You don’t need me to tell you; but it’s getting pretty warm outside. Dogs become a little more sluggish, the sidewalk gets too hot to walk on, and it costs too much to run the air conditioner (if you have one.) How will you and your little buddy get through these next few months without melting? Read on to find out how you both can beat the heat… and have fun doing it.

To start things off, I’d like to say a few important things about spending time out in the sun. The paws of your pup can be just as sensitive as our human feet. This means that they are just as likely to get burned as if it were you or me. To find out if the ground is too hot for your dog to walk on, veterinarians recommend placing the back of your hand on the cement for 7 seconds. If it’s a struggle to keep your hand on the ground for that duration, it’s too hot to walk your dog. The same should be considered when taking your dog to the beach. (Sand is likely to be even hotter, so be extra cautious and make your way to the shoreline with minimal ground contact.) In the event that you just won’t be able to avoid contact with the outside world, take a look at some dog booties to insulate your pup’s paws and make walking more pleasant for everyone.

One of my favorite ways to keep cool and have fun doing it is to make healthy, frozen treats for my pup Apollo. There are a slough of summertime recipes out there, but I like this one because it only uses 3 simple ingredients: bananas, plain yogurt, and peanut butter.

If you’re looking for an even easier solution to chilling out, here are a few more ideas:

Wet a bath towel with cold water so that your pup has a chilly place to lounge
Set up a tarp, cloth, or shade-screen in his or her favorite spot in the backyard
Add ice cubes to their water bowl
Bring a collapsible water bowl with you on walks (and a bottle for yourself!)
Save your pup’s playtime/exercise for early morning or evening

I hope you found this post useful. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions about future blog posts, feel free to leave a comment below. Have a wonderful summer!

-Dom