All Things Dog Blog

Posted: 28 Jun 2011 05:42 AM PDT

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Keeping Fido cool during your Summer dog walks may seem an impossibility if you have a particularly thick-coated dog. I have a few tricks up my sleeve I'd like to share, so you can assure that your walks don't end in a pup with heat exhaustion.

Before you head out, always offer a fresh bowl of water and encourage good long drink. Repeat this when you return home.

When our walk timing is out of my control, I occasionally have to bite the bullet and take an afternoon walk. Here in Florida that's a sweaty proposition that I don't relish. But Tanner doesn't mind a bit if he gets a quick swim in first and heads off on the walk soaking wet. This can work equally as well with a quick hosing off; it's just not nearly as much fun. The process of evaporation helps to keep him cool while I'm the one doing all the complaining. Maybe I should have jumped in too?

There are other ways. Soft ice packs are my favorite tip. You can pick these up at most any drug store and when frozen, they can be rolled up in a bandana which conforms to the shape of Rover's neck to help him lower his body temperature while out on the walk.

You may be asking how I manage this for Oliver, my 10-lb. Papillon. I've saved some teenie-tiny little ice packs from when my kids got their wisdom teeth out. These work perfectly for this pint-sized pup, wrapping in the neck roll of the bandana and having the same cooling effect. The boys enjoy this technique and seem to appreciate the comfort it adds to their outdoor time.

Biking is another way to lessen the possibility of overheating. Sound strange? Not really. When you're biking or jogging there's a bit more of a breeze. This helps your natural perspiration to evaporate faster, allowing the body to cool itelf the way nature intended. And there's another perk to this technique. You and Fido both will get your exercise session in much faster when you're moving at a faster pace. We find Summer to be our favorite time to bike for this very reason.

We recently got a Springer biking attachment and are currently testing it. Tanner and Oliver have both done well with this new contraption that allows me to keep 2 hands on the handlebars. It's a great solution for better safety and I look forward to bringing you a review soon.

Choosing morning or evening walks works best for us during the warm months of the year, which is most of them here. Those of you who live in the North may have to flip this strategy and shoot for sunny afternoons in the Winter chill. I can't even imagine the challenges of all that clothing for a dog walk.

Living on a lake, our neighborhood has a beach area for recreational fun. If you're lucky enough to live near, or are able to walk to, a swimming area for Fido, this is another great solution. Stop part way and take a dip.

Let's wrap this idea session up with a final thought. Tanner sometimes has those "extra energy" spurts that tell me he needs a little more focus on his walk today. My solution for that is often the backpack. When I place the bags of beans or rice in the pockets, he concentrates more on keeping his pace and body movements steady and straight so his cargo doesn't start to swing. It's a mental job that works well for dogs who are a handful on the walk.

Fast forward to nearly age 5 and Tanner doesn't have this problem nearly as often. However, we still find that the backpack is a great way to carry our water and some ice packs or frozen water bottles, to keep him cool and assure that we can have a drink on the way. It's perfect for hiking or long walks.

Have you got ideas you'd like to share? I would enjoy telling our readers about new methods for keeping our pups cool. Leave a comment or drop me an email at LetsAdoptaDogPark@gmail.com. I'd love to warm up to some new ideas for staying cool in the summer.