With summer fun comes several things that can be dangerous at most to unpleasant at least for our four-legged friends. Here is a quick guide of summer safety tips for dogs to help owners out when the ultra-violets are flowing and the weather is toasty.

Keeping your dog in the car 

This is the most obvious danger on the list, yet dog owners still leave dogs in hot cars all over the country. A good rule of thumb about leaving your dog in the car when you need to run into the dairy is to ask yourself, “Did I need to use the air conditioner or have the windows open to be comfortable?” If the answer is yes, then it’s a bad idea to leave you4 dog in the car for any longer than a couple of minutes - with the windows open. Think ahead before you leave home whether to bring the dog for a ride or keep it home in hot weather.

Walking your dog on the pavement

Have you ever walked on hot asphalt in bare feet? It hurts! Yes, dog paws are tough, but they’re not impervious to hot pavement. Reach down and touch sunbaked pavement with your hand, and see if it is too hot for you to hold it there for 5-10 seconds. If so, try to find more earthy areas to walk the dog or better yet, plan your walks for a cooler time of day such as early morning or in the evening. 

Hydration is key!

Water, water, water! It’s hot and your dog is going to need a lot of water to remain hydrated. This is much easier to control at home than when you’re out for a walk. If you take your dog anywhere, always be armed with a couple of water bottles and a bowl to ensure that it gets plenty of water. We stock these sweet as pop up bowls which are perfect to take on the go and have an accessory ring attached to clip it to your bag or lead.

Bees and other stingy things

Unfortunately, just like us dogs can have life threatening allergies to stings. That said, bees, hornets, yellow jackets, and what have you, need to be carefully observed around the yard or anywhere the dog will be spending time. Out of the bunch, the least likely to be a problem are honeybees, and the worst would be the hornets and yellow jackets. Look around for their nests if you happen across a few of these insects in your yard, and remove them.

Summer safety tips for dogs are mostly common sense, and more of a reminder to think of things that we might not normally have to worry about during other seasons. Knowing about the dangers and mitigating them means that you can have more summer fun with your dog!