Summer is not too far away although after this winter, it’s hard to believe that before you know it, we’ll be basking in ninety degree heat.  Dogs don’t do well in hot weather. Sometimes we’re tempted to leave our dogs at home in a cool air conditioned house but lots of times, this is not practical.

Here are a few things to remember. Dogs build up heat as a function of volume and lose it as a function of surface area.  (What’s he trying to say??) This means that  larger dogs with rounder bodies have less surface area  for their size and build up heat faster.  Dogs lose heat through their nasal passages and their tongue. They don’t sweat. Dogs  with flat faces are less able to lose heat.  The bigger the dog and the flatter their face is, means that they are more prone to over heating.  Overweight and older dogs are even at greater risk.

Fur coats does block the suns rays but it also prevents heat from escaping.  Don’t shave your dog in an effort to keep him cooler.  He will then be more vulnerable to sunburn which will cause more problems.

Don’t exercise your dog when it’s warm and never keep him in a parked car. We spoke about this many times. He could die in a matter of minutes. As the warmer weather approaches, keep these things in mind and have a great summer with your dog. Give him a few dog treats for me!