Summertime is the time for outdoor activities and having fun.   However, being outdoors with your dog, or leaving him outside more, does lead to an increased chance that your dog could get hit by a car.

The following are five great tips to keep your dog from becoming another statistic and keep everydog’s summer safe and fun.

1. Summertime can be the time for some nasty weather.  Always check on your fence after a storm to make sure it’s still intact.

Due to the storms, high winds can blow open gates or blow down sections of fences and dogs can escape. The most frequent emergency seen by veterinarians is a dog or cat being hit by a car. There are so many ways to prevent this tragedy. Always check fences and gates after high winds and storms before letting dogs in the yard. If there is a pet door and nobody is home during the day, install a padlock to the gate so it won’t blow open. If the fence is questionable during high winds, lock the pet door until the fence can be secured against high winds or until someone is home to monitor the dogs. Always be prepared for dogs to escape by having them microchipped by a veterinarian or local animal shelter. Microchips last forever and dogs will be returned when they are scanned.

2. Summertime is also the time for  having friends over, bar-b-q’s, and get togethers. This means a lot of traffic coming in and out of the front door.  No not car traffic, people traffic, so it is imperative to teach your dog not to run out the front door.

The best way to persuade your dog not to dash through doors is: do not let your dog make a successful dash through the door. Sounds obvious — but countless dog people and their guests have accidentally let the dog out the door, giving the dog a taste of freedom that can be exhilarating, but fraught with danger. The dog does not realize this, but he could get hit by a car, get in a fight with another animal, get lost and hurt, knock over children, not to mention alienate your neighbors. Even after dogs who get hurt after an escape fail to remember the connection between door-darting and pain when spotting a new chance to dash out the door.

3. Make sure your dog is always leashed, with the proper leash,  when you take your dog for a walk. As I’ve mentioned before Bo was quite a Houdini in his youth, a true master of slipping the leash.  When we got Logan, our Berner, his foster parents sent him along with a Martingale collar, something we had never heard of.  This collar prevents dogs from slipping the leash when they pull back.  Not usually an issue if Fluffy is 10lbs, but when she grows to be over 80lbs and turns into a ‘flight risk’, you’ll come to appreciate it.

Leash laws exist to protect not only your dog from tragic hit-by-car accidents but also to protect and safeguard all humans and other animals out and about in a civilized society. No dog, despite its level of training should be allowed to roam or to walk about freely when not in a fenced in yard, a home or a fenced dog park where dogs are permitted to run.

4. Having your dog spayed or neutered.

Dogs become sexually mature at around six months of age. Like a teenager first feeling the surge of hormones, an intact male dog has a strong, natural drive to seek out females. As you can imagine, it can be difficult to prevent an intact dog from escaping when his motivation to do so is very high.

Have your male dog neutered. Studies show that neutering will decrease sexual roaming in about 90 percent of cases. If an intact male has established a pattern of escaping, he may continue to do so even after he’s neutered, which is even more reason to have him neutered as soon as possible. Have your female dog spayed. If your intact female dog escapes your yard while she’s in heat, she’ll probably get pregnant (and she could be impregnated even if she stays in your yard).

5. Teach your dog to come.

Coming to you when called is one of the more important skills your dog can learn. Although we strive never to put our dogs in unsafe situations, the “come” (or “recall”) command can avert a car-dog collision, a deer chase, or other hazards.

In the event that your dog does get loose it is imperative that he has the proper tags and identification.  There are multiple ID choices and now is the time to decide which one is right for your pet.

Take the time to call your vet and investigate the options NOW. Once your pet is lost it’s too late. Also make sure to have a good clear updated photo of your pet should you ever need it.

Over the July Fourth weekend my wife and I were visiting friends in Wilmington, NC.  They took us out boating and we were amazed at the number of boaters who had dogs with them.  A large percentage of them had doggie lifejackets, but not all.  Which leads me to the point, not all dogs are swimmers.

There are certain things we assume dogs know by instinct. Then there’s swimming. It seems so integral to being a dog that we’ve even named a stroke after them, the dog-paddle - so you’d assume that’s another thing that every dog is born knowing how to do.

To keep your best friend safe this summer you may need to sign up for Swimming 101.

Some dogs have to be taught to swim, Diamond said, and others, like bulldogs, take to the water like submarines take to the Cross Bronx Expressway. For the former, there is hope. For the latter, there are those bright orange canine flotation devices.

Is there anything cuter then a dog in a bright orange life-jacket?

Among those that can’t swim at all or swim only with great difficulty are basset hounds, bulldogs, dachshunds, pugs, corgis, Scottish and Boston terriers and greyhounds.

When you teach a dog to swim you use a lot of the same rules as you would when teaching a child.  You never want to leave a dog unattended, even one that can swim.  Dogs that can swim may jump in a pool and not be able to get out, resulting in drowning.  Here is a checklist from Wendy Diamond,  founder and editorial director of Animal Fair magazine, of things to do to get ready for Swimming  101:

* Avoid excessive noise
“Take them to an area that’s not so crazy and hectic,” she advised. Like children, dogs can become frightened and confused if there’s a lot of noise and activity around them. The object is to keep them calm and focused on the swimming lesson.

* Use encouragement
As when teaching a child, keep your voice upbeat and positive, she said. “Using treats and toys to encourage your dog to enter the water also works quite well,” she said.

* Never throw them in
Just as you shouldn’t throw a child in the water and expect it to swim to safety, you shouldn’t do that with a dog, Diamond said. “Don’t force the dog. If they don’t want to do it, don’t force them to do it.” Instead, she told Celeste, “Slowly put them in the water and get their paws used to it.”

* Support their weight until they paddle
Even if the dog is wearing a life vest, Diamond said, support its midsection and hindquarters in the water until they start paddling and feel comfortable.

* Show them how to get out
Getting a dog in the pool is only half the battle. Diamond reminded pet owners that they also need to be shown where the steps are in the pool so they can easily get out.

* Keep an eye on them
Even in the water, dogs can wander off. Dogs that swim naturally and well can jump in the ocean and keep swimming until they’re lost, Diamond said. “You want to make sure, like children, that you watch where they’re going,” she said.

I want to thank Laura Goldberg, Communications Consultant at  Petside.com, for sharing this fun article.

Petside has found the most pet friendly hotels in the nation! These locations offer the most amenities and the best service to their four-legged guests of any hotels in the US.

Where, oh where,  should me and my little dog go?

From Los Angeles to New York City, your pet can have a first-class experience away from home, no matter how far you travel.

So next time you vacation with your pet, check out these locations to ensure a great stay for you and your furry friend!

Happy trails!

Since we are in the dog days of summer, no pun intended, this is article is both timely and useful.  Kim Grant shows us how to keep our best friends safe with some good advice.

With summer here, dog owners are taking their canine companions everywhere — parks, beaches, flea markets, outdoor restaurants, festivals, vacations, hiking and boating. Though it’s great to be outdoors, remember to protect your pet from the sun and heat.

Although most humans use sunscreen, a lot of us don’t realize how important it is for our pets too.

While bubblegum pink is the trendy color for canine couture this season, a pink nose, ears and belly can be painful. Yes pets can get sunburn just like humans.

For dogs, protect the nose and belly, which tend to turn bright pink from the sun, and other areas where fur is thin. Cats can benefit as well by applying to their nose and tips of ears. Talk with your veterinarian to find out which sunscreen is best for your pet.

Read all her great tips so you and your buddy will have a fun and safe summer.

This video features some practical, simple ways to keep your pet from getting overheated. A new one to me—and a great idea—is rubbing aloe vera gel or Vitamin E oil on a dog’s foot pads before hitting the hot pavement. And chicken broth ice cubes = genius!

Dr. Eric Barchas, our resident vet, also has some great suggestions over at the Vet Blog.

How do you keep your pooch all chilled out? Post a comment and let us know!