Summer Safety: Importance Of Water For Dogs
Summer is a great time to enjoy the beautiful hot weather outdoors with your pet. Unless of course you have a pug like Kilo who can easily overheat and only likes to look at water.
Summer safety is very important for both you and your pet. When exercising outdoors one must take precautions not to get overheated, burned or dehydrated.
Drink Lots of Water
Water is a very important part of your dog’s daily requirements and overall nutrition. Water is the main component of healthy, living cells of a dog’s body- approximately 80%. Ideally, pets should drink about 1-ounce of water per pound of body weight.
Make sure you have fresh clean water available for your dog at all times and something to drink it out of.
Kilo also loves my frozen ice treats, smoothies and homemade broth with his kibble.
Our friends at This Pug Life have a PetSafe Pet Fountain review and giveaway running for US Residents this week.
Keep Cool
Dogs can not cool off as easily as humans. Keep your dog out of the hot sun, a hot car or any hot space.
It is easy for squishy face breeds like pugs to overheat. Look for signs like excessive panting and sweating paws.
Try to exercise early or late. Avoid the heat of the day.
Know the signs of heat exhaustion.
Water to drink and rinse in (cool not too cold), cooling mats, fans and air con can be great ways to cool down quickly.
See Summer Safety Tips From Blog Paws Manager Robbi Hess
Read more from Dogster Tips: 6 Ways to Keep Your Dog Safe in the Water This Summer
Visit PetMD for more about The Importance of Water for Dog Nutrition
H2O Is The Way To Go!
Water can be your best friend when it comes to beating the heat. this summer. Whether you stay in the city or head to a beach or a cottage for a lake-side getaway, there are tons of fun water activities you can do with your dog to stay fit and keep cool.
Swimming
Swimming is great exercise and great for cooling down. Not all dogs know how to swim. Make sure you introduce your dog to water gradually and teach them to swim if necessary. Some breeds like Kilo the Pug may need a life jacket.
Dock Diving
Dock Diving is also a great way to keep your dog active and cool. Some facilities also offer indoor classes too for those really hot and dangerous days! When it comes to Dock Diving, the Ultimate Air Dogs Canada Dock Diving team knows how to really fly. The dogs seemed to absolutely love it and they all looked very fit. Dock Diving is a great workout that combines chasing, jumping and catching with swimming.
BONUS TIP: A freshwater rinse immediately after the beach will help keep your dog’s coat and skin healthy!
Splashing around
Our Pals Sweetie, Shivers, and Lulu love hitting the splash park to stay cool.
Walks by Water
Although Kilo isn’t much of a swimmer, we love looking at water to relax so we enjoy walks down by the Toronto Waterfront or at a local dog park with water access like Cherry Beach in Toronto.
Other Cool Activities
If your dog also isn’t into water activities, try learning a new trick to keep them stimulated and active.
Just always remember to keep them hydrated too.
Here’s some inspiration sent to us this week from our friends on Facebook.
Jasmine knows about 100 different tricks/ behaviors and loves working for treats just like Kilo.
Lilly and Daisy show off their amazing dog tricks
Mia Millionaire Shows 5 winning tricks
BONUS! This one from MJ The Beagle keeping cool was just too cute not to share.
Share your dogs fun trick videos and water tips and activities with us to be included!
We love to be in the water, drink the water, play in the water, water is wonderful!
So many fun things to do in the water – those bathing suits are too much! Thanks for all the vids, good inspiration for some trick training
I just couldn’t help myself….People were getting a good laugh at them in their swim suits..lol
Water is a must have for all species, and luckily, our dogs can really enjoy it in all aspects!
sumskersandearlskers13.blogspot.com
Great tips, although you don’t want the dog to over drink at any one time because it can cause bloat. Best to encourage breaks as they drink. If we don’t have a pond handy, our dogs love the sprinkler.
True – good tip to add in. Will edit now. Thanks! S
Water is important! To drink and to cool off! Thanks!
So many good tips here! (And weirdly, reading through them made me super thirsty! Apparently, I am suggestible.)
Jean from Welcome to the Menagerie
We live near a park with 2 huge lakes (it’s actually 1 lake, but in the middle the land comes together and it probably looks like the number eight from above. Anyway, I love taking our dogs for a walk there, but I always bring plenty of water because our dogs would drink from the lake.
It’s perfectly safe, but there are some lakes that aren’t so I want to get them in the habit of drinking from the water I bring.
Thanks for the great advice, drinking enough water is so important! Mom carries a portable water bowl on our walks so tat just to the park we can have water. Love Dolly
Staying hydrated is super important! That is something that many humans have to work on, so it isn’t a shock that their pets need more water too. I think this is great advice. Having more water available and keeping it fresh and cool, helps to make sure that water gets in. 🙂
I think I am part fish when it comes to water fun! hahahaha!!!
Oh and BTW – Just wanted to stop by and let you know I have nominated you to participate in the 8 photos of happiness tag!! The details will be on my post tomorrow, so be sure to stop by!!
ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
All great tips! I used to think all dogs knew how to swim instinctively, but that’s not the case at all. They really do need a gradual introduction to swimming
Love & Biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them
Hi Y’all!
Those are some cool ideas for hot summer days!
Y’all come on by,
Hawk aka BrownDog
Staying cool is the way to go in this summer heat! We exercise early on in the day & enjoy sprinkler fun in our yard.
We try to go for walks earlier in the day and I’ll carry water if it’s super hot, even in the neighborhood.