Vikinggirl

Norwegian Rose
Community Veteran
Oct 8, 2012
9,740
597
Burlington, ON Canada
Country
Canada
Bulldog(s) Names
Bulldozer and Blossom
THE BLOG[h=1]Hot Dogs[/h]
Jun 18, 2015 | Updated 5 days ago

Cesar Millan Best-selling author, public speaker, and the internationally acclaimed star of ā€œCesar 911ā€ on Nat Geo WILD.



Hot-Dogs.jpg
Cesar at the original DPC many summers ago


By Cesar Millan



As I work with people to teach them about dogs, one of the phrases I hear most frequently is, ā€œI had no idea.ā€ For example, one thing a lot of people donā€™t know (before I tell them) is that you should never give a dog affection or comfort when it isnā€™t in a calm, relaxed state.



This just tells your dog, ā€œI want you to be the way you are right now.ā€ Tell a nervous dog, ā€œItā€™s okay,ā€ and youā€™ll create a permanently timid dog. This happens because, in our modern world, humans have become disconnected from Nature, and so things that just make sense when youā€™ve observed a lot of dogs for a lot of years are not obvious to most people.



Another example: thereā€™s something that youā€™ve probably done for your dog in hot weather to cool them down that can actually be very bad for them.



What do humans do to cool down when itā€™s hot? We like to get wet, whether itā€™s a dip in the pool, running through the sprinklers or just splashing cold water on our faces. And where do we like to get wet? From the top down.



The reason that water cools down human skin is because we donā€™t have a lot of hair. Even really hairy humans are barely covered compared to dogs. And, while hair and fur are actually the same thing (fur is just the word for animal hair), they act in entirely different ways on humans and dogs.



With hair, the water can get down to the skin and evaporate back out, which is what cools us off. Fur, though, actually helps keep the water away from the skin and keep it from evaporating. Itā€™s like throwing a blanket on top of your dog so that, instead of cooling them down, youā€™re cooking them.



To cool a dog with water, you have to do it from the bottom ā€” on their paws, chest and stomach. The only place that dogs sweat is through their foot-pads, so water works there to cool them down. The water will run off their chests and, for most dogs, their fur is sparsest on their stomachs.




Here are five other things you can do for your dogs in hot weather:


  1. HydrateMake sure that your dogs have plenty of water to drink.




  2. Be Aware

Watch for signs that your dog is over-heated. The faster the breathing, the hotter your dog is. The tell-tale signal is that everything gets bigger: the mouth is open wider, the tongue is farther out and the chest expands and contracts more.



Treadmill

In hot weather, this can be an indoor alternative to the walk strictly for exercise, but itā€™s not a replacement. You should still have at least one walk early enough in the morning or late enough at night when itā€™s cool enough to be safe.



Protect Their Paws

The pads on a dogā€™s paws are very sensitive, and a lot of surfaces, like concrete and asphalt, can quickly burn your dogā€™s feet. Try to keep them on grass in hot weather, or invest in dog boots if you have to walk on a lot of artificial surfaces.



Provide Shade

On their own, the first way that dogs will avoid the heat is to seek shade and lie down in it ā€” under a tree or under a porch. But itā€™s important that itā€™s shade with airflow. A doghouse isnā€™t necessarily ideal, because they often donā€™t let air in. If your dogs have to be outside in the hot weather, make sure they have a shady but open place to take refuge.
Summer is here! So, letā€™s make sure that we do everything we can to help our dogs cope with the hot weather.

Stay calm, and keep cool!

[h=2]More:[/h] Summer Living Cesar Millan Dog Care
 

Manydogs

Well-known member
Community Veteran
May 2, 2013
13,637
2,025
Tennessee
Country
U.S.A.
Bulldog(s) Names
Maudee,MarthaKatie,Lizzie,Bro.Mini
Great info Monica [MENTION=6311]Vikinggirl[/MENTION] Thank you!
 

2BullyMama

I'm not OCD....now who moved my bulldog?
Staff member
Community Veteran
Jul 28, 2011
48,581
3,673
Gilbertsville, PA
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Chelios (Frenchie), Nitschke (2004-2011) Banks (2005-2014) and Lambeau (2014-2024)

bulliemommi

New member
Mar 3, 2012
379
10
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
waiting for us at the rainbow bridge
That is a great article. but wish he had been more breed specific, esp. re: our EBDs that are much more heat sensitive than other breeds and esp. in climates where weather is in the 100s. Our boy is never allowed out more than 10 mins at a time when it's very hot out. The sad thing is is he'll want to lay out in full sun and go to sleep for as long as I'd let him but I make him come in!
 

Most Reactions

šŸ“° Latest posts

Members online

No members online now.
Top