Of course, most dogs love walking and get great benefit from daily walks. However, there are exceptions when it is definitely not in your dog's best interest to be walked. One of those situations is hot summer days. We are set to have a couple of extremely hot days ahead and unless you can take your dog out very early in the morning or very late at night for a steady
shorter walk, it is in your dog's best interest to be kept indoors or in the cool shade without any physical exercise.
Dogs do not know when to limit themselves with regards to exercise but have to rely on you to keep them safe. Not only can the tarmac, sand, or ground be too hot for your dog to walk on, but the heat can also cause serious health issues and even death through overheating. If you fancy a day on the beach in the hot weather, please leave your dog at home. Remember, it is
always hotter at ground level.
Because dogs can't sweat like humans do, they are particularly prone to heat stroke. Dogs with short muzzles are even more at risk as they are unable to use their nose effectively as a means of cooling their body temperature. Young dogs and more senior dogs are also more at risk.
Here are a few suggestions of how you entertain and stimulate your dog instead of walking;
- Scatter feeding their food across the floor or shady area of the garden.
- Hiding small handfuls of dog food for your dog to seek out.
- Setting up a small pool for your dog to play in.
- Engaging in some gentle dog training or trick training.
- Set up a small obstacle course in the house using boxes to find treats in or crawl through, a lead tied between two chairs to jump over, chairs to crawl under, a box or large book to put front feet on, and other household items your dog can explore.
- Play hide and seek rewarding your dog when he/she finds you.
- Give your dog some nice chews, stuffed Kongs, or lick mat.
Keep cool and safe everyone!