FEELING HOT, HOT, HOT!


"Yippee" we all cheered the Winters gone.  Those wretched freezing days I thought were staying forever.
Now Summer has finally arrived. And it’s a corker! Do we dare moan, or should we make the most of it and make sure our beloved dogs do too?

The warm, sunny weather of summer is welcomed by most of us, but it isn't always good news for pets and working dogs.
It is that time of year when many of us are trailing and partaking in working tests.  Also we will be training in the evenings getting ready for the shooting season. Whatever you guys are doing, we'll all be travelling up and down the country daily, as we want to enjoy our Summer. Shorts will be on and summer hats too and yet have we made the same provisions for our dogs to stop the likelihood of overheating in them?

Every year dogs are put down due to overheating. Many owners are deeply shocked at how their lack of knowledge regarding overheating is the main cause of this happening to their pet.
By following a few helpful tips we can all stop this from happening.
Simply put, You need to keep your dog cool. It is so important and very easy. 
Just knowing the signs and making a few adjustments to our routine can make the difference.





OUR TOP 5 TIPS!
  1. Rise early. Beat the sun. Get on the roads at 4am travel in the cooler temperatures and train before the sun rises. 
  2. Train in the late evening. Go out as the sun is setting. Hopefully there will be more of a breeze
  3. Get the dogs moving and out of cars as soon as you can. Use a clip lead and not a slip lead to not have anything tight around their necks. Whether you are there or not, they are stuck in that position. Remember we can move into the cooler areas. The dogs are normally placed by humans in small dog boxes, they cannot choose to move.  DO NOT LEAVE THEM UNATTENDED. Your dog will overheat.                                                                                       
  4. Water, water, water, add more to their biscuit for breakfast and tea and make sure you have supplies on you at all time.  Travelling, stop regularly to offer a drink. Keep the air conditioning on while travelling.
  5. Dogs need to pant to not overheat. They do not sweat like us. They can not remove their fur like we can our clothes. In dogs, the heat losing mechanism is primarily by panting. So by keeping them refreshed, and giving them space to relax keeps your dog healthy in the sun.






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