How to help your dog sleep comfortably in the hot summer heat.
Coping with the Summer Heat.
Summers are getting hotter. Not all the time, but climate change tends to give us periods of extreme heat now. As humans it is something we have to manage, but at least we can easily put on shorts and a short sleeved t-shirt. Dogs, however, are stuck with their coat. If you have a dog with a particularly thick coat, you might want to think about how to plan their life during the hottest part of summer. Extreme temperatures are forecast and there is much talk about managing human health and even melting infrastructure. There are a number of considerations to take regarding your canine.
The Coolest Possible Dog Bed.
First of all you can give your dog a Tuffies mattress bed and leave the removable cover off, which will be the coolest. Tuffies supply waterproof dog beds and they can be used both with and without covers. However, if you like something that looks more stylish and if you prefer to change the covers regularly instead of hosing the waterproof surface down, a light summer cover is ideal. For the hot summer time the Highland Covers and the Twill Covers are perfect. They have no pile and therefore not hot to lie on. If it all gets too hot your dog might even sleep on the floor to get as cool as possible, but it is best to leave him an option of a mattress bed. Often dogs will spend an hour or so lying on the floor and then get up on the bed when they feel cool enough. The Tuffies Mattress Beds are fully orthopaedic and supportive, so your dog will automatically want to be on it as much as possible.
Washing the Optional Dog Bed Covers is Super Easy in the Heat.
With an elegant dog bed cover that suits your interior you can enjoy a stylish dog bed. When it inevitably gets grubby with dog paws etc the Tuffies Highland Covers wash at 60 Celsius and dries in no time. Especially as we are addressing the hot summers: A cover would dry in less than an hour.
Feeding Dogs in the Hot Summer.
When everything is unbearably hot you can even treat your dog to some chilled food. The daily ration of wet food can be chilled in the fridge to make it a welcome way of cooling their bodies from within. Ice lollies is indeed a thing for dogs, but you can quickly run up too many calories if you give them real ice cream. There are great alternatives though. If you have access to chicken liver or lamb liver you can blend it and dilute it in plenty of water just to give it the smell and taste. Put the suspension of liver and water into trays and place in the freezer. Your dog can enjoy licking a meaty ice cube (outside in the grass would be recommended!!) for however long that takes. Even zoo gardens give polar bears frozen food to help them in the heat.
A Cool Garden Helps.
If you are lucky enough to have a house with a garden, there is likely to be bushes or small trees for your dog to find shade. A grassy lawn in the shade is one of the coolest places on a hot day. You hardly need to show your dog the delight of the shade because instinct takes over and they will be quick to search for the cool shade by themselves.
The Daily Walks.
This can be a challenge when it is very hot. If you go to the park very, very early you will meet a lot of other dog owners walking their furry friends in the coolest time of the day. This can be 5-6 in the morning. It really is the best option for your dog to exercise and play before it gets too hot. If you don’t have time early or late, a walk near water where your dog is allowed to swim will also be a great trick for the heat wave period.
