Summer is finally here – glorious, hot weather that involves us two-legged fleshies walking about and trying to get a tan (unless you’re like me who sits in the shade as I merely go red!).

However, now is also the time that we need to be careful with our canine friends.

Don’t forget that a dogs coat can be quite thick – especially the long haired breeds – and so, we need to take precautions to stop them overheating.

Dogs do not sweat in the way that humans do, instead panting to try to cool themselves. Please ensure when walking your dog in hot weather that you always have water readily available and, if the weather is especially warm, you should perhaps cut down the length of time out on your walk or wait until the weather cools a little, like later into the evening.

Giving them a hose down can also be a good way of cooling them – or letting them go swimming or trotting through puddles!

As no doubt all of you know, dogs die in hot cars. It therefore goes without saying that in hot weather, this is an even more important rule : Do NOT leave your dog in the car. Cars get hot and stuffy and there are countless stories of dogs who have died from this.

You should also be keeping an eye on their excreta as they can often get upset stomachs in very hot weather. Usually this will right itself if you feed carefully and monitor the dog. However, if you are worried, please take your dog to the vet.

Please be good to your dog – and have a great summer!