The summer time is going to normally be your dogs favorite time of the year. Even though your dog enjoys the nice summer weather, special precautions should be taken when the temperature goes above 80 degrees. If your dog has a dark colored coat, the heat problem can be drastically magnified. Some of the signs of heat exhaustion are heavy panting, gasping for air, weaving when walking and in severe cases the dog could collapse to the ground.

Water should always be readily available at all times and the use of a “Cool Coat” can be used to help keep your dog cool. Another handy and effective cooling tool is a pump spray bottle. You can spray your dog down from head to tail to keep him cool and out of trouble. If your dog does overheat and appears to be suffering from heat exhaustion, the fastest way to cool him down is with the garden hose. Lightly sprinkle your dog from head to tail slowly so that it does not create a shocking effect and then you can use more pressure as you go along. It is also very important to keep your dog out of direct sunlight on hot days. It is the direct sunlight that is the prime culprit when a dog suffers from the heat. A little common sense goes a long way when you are protecting your best friend from those dog days of summer.