Staying Cool and Safe
Summer is a beautiful season, but it can be dangerous for pets. Learn how to keep your furbaby safe!
When the summer months roll in, most of us are excited to get outside and have some fun. For dog parents, a lot of outdoor summertime activities involve our pups too. It is well-known that during the summer season, we can have a lot of fun with our dogs—but summer isn’t all fun and games. The summer season brings about quite a few concerns for dog parents. In this article, we will explore the top 10 safety tips for dog owners during those lovely summer days and nights!
Scanning through? Jump ahead to specific section:
What is Dog Safety?
Dog safety is just as the name implies—keeping dogs safe. It is the dog-specific approach to pet safety. During the summer, dog safety looks different than it does during other times of the year. While there are plenty of opportunities for fun during the summer months, there is also a lot of opportunity for danger. As a dog parent, it is your job to prioritize your dog’s safety all year long. This means having a solid understanding of what risks may present themselves during these months. Knowing what risks there are and how to navigate them can help you to keep your pet safe all summer long!
What Makes Summer Dangerous for Pets?
Summer presents a lot of unique risks for pets. This is a season that is known for plenty of vet visits for quite a few reasons—which means that pet parents need to be vigilant in order to navigate these risks. Knowing the dangers that summer brings can help you to keep your pet safe from harm or life-threatening injury.
Heat
The summer heat is one of the biggest concerns that dog parents will face during the summer months. Even though you might love that warm summer air, your dog might not. Pets of all shapes, sizes, and fur types can be at risk during these months. For this reason, you absolutely must take steps to keep your pet at a reasonable temperature, no matter how hot it gets outside.
Nature
It isn’t a secret that a lot of us do more adventuring out into nature during summer. The warm air means that it is often safer and more comfortable to hike or camp outside—but that doesn’t mean that it is entirely without risks. When we spend more time in nature with our pets, we introduce them to new risks—some that we can see and some that we can’t.
People
With more people outside, the risks to pets always go up just a little—especially for nervous pets. Since more people venture into outdoor public spaces to hang out, you might find that your pet interacts with more people. It is important to know this in advance for your pet’s comfort and protection.
How Can I Keep My Dog Safe at Home?
Most of us think of our homes as a safe kind of home base—and it certainly can be if you take steps to keep pets safe at home. During the summer season, even our homes can present unique risks to our pets. We can keep our pets safe at home by making sure that we are aware of the risks and by choosing not to get too lax with our decision-making. Let’s explore some of the more important tips on keeping your pet safe.
1. Always Know Where They Are
Where do you keep your dogs? The first and most important consideration is always to know where your pet is. Your home and your yard might be safe most of the time, but that isn’t a guarantee. Knowing where your pet is always can help you to ensure that they are not going to run into any unusual dangers.
When the summer months roll in, it is common for there to be more activity—even in our own backyards. Be sure that your pets are safe with certain toys, aren’t being fed foods they shouldn’t be by family or friends and aren’t near any dangerous items—like grills or swimming pools. Every year, pets drown and end up injured when they aren’t being watched.
With many dangers to pets, quick action is very important. In a lot of cases, knowing where your pet is can help you to save them if something goes wrong. Consider all the casual risks in your home or yard—like potentially getting trapped, cut, or even bitten or stung.
2. Keep Your Yard Secure
Yard security is essential for keeping your pet safe during summer. You want to ensure that there is no chance that your pet can escape—or that anyone can get to them either. A lot of pet parents let their dogs outside more during summer. This gives your pet more time to potentially find an escape route if there is one. Pet parents should do a perimeter check several times a year to ensure that there aren’t any holes that their pet can slip through.
Pet theft or assault is not common—but it is probably more common than you think. Pet parents who have shorter fences may find that other dogs or animals like foxes and coyotes can get into their yard. These animals can pose a huge risk to your pets. Be sure to keep unwanted risks out.
It is also important to remember that humans always pose a risk to pets. Purebred dogs have a reputation for being stolen—but any dog is at risk. If you have a friendly pup, someone could easily walk off with them when you aren’t looking. Protect your dog against theft or even unwanted attention from neighbors by keeping your yard secure.
3. Never Leave Your Pet Outside Unaccompanied
Pet parents often think that their yards offer the same security and safety as their homes, but this isn’t true. There are a lot of risks in leaving your pup outside. They might overheat, get hurt, or encounter something dangerous. You should avoid leaving your pet outside unaccompanied—and never leave your pet outside if you aren’t home. You never know what can happen.
How to Keep Pets Safe Outside or in Nature
4. Protect Their Paws
Chances are that you love your pet’s toe beans more than anyone on the planet, and no season puts paws at risk quite like summer. That hot summer air can be downright dangerous for puppy toes—and that means that you need to be on the lookout.
There are a few ways to keep your pet’s paws healthy and protected—but the biggest is without a doubt being mindful of when you let them out. Dogs need regular walks to keep them healthy, but a walk on hot concrete can really harm their paws. Avoid walking your dog at hours when the sun is at its highest, but don’t stop there. You want to keep your dog off the hot sidewalks and surfaces any time that the temperature is high. If it is too hot for your bare feet, it is way too hot for dog paws.
If you want to take your dog out and know that the ground will be hot, you will want to offer some kind of protection. There are many ways to cover doggy paws, like with adorable little boots. However, you can also find other protective barriers—some can even be put on their paws like deodorant.
5. Do An Annual Refresher
As dog parents, we tend to get in the groove of things. This is great for simplifying our days, but it can be bad if we get a little too relaxed. Sometimes, we dog parents are guilty of thinking that we have thought of everything, but sometimes things slip through the cracks.
The risk of forgetting valuable information is high, especially when we only must consider certain risks once a year. Every single season, you should take a little time to remind yourself what you need to know for your pet’s health. An annual refresher can literally save your pet’s life.
6. Get The Recommended Vaccines and Medications
Standard vaccines are very important for pets, but seasonal medications and vaccines are just as important. Every single summer, ask your vet what you need to support your pet’s lifestyle and keep them safe. Seasonal medications can play a huge role in supporting your pet’s health.
During the summer season, there are certain boosts that can help you to support your pet on all of their adventures. From heartworm medication to shots that keep them safe when they play in your local river, medications can help you to protect your pet against nature. Flea and tick prevention gets much more important during the summer—especially if you take your dog hiking and backpacking. Getting ahead of these things can save your dog’s life.
7. Be Aware of Wildlife Risks
So many pet parents love to get outside with their pets, but being out in nature brings a whole new set of risks for your pets. As a dog parent, it is your job to be aware of these risks and to know what to do if you encounter them. Whether that means taking preventative action or acting in the moment, you need to be informed.
Your first consideration any time that you head out into nature is the wild animals that will be present. Bears, mountain lions, and other predators can be very dangerous for pets—especially if your pet is reactive or likely to interact with them. Even knowing that there are bunnies or chipmunks that your dog might want to chase is important. In addition to other animals, insects can pose a huge risk. Ticks, mosquitos, and anything with a stinger can cause huge problems for your pet.
8. Always Bring Water
When you’re outside in summer, it gets hot. This means that your pet’s chance of getting dehydrated is significantly higher. Remember, everything that you do, your pet is doing with fur on. It gets hot out for dogs, and this can pose a serious health risk. Making sure that your pup always has water can keep them safe, comfortable, and healthy.
9. Be Aware of the Temperature
You must keep your pets safe in hot weather. Heat is a huge killer of pets, and it can impact them in different ways. Heat is important when your pet is traveling with you—especially if they are in the car. Your dog should never be left alone in the car, especially during hot summer days. Sadly, this kill pets every year.
The car isn’t your only concern here. You should be thinking about the heat any time that your pet meets it. Whether they are in the yard, at the dog park, at the beach, or on a hike, you must consider the heat. Keeping your dog hydrated and cool is crucial, especially if they have a lot of fur. Consider letting them play in the water on hot days (with a life jacket, of course), and don’t shy away from possibly using our dog cooling vest!
The Best Cooling
DOG VEST
This awesome dog cooling vest has a three-layer function that helps heat just slip away.
10. Keep Them Close
As a pet parent, the best thing that you can do to keep your pet safe is to keep them close at all times. You want to make sure that no matter where you are, your pup is in your sights. This means keeping them within a few feet of you on hikes, not letting them roam when you camp, and making sure that they aren’t too far out when they swim. When you keep them close, you can take active steps to protect them when you need to.
The Takeaway
Your pet is your best friend and a member of your family, so of course, you want to keep them safe. With the right approach and a regular refresher, you can stay on top of protecting your pet. This means that you can enjoy the season with them comfortably!
Until next time, thank you for reading!
About the author: Gabrielle is the loving pawrent to adorable pups Willow and Dilla. Growing up surrounded by dogs, she always dreamt of having her own. Willow and Dilla came into her life and changed everything. Now, she's crazy about pampered pooches, and her perfect day involves dancing with her husband, dressing up her furbabies, and cuddling them to sleep. For Gabrielle, life is all about spreading love and joy with her adorable canine companions by her side.
