We have an American Staffordshire Terrier. This means summers are rough when it comes to getting in her exercise and keeping her occupied on the days too hot to walk. Though she lives inside the house with us, and spends the majority of her time there, she still needs to get out for some fresh air and exercise.
We get up early to walk her before the heat sets in, but it's very hard on the mornings the temperature is already hovering around 80 degrees. Lily doesn't do well in direct sunlight. She can go a few blocks and then she has to take a break in the shade. Here are a few things we've come up with to get her moving and work her a bit:
1) Ice cubes - I fill the ice cube tray with chicken broth or beef broth and drop a little Zuke's treat in each one. Pop it in the freezer overnight and you have a fun, icey treat. She loves to chase them around the house or lick them on a blanket under her favorite tree in the yard!
2) Sprinklers - We have one that moves. I got this idea from my own childhood. My parents would set it up on a hot day and we would run through it. Hours of wet fun! We can water our lawn AND exercise Lily while keeping her cool at the same time!
3) Kiddie Pool - Be sure to get a solid plastic one. We tried the blow-up one and her nails went right through it. You may have to ease your dog into it. Lily LOVES water, but she was hesitant about the pool at first. We tossed treats in it to get her in. The second day we had it, we filled it with just enough water to cover the bottom. Again, we threw treats in. By the end of the week, we had it full of water and she was enjoying splashing in and out with her doggie friends!
What about you - how do you keep your pets cool during the hot summer?
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