John and I have been trying to stay inside and stay cool lately. It's hard on all of us when the weather gets hot like this.
Me n' John checking out a big rig at the county fair!
Mom said that I should put out some heat-related reminders for those other Service Dogs out there...things to remind your human partners about!
*Watch out for the asphalt and other surfaces! Any human who has gone barefoot on black-top knows how hot it gets...(Mom remembers walking on the painted lines on the road to avoid the heat as a kid). If you are an assistance dog, chances are, you'll be in parking lots and on sidewalks a lot with your human partner. Remind them that you shouldn't have to stand too long on those surfaces...it's hot on a dog's feet too! Have them put
booties on you if being on hot surfaces is unavoidable for long periods of time!
*Bring lots of water! (and bowls) John and Mom always have water in the cars, and John keeps a
fabric water bowl in his scooter pack at all times. This way, I can get a drink if we're out in the heat. Since I'm not good about getting a drink in public, Mom also gets me
flavored powders to mix into my water to make it taste good! (like those little packets that Mom carries for herself...mine are hot-dog flavored instead of lemonade!) If we're out for a long day...Mom will fill a short, squat thermos with water, so the lid just has to be removed for me to drink my fill. John carries that on the floorboard of his scooter! (handy, isn't he?)
*Watch for signs of heat exhaustion Some of us are prone to over-doing it when we work or play. We dogs don't always know when to quit. So #1 is for our humans to keep an eye on us and make us stop before things go wrong! #2 is to watch for signs of heat-related problems and #3 is for our humans to read up on such problems and know what to do if something occurs! Here is a great site with lots of info!
Dogs and Heat Stroke*Protect the eyes! If you spend a lot of time outside, and it's bright and sunny, you might want to have your human get sunglasses for you. I have a pair of
Doggles that John keeps handy for him, in case we're going to be out in the sun. It keeps me from squinting a lot, and since I get lots of attention and treats when I wear them, I don't mind so much!
Any other ideas for staying cool and comfortable in this heat? Feel free to post them in the comments section!
~SDS (lying on the couch in the air conditioning!)
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