. I always try to incorporate a walk near a body of water. In this case, that would be the bayou along our normal route. He isn't a swimmer, but he does like to cool his paws off in the water. It's a nice, little break in the middle of our walk.

3. If it's really hot outside, I'll drive to our trail, instead of walking there. That gives him a chance to enjoy the AC on the way home! 
  

Coping with the Heat

Since I am a California native currently living in Texas, the heat has been an adjustment to say the least. That being said, if you have an animal in Texas (or any other really hot state), the summer heat absolutely must be taken into consideration. Here are some helpful tips, articles and toys that I have found useful in helping Sawyer cope.

I know this is a walk in the snow, but it's the only on-a-walk picture I have

1. I used to take Sawyer for two long walks every day: one in the morning and one when I got off work, with several quick bathroom trips throughout the day. Now, I take him for one long walk early in the morning before the sun comes up, and hold off on his afternoon walk until the sun goes down. 

2. Tip courtesy of my neighbor: Wrap a bandana soaked in water around your dog's neck. Now, this isn't a proven scientific method, but it couldn't hurt right? Etsy has some really cute ones right now. How cute are these monogrammed bandanas? and there is even a custom one for a different Sawyer.

3. I always carry a collapsable water dish and water bottle if I know my walk is going to be on the long side (even when the sun isn't out yet). My favorite brand is Outward Hound, which can be ordered from Petsmart. They also work great as food dishes when traveling.

4. I've also seen people with the portable water bottle/dish combo. This is a convenient way to hydrate your pup.

Photo shown is of the Handi-Drink brand

5. A bright red tongue is bad news for your pet. This is one of the trouble signs to look for in your pet. Other trouble signs include excessive panting and lagging behind on your walk.

6. Sawyer loves ice, and I've found it's a great way to cool him down after a trip outside. I pour a bunch of ice cubes in his water dish, and let him enjoy!

7. Try to keep your pet's paws off of the pavement. It soaks up the heat throughout the day, and is easy for us to forget because we have shoes on. I've seen some "paw protectors" out there. I have never tried them myself, but have seen people use them before.

Petco has these on sale for $25 right now

8. Here is an article on how to help your animal beat the heat.

9. If you have a pool, let your pup enjoy the cool water. If you don't, you can fill up a baby pool and let your dog play!

10. And finally, not that you ever would, but please do NOT leave your dog in a car under any circumstances.

What are some tips your have found helpful?