Why are these hot days called the dog days of summer?  Your dog seems to not want to spend very much time outside because it’s so hot.  This time of year gets its name because this is the time of year that Sirius, the dog star and the brightest star in our sky beside the sun, is visible in the Northern Hemisphere.  Sirius is in the constellation Canis Major, one of the hunting dogs for Orion.  Orion, the hunter, has the well known three-star belt that is so visible.  Sirius is visible below Orion in the pre-dawn hours right now.

Whatever the reason, it’s no doubt hot outside and it’s not very comfortable for your dogs.  Be sure to limit their time outside, and try and walk them on dirt or grass instead of the asphalt.  One thing you can do to cool down your dog before you take them out is to run water over them.  You can use water from a hose, or if you don’t have a hose, a squirt bottle with water in it can be used to spray off their underside.  This is a very effective way of cooling down the animal.  The water doesn’t have to be very cold either.  This works well after the walk and it’s not as messy when you let them back in the house.  Get them to rise up on their back legs and you can give them a couple of sprays of water.  Some of you may use a squirt bottle for discipline with your dog, so you may need to find another way to wet it down without confusing it.

Fetch! Pet Care of NW Atlanta provides pet sitting, dog walking and cat care services for Roswell, East Cobb, Woodstock and Kennesaw, GA.  You can follow us on Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/fetchnwatlanta/