Getting your dog ready for summer and Christmas visitors
Summer and Christmas turn up together. That means hot days, a houseful of people, and routines that go out the window for a couple of weeks. A little preparation now helps your dog enjoy it as well.
Keeping cool
Footpaths and roads soak up the sun and can be far hotter than the air. Press the back of your hand on the surface for about five seconds. If that's uncomfortable for you, it's too hot for paws. Walk early or late, choose grass and shade, and carry water. Short-nosed breeds and older dogs feel the heat sooner, as do dogs with thick coats.
A parked car is never safe, even for a quick errand with the windows down. If your dog is panting heavily, drooling, wobbly or very flat, move them into shade, offer small sips of water and cool them gradually with tepid water rather than icy. Then call your vet.
Water and swimming
Not every dog is a natural swimmer. Let them wade in at their own pace, keep early swims short, and never throw a dog in. Rivers and the sea bring currents and tides, so a life jacket is worth having for beginners and for any boat trip. In summer, check your local council's water quality alerts before swimming, because toxic algae in rivers can make dogs very sick.
Christmas visitors
A house full of people is a lot for a dog, and a mat gives the day a job built in. Start somewhere quiet and pay your dog for settling on it. Once that is solid, add someone walking past, then a knock at the door, and eventually people sitting down to a meal. Keep paying for calm along the way.
Set up a quiet room or a gated spot with a chew, so your dog can take a break whenever they need one. Ask guests to say hello once your dog has settled rather than when they are bouncing at the door.
If you're heading away
Sort care early. Day care and boarding here are small and run from a home environment, for small and medium dogs, with only a couple of dogs at a time. A meet and greet comes first, and a trial day or two before the holidays helps a dog settle in.
If your dog finds visitors a lot, or one tricky thing keeps tripping you up, a one-on-one session can sort it out, in person or online. Confidence and Calmness is there for dogs who find all of this overwhelming, and runs online year round for people further afield.
You'll see bits of this on Facebook and Instagram through November, so feel free to pass it on to anyone with a dog and a busy summer ahead.
Beverley