Pet Health Awareness - Walking Pets During the Summer Months

We like to take our pets on daily walks. After all, we are concerned with their health and should want them to remain in good shape. But beware of the unseen health risks to your pet that can be associated with the summer heat.

Presently I have 4 dogs in our kennel that are being watched this month. They range in age and their general health conditions vary, and each must be considered when taking these dogs for their walks.

The current makeup consists of 2 puppies only 3-4 months of age, an 8 year old but overweight German shepherd, and a 13 year old mix breed.

A single walking session shows the effects that summer plays on each dog's individual condition. The two puppies are young, vibrant and full of energy, and do not hesitate at the prospect of a 20 minute walk through the woods. The 8 year old shepherd and the 13 year old mixed are also looking forward to the same walk.

Within a few moments of walking into the woods, (the woods are about 100 yards from the kennel), you can notice a considerable change form the harsh daily sun to a much cooler shaded area of the woods. At this point each dog is holding their own on this simple and short walk.

At the halfway point, now 10 minutes of walking, we take a momentary rest, more for my sake then that of the dogs. Each dog is panting quite regularly at this stage. None of them look at all tired, and none have stopped to drink any water from my bottle.

Due to a recent rainstorm the night before, we have come across an occasional puddle or two for them to wade in. This has helped them stay a little refreshed.

As we head past the 3-quarter mark of this trail, there is a considerable difference in the overweight shepherd's desire to lead the pack. At this point, the older 13 year old mixed dog, is actually keeping a stronger pace then the young puppies, even though the puppies have stopped a number of times to rest and take on water.

By the time we reach the stretch of trail back to the kennel area, the fours dogs are showing signs of being both tired and thirsty. The last 10 feet lead straight to a waiting pool filled with fresh cold water. The older dogs take a few moments to grab a quick drink while the puppies play and splash around happily. All four dogs are taking a well deserved rest.

By and far they all show some signs of being tired. But keep this in mind that they each have reacted differently to the same walk, under the same conditions. The puppies did tend to pull more on their leashes, which will cause them to put additional stress on their collars and breathing. The overweight 8 year old, while younger showed more signs of fatigue then the older 13 year old. The mixed dog is not carrying around a lot of excess body fat. The extra weight and fat is putting additional stress on the larger dog's legs, chest and his heart.

Be careful of walking your pets in the hot summer months. Take then out during the early morning or later evenings when it is cooler. Make sure to take water with you, for the pets and yourself, if you're going to be walking any kind of long distance. When they get back, give them fresh clean water from a hose or kiddies pool. They have thick fur coats and only cool down through their tongues so please let them relax in the shade and take a break during the walk to make sure they are not getting to overheated.

Be careful to avoid heat strokes or other conditions that can be avoided with a few simple steps. Bottom line is that you should not risk your pet's health simply because it is the summertime and you went for a walk.

Derek Wood breeds and trains large breed dogs through the use of healthy and humane techniques. He is a life-long pet advocate and animal friend.

Visit his website for more pet health care tips and articles. Canine Health Care

Pet Health Issue - Young Pets, Overweight Pets, and Older Pets, During the Summer

The statistics of pet ownership has been climbing for years. Every day many more people go out and become new pet owners, and some of us have had pets longer then some jobs or even marriages. Regardless of how long you have had your pet, you will have to deal with at least two of the issues I am about to address, that of summer health issues and the age or weight of your pets.

At present we have 4 dogs being take care of at our small kennel. Recently we acquired two new German Shepherd puppies, both are now just over 3 months old, and we are caring for two older German shepherds, one at age 8 and the other at age 13.

Like humans, age and conditioning play an important part of our activities during the summer months. Regrettably we often fail to notice the effects that summer has on our four legged friends.

Pets do not have the same ability to cool down as you and I do. When it is excessively hot, like it can be during the summer months, we can sit in front of a fan, grab a cold soda, or crank up the air conditioners. But your pet must pant and pant until his body temperature is regulated. Even in an air conditioned room, your pet can be too hot if you have been outside running them around for a while. Remember, it will take considerable more time for him to cool down from his exercise, then it will for you.

To avoid putting your pet's health at serious risk this summer, follow a few simple steps that can make a big difference:

Walk your pets early in the morning or late at night. These times of day are much cooler, and they will appreciate not having the blazing sun on their fur coat.

Bring a large water bottle for your pet. Water bottles are not just for you. Get one for your pet. Use one that has a squirt top as they can lick the water out easier, and you will not spill as much.

Take your time walking your pet. If you must walk your pet during the hottest hours, (hey we all have schedules), then make sure you can go at a slow pace. Cut the walk short if you need to and take rest breaks during the walk. Better to walk your dog again later then to overdo it at noon time.

Monitor your pet's health. The more time you spend with your pet, the more you should know about your pet's health condition. Like the four dogs we have, I know the puppies are young, vibrant and healthy. They can walk much longer then the overweight or older dogs. You need to know the limits of the pets you have.

Always consider the weakest pet health link. If you have more then one pet, then make sure you always keep in mind that pet which will have the highest risk factors. The overweight German shepherd is a far greater risk factor in the summer then the older, but lighter dog. Even though she is an older dog, she is not lugging around extra fat.

Keeping your pet healthy during the summer is not hard at all. Simply keep in mind that they are much like us in some regards. They want to relax, have a cool drink and perhaps a dip in the pool. If you are going to walk them, and you should, just make sure that they can handle it as well as you can. Take your time, let them rest, give then a nice treat of some ice cubes when you're done. They will love you for the walk, and love you more for caring enough not to put them in harms way.

Get more free puppy training tips

Learn how to protect your dog from getting sick be reading about dog illness symptoms