Summer has finally arrived, and we’re sure that you enjoy relaxing at the beach or by the pool while sipping at your favorite cocktail and munching on fresh fruit bites. However, a Dog Modelling Agency says that anyone that’s ever owned a dog will agree that their furry friends also need extra care during this season, so be sure to stay with us and keep on reading if you want to learn how to properly care for your dog during summer. Here are four useful tips you should know about, so check them out and enjoy!
Make sure never to leave your dog alone in the car
One of the biggest mistakes a lot of dog owners make is leaving their dogs alone in the car on a hot summer day. This is wrong on many levels, so be sure not to do that under any circumstances – not even if you think you’ll be gone for only a few minutes. In case you didn’t know, the temperature can soar inside a closed car even when it isn’t that hot outside, which can potentially be extremely dangerous to your pet’s health and overall well-being. For example, on an 85°F day, it can reach 102°F within 10 minutes, and that’s with a window cracked. After half an hour, it can be up to 120°F, which can cause irreversible damage to your beloved pet. So, if you are going somewhere your dog isn’t allowed, be sure to leave it at home instead of leaving it in the car.
Always keep your house cool
Once you decide to leave your dog alone at home, you should do your best to keep your house as cool as possible. You should make sure that your dog can truly chill while you’re gone, and the first step is closing the drapes so that it isn’t directly exposed to the sunlight. Needless to say, you should also leave the air conditioner on – just ensure that it doesn’t get too cool, so that your furry friend can enjoy a beautiful summer day to the max. However, if you don’t have AC, you should definitely open the windows and turn on a fan. This can be quite helpful on a hot summer day, too. Besides that, you can also opt for a cooling dog vest which will prevent your pet from heat exhaustion.
Ensure to properly groom your dog’s fur
If your dog has long hair, you should pay extra attention to getting rid of any mats and tangles, which is a good way of keeping it cool during summer. Some dog owners decide to either shave or clip their dog’s coat, but you should know that it’s extremely important to talk to your vet or groomer before you decide to do that. However, if you want to make sure to groom your dog in the best possible way and remove loose hair, you should definitely get a quality Furminator for dogs. This is a de-shedding tool designed to reach deep beneath the long topcoat of your dog’s fur and gently remove the undercoat, which will both reduce shedding and prevent your dog from overheating. Of course, you should get a Furminator that corresponds to the length of your dog’s coat for the best possible results, and you’ll see an instant improvement!
Check the pavement before going out for a walk
Before you leave your home and go out for a walk, the first thing you should do is to check the pavement before you let your dog go outside. The general rule says that if it feels too hot for your hand, it’s too hot for your furry friend’s paws as well. A lot of dog owners still don’t take this seriously, which is why it’s highly likely that the hot asphalt will burn their dog’s paws. This can have quite gruesome and painful consequences, so be sure to prevent that and protect your pet in the best possible way. You can always have your dog walk on the grass and stay off the asphalt if you aren’t really sure if walking on the asphalt is safe enough. Besides that, you can also get dog booties for your pet, so that you’re 100% sure that its paws won’t get burnt. These will probably make your dog feel silly and uncomfortable in the first half an hour, but it will surely get used to them soon after that!
As you can see, there are a lot of things you should take into consideration when it comes to taking care of your dog during hot summer days. However, we should also say that it isn’t as challenging as you probably thought – all you have to do is to stick to our four tips, and both you and your dog will feel amazing this summer!