Sunshine. We all love it. Just a few rays of that wonderful warmth, sees our mood lift and the world is a happier place. For dogs, its much the same. They love the sun as much as we do.

Taking Care of Your Puppy in the Sun

Dogs can overheat quickly and not just in hot cars. Laying in the sun can quickly overheat a dog and even quicker if she is a puppy. They can not sweat and so it takes them much longer to cool down. Allowing them to lay and enjoy the sun for a short while is absolutely fine but keep a close eye that she isn’t getting too hot.

Cooling Your Puppy Down Safely

There are lots of things you can do to keep her safe and allow her to have fun in the sun. Obviously if she is in the sun for too long, she will need to be moved into a shady area even if she tries to convince you that she is happier in the sun! Keeping ice in her water bowl helps to cool the tongue quicker and will therefore cool her blood down quicker. Keeping a wet tea towel over her head if she will allow or placing a cool flannel against the inside of her hind legs will all help cool her down quicker. A paddling pool is ideal where she can jump in and out to keep cool. There are lots of great float toys to keep her interest so that she is in there frequently. However If she really overheats and shows signs of lethargy, disorientation or any vomiting or diarrhoea, you should immediately move her to a shady area and get some cool water water on her as quick as possible. A shower is probably the best place to do this. It is very important that the water is tepid/cool NOT cold, making a hosepipe not ideal. Cold water will restrict the blood flow and actually slow the cooling process down which can be very dangerous for her. If she does overheat she should be checked out by her vet once you have cooled her down.

But making sure she has regular breaks in the shade and is taking on plenty of water to keep her hydrated there is no reason why she cannot enjoy a little sun with us.