Some summers in Oklahoma can be extremely hot and humid. All of our dogs much prefer the colder months of winter. Owning dogs in the summer requires special precautions by the canine owner. Dogs are not as well adapted for hot weather as are humans.
In nature, canines are most active in the evenings, early mornings, and it night. Words and coyotes, for example, do almost all of their hunting in the cool night time hours. The hot daylight hours are spent relaxing and sleeping in a school of place as they can possibly find. Dog owners should take note of these distant cousins to their pets and how they cope with extremely hot weather.
It breaks my heart to be driving down the road and see a dog tied to the dog house with little or no shade around except for having to enter the hot dog house. A dogs temperature can rapidly rise when being directly exposed to the sun on a hot day. Heatstroke can occur in canines just as it occurs in humans when body temperatures rise beyond a safe limit.
Of course it's for best to bring your dogs indoors during the hottest times of the day. If this is not possible for some reason, always make sure your dog has access to plenty of shade in a well ventilated front or backyard. On the occasions when I have to leave my dogs outside while I am gone on a very hot day I always make sure to use the water hose to wet down the areas in the shade where I know they will be spending their time.
Oftentimes the dogs will dig holes looking for cooler soil to relax in. When they do that, I always leave the holes alone and do not cover them out during the summer. Then I can always spray some water into the holes and help my dogs stay cool when they do have to remain outside on very hot days.I especially worry about the older dogs who suffer from dog arthritis.
And of course always make sure that your dogs have quantity of fresh water to drink when the weather becomes extreme in the summertime. This is very important and helps them avoid heat related problems when temperatures rise. Additionally, some dogs enjoy a sprinkler in the area where they can enter it and cool off when they wish. This is an extremely effective method for keeping the dogs comfortable who must remain outside. The small cost involved in providing the sprinkler for the dogs during the hottest hours of the day is small compared to the benefit the canines will receive.
