Summer Survival: 5 handy tips to keeping your dog safe during heatwaves
Wondering where to start when it comes to caring for you Wild Bear during hot summers? Check out our summer survival guide below for some handy tips & tricks. You can thank us later!
1. Limit Walks
Limit walks to the cooler hours of the day to make sure your dog has a more bearable temperature to walk in. The best time of day to walk your dog during a heatwave are early in the morning or later in the evening.
Why limit walks?
Pavements get very hot during heatwaves - this can be very uncomfortable for your pup and might even end up burning their paws. Try walks on grassy areas if they’re available to you and stick to the shadier spots if you can.
Why avoid walks altogether?
Dogs can overheat very quickly during heatwaves, which can happen over a very short span of time and often end in fatality. To avoid the worst, it’s better to avoid anything that will increase your pups temperature to an unbearable level. No dog has ever died from missing out on a walk or two. Give them plenty of alternative enrichment indoors and they’ll do just fine!
If you do go for some walks: keep them short, keep them cool and keep your dog hydrated 🤝
2. Trick Your Pup into Staying Hydrated
Get your dog involved in some drinking games by adding pieces of fruit or vegetables to their water bowl! This can provide enrichment whilst making sure that they get some of that all important H₂O on the hottest days of the year. Safety: Be sure to remove all skin and seeds before placing any fruit or veg in the water.
Here’s a list of some dog-safe fruits & veggies you could try:
Fruit:
Watermelon
Blueberries
Cranberries
Apple
Mango
Banana (in small amounts as they are high in sugar)
Veggies:
Carrot
Green beans - steamed, boiled or raw
Fresh garden peas - avoid the tinned peas please
Sweet potato – plain, boiled or steamed (not raw)
Extra Add-on Drinking Game: Drink some water every time your pup catches a piece of fruit or veg from their bowl to trick yourself staying hydrated too!
3. Cool Treats
Grab some of your four legged friend’s favourite treats and put them in the fridge or freezer - it’s that simple! You can do this with dog-safe fruits and veggies (see list above) or simply use their regular treats.
To make some yummy watermelon treats for your pup with our simple recipe here.
Enrichment Ideas:
Put some dog-safe peanut butter inside a Kong and place it in the freezer for an hour or two. This will be a great treat for a pooch who needs a bit of extra excitement to keep them entertained.
You can also hide some cold treats around the house to keep your dog entertained with a fun indoor treasure hunt while they can’t go outside as often during heatwaves.
4. Cooling Pads & Wet Towels
Grab yourself a cooling pad for your pup and they’ll absolutely love you for it. You can place this in the fridge for a little while to make sure it’s extra cool for your pup, however, if your dog is a chewer, you might want to try the wet towel trick instead.
Grab a towel, soak it in water, ring it out and place in the fridge for an hour or two. Once it’s cooled to the optimum temperature, place it over your dog to give them a super trendy cooling cape. Alternatively, you can place this down somewhere for them to take a snooze on instead.
5. Build a Cooling Fort
You will need: 1 or 2 Fans & 1 Empty Duvet Cover | Prep Time: 5 mins
Make a cooling fort for your dog by facing a fan towards a duvet cover and allowing the air to circulate inside. The wind will get trapped and cool this little pocket of happiness to a more bearable temperature for your pup. Top tip: Get your pup to lay inside the duvet cover to hold it down before turning the fans on.
Be warned - they might not want to leave their fort!
