5 Steps to Getting Your Dog Ready for Summer

Since summer is coming, chances are good that you have already put away your winter coat and the rest of your winter apparel. However, making the transition from winter to spring and spring to summer is much more challenging for your dog, meaning that they will need some extra assistance for you as their owner. Fortunately, so long as you are willing to put in some time and effort, this should be a relatively simple and straightforward matter.  Be sure to take these 5 steps to get your dog ready for summer:

Take Your Dog to the Vet

First and foremost, you should take your dog to see the veterinarian for their annual check-up. After all, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, which is as applicable to dogs as it is to humans. By making sure that your dog gets examined, you can catch and correct potential issues before they can turn into serious problems, which is particularly important right now because summertime fun and excitement tend to be more strenuous for your dog. Better still, the visit to the veterinarian is a great chance to learn more about all of the things that can threaten your dog’s health as well as the best ways with which to combat them.

Vaccinate

On a related note, you should make sure that your dog’s vaccinations are up-to-date. Although this can come as an inconvenience, vaccinations make sure that your dog is protected from a wide range of serious medical conditions in case something goes wrong. Since your dog will be spending a lot more time outdoors during the summer where they will be exposed to ticks, fleas, and other vectors of disease, this is absolutely critical in summer.

Don’t Forget Grooming

Make sure to groom your dog before letting them out to join in on the summertime fun and excitement. In part, this is important because a good grooming can help them shed their winter coat, which is necessary for keeping them from overheating in the hot summer sun. However, they should also be getting regular trimmings of their nails as well as regular cleanings of their ears, which makes this time as good as any.

Watch Out for Overheating

Some breeds handle the heat better than others. However, no matter what breed your dog belongs to, you need to make sure that they will not overheat, particularly if you are planning to let them spend some unsupervised time outside. At a minimum, this means helping them with the transition from their winter coat to their summer coat, making sure that they have easy access to plenty of water for hydration purposes, and providing them with shaded places to rest and relax when the sun is highest in the sky. Above all else, you should never leave your dog alone in your car because its interior can become much hotter than its exterior because of the absorbed sunlight.

Activities

Summer is not just the time for dogs to have some fun and excitement but their owners as well. As a result, you should make sure to think of something that you can do with your dog while you are outside, whether that means something restful and relaxing such as going on a picnic or something more strenuous such as hiking out in the great outdoors. Whatever you decide to choose in the end, you should make sure that your dog is well-prepared for the excursion, which could call for some new dog equipment. For example, if you think that it is unfair for you to carry all of the tools and supplies that you need to spend some time with your dog, consider getting them to carry their food and water by strapping a dog backpack on them. Not only is it adorable, but it is also surprisingly convenient.

Further Considerations

With that said, it is important to remember that all dogs are unique, meaning that their summertime preparations should be unique as well. As a result, you should not just follow the 5 steps mentioned here but also do some of your own research on your own time so that you can be sure that you are doing everything needed to get your dog ready for the summer season.

Nathaniel Berman is Managing Editor at Puppytoob.