The Dog Days of Summer: 10 Tips for Staying Cool Outdoors

by Carrie Boyko

Lazy Summer Days

The walks are already getting scorching hot here in Central Florida. This is the time of year when I wish I lived farther north. I have to take precautions for the heat to assure everyone stays healthy. Here's my plan:

(c) Carrie Boyko

Homemade Cooling Bandannas

have Soft Ice Packs Rolled into the Necktie

• Walk first thing in the morning or after dinner, to avoid the heat of the day. I always adjust their mealtime to eat well before or after. We certainly don't want any chances of Bloat.
• The streets are hot in the afternoon, so on those times when I must take the dogs out during the heat of the day, I take care to walk them on grass or cement sidewalk, which is much cooler than asphalt. Some dog owners even use booties for protection.
• My senior girl, Xena, has a particularly thick, black coat. She doesn't handle the heat so well as her younger housemates, so our summer walks accommodate her by swinging by the house midway and dropping her off. She simply cannot take the 2+ miles that the younger two dogs need, and is generally ready for a cool house and some rest by the halfway point.
• Tanner, my Golden Retriever, has a very short, thin coat for a Golden. This plays out well for him in the summer, as the heat is not much of an issue for him. He'd stay outside all day, if I'd stick around with him. Typical Golden--loves the outdoors. Because Tanner spends a lot of time on the pool deck (by choice) I make sure he gets a swim before or after our walk, to cool him down. Then he gets a good rinse, to wash the chlorine off his fur, and gets a nice rubdown with a towel. 
• Oliver is not as much a fan of the water as Tanner, but even for him, a hose down on a hot day is sometimes welcome. Because he is so small, I am particularly concerned about dehydration, so I quickly whisk him inside for a drink.
• My favorite approach to keeping the pups cool is the ice pack rolled up in their bandannas. I use the soft, pliable, frozen packs and roll them up in a bandanna. Then tie this around their neck to help keep them cool on a hot walk. This is a great tool for summer dog park visits, as well. You can also buy these in various forms. Just hit the link above.
• Besides keeping the water bowl full, ice cubes and other frozen dog treats can be a fun and welcome nibble after a hot walk. Check out your grocer's freezer area for the available frozen dog treats, or try making some of your own. One tip: Be careful where you give them this goodie, to avoid staining carpet or floors. 
• If your dog is not much for eating ice cubes or frozen treats, he may enjoy the cooling effect that the ice cubes have on his water. Dump a handful in his water bowl after a walk and watch him lap up the whole bowl.
• If your dog is an outside dog, the summer heat is of particular concern. You'll want to create a few ways for him to keep well-hydrated: an extra large water bowl--enough to last all day--should be placed in the shade on a raised platform to help keep ants and other ground insects out. Before you leave for the day, drop a pitcherful of icecubes in it to help keep it cool. Also, placing a kiddie pool full of water in a shady area, will provide your pup with a welcome place to cool down, when the temperature rises.
• Finally, all outdoor dogs need plenty of shady spots to get out of the sun. While they may choose a shady area to dig a hole in the dirt for a cooling nap, you can provide a cleaner way for him to stay cool. Depending on your geography and yard layout, you could pick from some of these choices: a dog house with cross ventilation that is placed in the shade, a shade canopy, carport, or even a large shade tree can be the perfect, cooling spot for your dog's heat-of-the-day hideaway. If possible, consider a cooling mat, available from many pet stores or online.

Image courtesy of Amazon

Cooling Mats

 are Great for Outdoor Dogs

One bonus idea before I go. I have a couple of battery-operated 10" fans that will go anywhere. I picked them up at my local discount store; well worth the cost. You can also pick them up at the link above. They have hooks on them to allow for hanging on a dog crate, and include a built-in stand, as well. Using rechargeable batteries, they run for hours without needing a recharge. Perhaps your outdoor Fido might enjoy a cool breeze, if you have an appropriate place to put the fan, out of the risk of rain.

Whatever strategies you employ to keep your pup cool for the summer, you'll be gaining his trust and respect. Every time you offer him your respect and loving care, you'll get it in spades in return. Stay cool!

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All Things Dog Blog's Author, Carrie Boyko, Comes Clean with a Profile

Introducing Yours Truly--the Profile I Never Wrote
by Carrie Boyko

An "About Me" Page:

The easiest thing to do here would be to plug in my resume, but that would be horrendously boring and not as attentive to my animal-loving, green-living, organic-eating sides. I'll opt for the custom-written, first-person format you get on my blogs. Here's the straight scoop:

As an only child, there was Sable, a collie mix that won my heart, warmed my garden, and followed me on my daily treks to climb trees and explore the orange groves behind my home. She was the sister I never had--a true companion--even though only for the short time that I could have considered myself a child.

In my 20s, just out of college, I experienced a bit of the real world of teaching and business, moving on to start a few of my own businesses. One particularly successful one, co-founded by my husband and I, has allowed me to move on with a freelance writing career, following its successful sale.

I published several books in the 1990s--mostly teacher resource books and biography/speech collections. One is still in print, in paperback, as I write this: HOLD FAST YOUR DREAMS is still available through Barnes and Noble online andAmazon, although published in 1996 and reprinted in 2001.

It was during this time that our family adopted Xena, our Retriever mix that will forever be the standard by which we will judge all other dogs. Xena is still with us, now 13 1/2 and still perky. As a new puppy, she slept at my feet while I worked, and taught me to balance my work and play time. Truer life lessons will never come from a better mentor.

After spending the first decade of the 21st century raising teenagers and not doing very much writing, Xena and I decided it was time for her to have a companion--Tanner, a Golden Retriever reject from a non-standard litter. That is to say he would have been considered worthless to anyone desiring to show a dog. Knob-headed and far too tall for his breed, he was a cast-off with a lovable disposition--just what I had in mind! His role was to keep Xena young, while allowing her to train him by example. He was an excellent pupil, and has risen to her standards beyond my expectations. 

Our forays into agility, obedience training, swimming, Fetch instruction, biking and much more, all added to the sense of a working team, or pack, whichever you care to call it. Xena continues to see Tanner as her charge, while regularly inviting him to play tag, wrestle and generally be silly. They are a sight to see when 70-lb Tanner submits his brawn to her 45-lb. aging frame, and all because he seems to know she is a senior citizen that requires his respect and gentlemanly behavior.

I realized there was a growing dog enthusiast in me long before my daughter fostering rescues, and later adopted her own Papillon, and brought him home one day in 2007. Although I never considered myself a 'pocket dog' person, little Oliver soon won us all over, and is now coming into his own as a 9 lb. adult. I say that with tongue in cheek, as he still looks like a puppy to me. Oliver's addition to our pack turned me into a pack-leader-wannabe with a passion for helping all dog owners experience the joy I was getting from my threesome. No one was going to tell me I couldn't handle 3 dogs. So far so good, but let's be clear; we do work hard at it. 

 I now find myself an empty nester. My kids and I are close, and although I miss them terribly, I am enjoying the career I dreamed of, in a very different venue than I anticipated in my fantasies of working as a freelance writer again--the Internet. Yet this very venue has allowed me some fascinating adventures. Dare I say my readers' letters bring me tremendous joy.

Writing my own three sites gives me complete creative and decision-making control, something that the corporate world could never give me, even when running my own business. Here, my expenses are low, allowing me to experiment to the extent my time allows, with any and all of my whims.

It all began with a penchant for eating healthy that has been a part of me, I guess, forever. When, in 2007, I learned I had stage 2 cancer that had spread to my lymph nodes, I initiated proactive measures. My first agenda was to clean up my diet even further. Along the way of reading and educating myself, I came upon a gem--The 100 Year Lie--that changed the way I look at the world.

After emptying my pantry and medicine cabinets, I embarked on an organic journey that led to the beginning of Organic- Journey-Online, my first blog. Later, on one of those whims I mentioned above, I started All Things Dog Blog, as a way of giving myself some comic relief--a lighter topic to write about. With a growing readership at Organic-Journey-Online, I decided to split the content into two categories and begin New Kid on the Green Block. This site became the home of my continued green-living efforts, while Organic-Journey-Online took over the obvious, all things organic--food, personal care, health and so on.

Well, I certainly did bite off more than I should be chewing on, but somehow I am juggling it. Little did I know, however, that All Things Dog Blog would earn the top position within months of its beginning. With this site being the one I had given the least attention, it still managed to climb to the Technorati Top 100 Pet Sites in less than a year, an honor that took me by surprise one day when I signed on to check some stats at Technorati; it had been months since I was there. Woops!

It was this inspiring day that put me on the road to real blogging. I read, I studied, I compared, and I began the tedious process of networking. I call it tedious, not because of the social aspect, but because there are so many venues on which to do this. Where was I to begin? Facebook, of course, won that honor, with Twitter bringing up a close second.

Heard enough? Perhaps more than you bargained for. Now you know a little of what's behind the face on the profile. This is not a big, corporate, highly-staffed blog. It's a one-woman operation out to win just a little of your reading time. Feel free to let me know what it takes to do that. Keep in touch!

For All Things Dog Blog:     LetsAdoptaDogPark@gmail.com

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Maggie the Deep Diving Boston Terrier

Tanner and I think you'll enjoy this video. We're studying it very hard; Tanner would like to do this trick:








Maggie has more videos of her at You Tube, where she dives even deeper. We hope you enjoyed this.

Swimming Isn't Just for Lab-Lovers

© copyright Carrie Boyko 2009

Tanner in True Fetching Form

Lately I've spoken with a number of Retriever owners whose dogs do not enjoy the water. After a few questions, the problem becomes clear. Given that these dogs, bred to collect the hunter's kill from the water, are natural water dogs, they probably just need a little instruction. Perhaps an easy acclimation to the water will work for them, as it did for Tanner. Here's how it went for us with Tanner, with photos from Oliver's experience. Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of Tanner's turn. :(

At about 9 months of age, the water was an inviting temperature, and Tanner's interest in new things was peaking. Perfect timing for an introduction to swimming. After a long walk to tire him out, we enjoyed a cool-down on the pool deck. He likes being wiped down with a few splashes of water, so I used this to my advantage, and got him more wet than usual.

Then, taking my arms under his belly, we sat slowly down on the edge of the pool, danging his toes in the water. This felt good and he quickly found it pleasurable. I dropped to the first step. Now his legs were in the water and his tummy was feeling a surge of cool water. That did it. He wriggled and tried to escape, being confused by this chilly surprise. Holding him close, tightly to my body, I did not speak. I just waited for him to calm himself and acclimate.

When Tanner's breathing slowed and he loosened in my grip, I gave him a few minutes to enjoy the relaxed feeling and then dropped another step. Water rose up to his shoulders and his eyes became like marbles. He looked at me as if to say, "We're not going to keep going into this giant water bowl, are we?"

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko

Oliver Gets Ready

for a Swim with Alan

Again, I simply sat quietly, holding him snugly against my body. And again he calmed after realizing, from my body language, that all was okay. I lifted Tanner out of the pool and allowed him to enjoy a good tail chasing and then dried him off. He loves being massaged with a thick towel, having his ears rubbed and his chest dried with a circular motion. This pleasurable end to Swimming Lesson 101 was perfect. He left his lesson with the pure enjoyment of a good massage. My hope was that his next lesson would go more easily.

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko

Look What You Did to My Beautiful, Fluffy Fur!

It did. Without surprise, he awaited the move to each step. When we sat covered in the water up to his shoulders, his anticipation was palpable. Yet I waited. When he relaxed, once again, suspecting that we would go no further, I took this as my cue and stepped into the pool, continuing to hold him securely to me, as we moved around at a steady speed.

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko

Oliver Heads for the Shallow Step

This took him by a surprise, but didn't take long until he began to relax in my arms. I dropped my arms, giving him a little push and said "Swim, Tanner!" He turned and came right toward me, using his paws to try to reach my shoulders for a good grip. Tanner's default grip has always been more like a toddler's. Tummy to tummy, he enjoys holding on to Toni or I, with his feet on our hips. And this is where he was headed. Without clothing to protect my shoulders or hips, I did not want this to happen now. Not here in the pool.

I turned him back toward the shallow step--his goal--and once again said "Swim, Tanner!" Once again, Tanner turned and headed back for me. This was going to be a challenge. He couldn't see the solid white step under the water; he simply knew that I was right behind him. This time I caught him and took him to the step. I put him securely on it and allowed him to stand there, realizing that it was good purchase, and he did not need me to hold him there.

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko

Yeah, Oliver! You Did It!

I let go and backed up. He swam toward me. I cheered! Toni cheered! Alan cheered! Tanner was swimming!

It took a few more lessons before Tanner would get in alone, and a few more before he would jump into the water, and, well...you get it.

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko 2009

Alan and Oliver Race

Now he heaves himself in after a fetch toy like there was nothing at all to worry about. He just needed a confident teacher to show him how.

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko

Tanner Leaps from Poolside to Fetch "Red"

Trying to teach your dog to swim? Most dogs can swim. Maybe Bulldogs and Bassets might have a bit more trouble. They lack the legs to propel their large bodies. Once again, I'll be willing to field questions. Click the link button at the bottom of the post and send me your question.

Molly is Here to Help Introduce Her Favorite Charity

Tanner's Friend Molly Enjoys Her Pool

Most people I know complain about the amount of email they get each day. I have to admit something. I get excited about reading mine. Reading my email lately has become my favorite part of the day, second only to checking my posts each morning. Why? I'll give you an example.

Today I received a nice note from one of Tanner's doggie daycare friends, Molly, a chocolate lab. They met at Bow Wow Resort, and have become good buddies. Molly's mom sent the two photos in this post. Molly loves her pool as much as Tanner. Maybe we should get them together for a swimming play date.

Even more exciting, Molly's mom wanted to tell me about AnimalPantry.org in our area which helps provide pet food and other items (leashes, collars, etc.) to families in need. The goal is to help the family keep their dog during tough economic times, rather than having to give up their dog to feed their family. Great concept, huh?!!!

I've requested an interview with the people who started the project, and will bring you more information in an upcoming post. This is just a heads up from Molly and me. Clean out your drawers and pet food closets. Anything you have that isn't needed will be useful to the pantry. They have many drop off locations in the area, and I'll bring you a list of these soon. For now, just collect your pet items that are no longer needed and I'll get back to you with where to drop them off.

Molly Enjoys Swimming

with Two Balls at a Time

Hint: Even extra tennis balls or Frisbees (don't we all have extra ones in the garage?) would be welcome. There are probably lots of dogs who would love to play fetch, if they only had a ball or Frisbee. Wouldn't it make you feel good to give a family a great dog toy. There's nothing like a ball to make a dog AND the kids happy.


Oliver and I ( he climbed right into the doggie drawer!) cleaned out our stuff and came up with a collar (Xena grew out of it), a leash (used, but still useful), tug toys (I make them, so they're free. Check out my post of this at the link and the photo below), 2 funky shaped Kong toys, a couple of balls, a store-bought tug toy that didn't go over big with my guys, a dog training DVD, and a bottle of bitter apple spray. Not bad for starters. It feels good to help another dog. Hope you can too. Check back for pickup locations, or see their site at the link above.



Me and my pack wish you and yours a happy Memorial Day. We'll be out at our local dog park, playing fetch, Frisbee and doing a little pile collecting. Hope to see you there!

If you are new to dog parks, check out my 3-part series on visiting the dog park at Central Florida Green Guide. The links to each post are at the bottom of the blog. Just scroll down. You can't miss them.

Let the Swimming Begin!

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko

Xena Does Her

Pamela Anderson Imitation

The lifeguard is on duty, so let the swimming commence. Oliver is back in the pool now also, although not nearly as often as Tanner.

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko

Oliver Looks Like a Fox in the Pool!

Tanner would spend his days there, waterlogged and wrinkled, if I let him. I probably should have named him Fetch.

© copyright Carrie Boyko

Tanner Fetches Yellow

One reader asked if Xena swims. Here is a photo of her and Tanner sharing a float. While Xena's swimming is much like the old lady who doesn't want to be splashed, she does enjoy the occasional dip. Particularly if Tanner isn't around splashing like a little child.

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko 2008

Tanner and Xena Share the Float

Every summer a few fetch toys must perish. Tanner's enthusiasm for playing with them takes its toll. When a local pet store recently succumbed to the economic down turn, I hit the jackpot and bought him 3 new fetch toys. You'll be seeing them in future summer posts. Each toy has a different name, and Tanner can fetch the correct one if more than one is tossed into the pool. And they say dogs are not smart!!

Last year's favorite toy, "Yellow", died a long, slow death by loss of its furry skin. No matter, for Tanner is happy to fetch most anything that floats and can be retrieved to the pool deck for another toss.

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko 2008

Tanner's Favorite Yellow Fetch Toy

Fetch anyone?