Ahhh nothing beats the weather in San Diego!  The beach, the parks, and all the fun outdoor bbq’s our little fur pups can handle! But with hot and very humid santa-ana temperatures in effect this week it’s exceptionally important to keep Fido hydrated all hours of the day, even in the evenings.  Sadly one dog collapsed and died on the Mission Trails last summer from heat exhaustion- see full story here.  That said, experts highly disencourage hiking with your dog during this hot San Diego heatwave. Instead, take Fido to play where there are tree’s and enjoy the shade. Better yet, the majority of San Diego dog beaches have now recently gone “off-the leash” so take Fido to enjoy the refreshing pacific ocean!

Car rides with pooch: For those of you who enjoy taking Fido with you on errands but leave them in the car- DON’T!  Just leave them at home with a generous bowl of good drinking water in an area where they can keep coo- you will both feel better about this decision in the long-run. During heat weaves the vehicle is no place to leave Fido.  A car can rise up to 90 degrees in just 10 minutes when parked in the sun during this time of year – even with the windows down leaving a dog in a parked car can cause major problems for a dog and can also be fatal.

No matter what you do- always be sure to keep your dog hydrated and have good quality room temperature drinking water available to Fido throughout the day.  Not having water available can cause a dog to overheat and pass out of heat dehydration. 

Here are some ways to cool your dog down and actually enjoy the warm San Diego weather with Fido:

1) The beach: the majority of San Diego dog beaches have recently gone “off the leash” so that is all the more reason dog beach is the perfect place to keep Fido cool during the hot San Diego temperatures.  Bring plenty of water along on the activity.  San Diego is home to a handful of amazing dog beaches your pup will enjoy.  Take a look at a list of our favorite dog beaches here

2) If the beach is not often available to you for schedule reasons – a kiddie pool makes a great alternative. Wall-Mart and Target have some great kiddie pools in the children section for $10 a pool depending on the size that make a great hydrating toy for Fido to play in and play with. Set up your pool on your porch, patin or back yard and have it available to your dog during a hot afternoon for cooling down.

3) Pull out the gardening hose. A nice drench and splash with the gardening house makes the perfect activity to keep Fido cool. They’ll love the activity and it’s easy to do. Play around with them for 10 minutes with the hose while watering the garden and grass.

3) If you want to avoid getting your dog wet – ( however hydro – stimulation is very relaxing for dogs so we encourage you let them play in the water now and then ) take your dog to enjoy the calm breeze under a shady tree. Local park with large trees make great place where Fido can cool down and relax while enjoying the scenerry under a cool shady tree.

4) Place ice cubes in your dogs water bowl. This will keep the water extra chilled plus many dogs enjoy to play with ice cubes as treats.

5) Store wet hand towels in the refrigerators freezer. Once they become frozen and hard they make for great gnawing toys for Fido to cool off with on a hot day.

6) The BEST FOR LAST, my personal favorite: Tree’s! Nothing like hanging out at the dog park under a shady tree.  Sometimes just relaxing where there is a cool breeze can me the most serene thing for your dog.  Find a stretch of green grass and nice big bushy tall tree and enjoy a picnic with your dog.

Hope these tips help! AND Please remember – do not keep Fido in the car longer than 5 minutes.. INSTEAD find a friend, OR a near by pole or bench in the shade where you can tie Fido up for a few minutes… if you really have to leave Fido in the car find a parking space under shade!!!